Sex after a C-section can seem like a daunting thing. I mean, you've just brought a whole new human into the world for goodness sake. If sex isn't on your mind soon after doing that, then that's totally normal. But, if you want to get back in the saddle, that's cool too.

The NHS recommends that you only start to have sex again "when you feel able to do so" - which may be six weeks or so - and as long as you don't find it uncomfortable. "Ask your midwife for advice if you're unsure when it's safe to start returning to your normal activities. You can also ask your GP at your six-week postnatal check," it advises. The NHS also recommends telling your doctor if sex is still painful after your six-week check up.

Of course, everybody and their bodies are different. But here's how six women felt about sex after their surgeries.

1."It was weird and uncomfortable"

"The first times having sex postpartum were kind of weird and uncomfortable, but I don't think it had to do with the C-sections (I've had two) as much as it had to do with hormones/breastfeeding. After a while, the sex felt totally normal, no different than before." [via]

2."The scar makes me self-conscious"

"I don’t remember noticing a difference, but we did wait the recommended amount of time before doing it, so I was fully recovered. The scar definitely makes me self-conscious, and it still bums me out two years later - [I think] it’s unattractive. But my husband is really reassuring about it." 

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3."It quickly returned to normal"

"I didn't find sex to be any different after a C-section. I waited around a month, and the first few times were a little uncomfortable but it quickly returned to normal." 

4."I was more sore than I expected"

"It didn’t really [change after surgery]. I was more sore than I expected at first, but just the first few times. I don’t know how much of that was the C-section and how much of that was the fact that I fully dilated before the section. But I was soon back to normal. My sex drive was lower for a while, but [it] is normal for me now. And I was drier. But I think that correlates more with nursing, than the C-section because that changed when my son weaned." 

5."I had no pain whatsoever"

"It was great, no different from before. It was six weeks postpartum (I think that's the general guideline of when you're cleared for sex). I had no pain whatsoever. I just did everything my doctor told me to do, and was meticulous in making sure the incision was clean and didn't get infected. I don't think it has had any effect on our sex life. You can barely see the scar now." 

6."It wasn't any different"

"I don’t remember sex being any different once I’d recovered from the surgery."