Q: Good day ma’am, please is it safe/healthy to have sex while breastfeeding? It’s been 8months now since I delivered and I haven’t been intimate with my husband. He”s complaining but I keep telling him to wait till I wean. Am I doing the right thing please?

A: Thank you so very much for writing in! Oh wow! 8 months!!!

Is it safe to have sex while breastfeeding? Yes, it is. The breast milk and the sexual activity have totally different pathways 😀 Is it healthy? It’s definitely NOT UNHEALTHY. It’s not abnormal to be ‘wary’ of sexual intercourse after having a baby. The main reason is because you feel very sore down there and the last thing you want is anything that aggravates that pain. There are no hard and fast rules. You can resume sexual relations once you feel up to it. It is usually a good idea to wait until after the 6 week period when your obstetrician gives you the all-clear. 8 months is definitely way over any of the limits…especially if the reason why you’re not indulging is because of breastfeeding. I’m too scared to ask when you had intended to stop breastfeeding and restart sexual activity given that the recommended period for breastfeeding is 2 years 😀

Another question I’ve received often is whether it is safe to breastfeed while pregnant? For instance, if you’re still breastfeeding a baby and you find that you’re pregnant again, should you stop breastfeeding? No. It’s generally considered safe to continue breastfeeding in pregnancy. In fact some mothers would even breastfeed the new baby and the older one, concurrently. This is called tandem nursing. However, given the requirements of breastfeeding and of pregnancy, this mum must ensure that she is eating healthy and drinking sufficient fluids.

If your already born baby can talk, he may comment on the fact that the taste of your breast milk has changed especially towards the end of pregnancy and a few days after the birth of the new baby as colostrum is produced.

Mothers who have had preterm (premature) babies, have premature contractions or are pregnant for twins and other multiple pregnancies should be sure to discuss with their doctors. These ones may have to wean early. Always check with your doctor.

Have a great weekend, everyone 😀