Sex Drive Dive
If you’re not in the mood, you’re not alone – many new mothers see a drop in their sex drives.
“It can take up to a year to feel like you are really back in the mood for sex,” says Hope Ricciotti, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School and a practicing obstetrician at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston. “You are so focused on your child and your family that you have little to no time for yourself, and that includes sex.”
You’re also tired and may not have any romantic moments for the first few months after baby is born to even think about the act that conceived your child, she says.
Belly Bulge
You give birth, you lose your belly, right? Well, not that fast.
“After you give birth, lots of women expect that their belly will return to its normal size almost immediately,” Ribaudo says. “It takes about 6-8 weeks before the uterus is back to its prepregnancy size.”
Amanda Ezman of Oneida, N.Y. was among the new moms surprised by the size of her belly after she gave birth.