Question:

Dear expert,

how long should one wait after delivery before they can have sex again? How long will it be safe from pregnancy after delivery? Should one start taking birth control pill right away after delivery or how long should one wait?

Answer:

You should see a health care provider before engaging in sex. It is important to make sure that the vagina has healed before having intercourse. Oral contraceptives are generally started no sooner than two weeks after delivery. This assumes that they are estrogen- and progestin-containing pills and that the woman is not breast feeding.

For more information:

Go to the Women’s Health health topic.