“From breastfeeding to rocking a fussy baby, it can be so physically intimate and emotionally demanding that you may not want to be touched any more than you already are. You may be in physical pain, or you may feel claustrophobic. You may also just feel protective of your body. These are all normal reactions,” Dr.
If you're feeling less than lusty after having a baby, you're not alone. “It's completely normal for both women and men's libido to hit a rock-bottom low during the first six to nine months following the birth of your baby,” says L.A. ob-gyn Sheryl Ross, MD.
Changes in libido levels
After childbirth, women experience a lower libido in comparison to before pregnancy. This occurrence usually begins 4-6 weeks into pregnancy and can last till a year. A lower libido can make you feel less attracted towards your partner.
Haphephobia is an intense, irrational fear of being touched. It is different from hypersensitivity, which is physical pain associated with being touched. People with haphephobia feel extreme distress over the thought of being touched. This anxiety can lead to physical symptoms like nausea, vomiting or panic attacks.
Lack of personal time, intimacy, communication, and many other factors can explain why some relationships fail after having a baby. None of these issues are impossible to overcome, but addressing any problems that have emerged is essential to strengthening the connection with your partner.
Among the most common reasons for separating were dwindling sex lives, a lack of communication and constant arguments. Some couples are lucky and, despite more than one in 10 resorting to a trial separation, they later got back together.
If your wife won't touch you, maybe something has changed. She may be experiencing depression or a lack of self-confidence, or maybe she feels like she's failing at this parenting thing. Even if it is difficult, do everything you can to put yourself in her shoes.
It is common that when someone is experiencing a disturbance in their emotional and mental health, they may not demonstrate as much affection as they would at other times. Some mental health examples include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or even obsessive compulsive disorder.
It's normal for couples to go through ups and downs when it comes to physical intimacy. Women tend to experience the “I don't like my husband touching me” phase when they go through life changes or when their bodies change. Whatever the reason, it's ok if you don't want your husband to touch you.
Dads experience hormonal changes, too
Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding all cause hormonal changes in mothers. However, researchers have found that men also undergo hormonal changes when they become fathers. Contact with the mother and children seem to induce the hormonal changes in dads, the researchers said.
Besides no longer getting excited to spend time together, you may find yourself flat-out avoiding your partner. You may stay late at work, see movies or eat dinner by yourself, or even take the long way home to avoid being with your partner for a moment longer than you have to.
First, it's important to understand that losing sexual attraction happens to most couples as we move on with our normal life. Dr. Tina B. Tessina, a psychotherapist and author of How To Be Happy Partners: Working It Out Together, tells SheKnows that decreased attraction “is very common as time passes in relationships.”
Some people are self-conscious, and they feel too vulnerable when put in an intimate situation like that. Others feel like they need more personal space and don't like getting too close for long periods. Having a discussion about cuddling and how you feel about things is a good idea.
Some reasons they may have stopped kissing include infidelity if they do not enjoy kissing, are preoccupied with work or are expecting you to make the first move. To make sense of the situation, you may have to consider how old the relationship is.
One of the most common causes of thoughts like “I don't like being touched anymore” is underlying problems in the relationship. When we hold resentment towards our husbands, we don't feel connected with them. Often the negative feelings towards our partners manifest as sexual aversion.
If your wife avoids intimacy, one of the reasons could be that you broke a promise or betrayed her. If you want to fill your relationship with the same charm and attraction, then try to look for the mistakes you made in the past. Apologize to her, and win her trust back.
Hormonal imbalances, depression, chronic illness/pain, and some medications can all contribute to low sexual desire. Women are about twice as likely to experience depression as men. Over 60% of people who experience depression report having a negative effect on their libido.
What percentage of couples split up after having a baby? According to one source, 67% to 90% (!!!) of couples report a decline in relationship satisfaction after their baby is born. Even more shocking?
Postpartum depression (also called PPD) is a medical condition that many women get after having a baby. It's strong feelings of sadness, anxiety (worry) and tiredness that last for a long time after giving birth. These feelings can make it hard for you to take care of yourself and your baby.
Researchers have found that about 67 percent of couples experience a decline in relationship satisfaction in the first three years of a baby's life (Gottman, 2015) and this deterioration often persists into subsequent years (Doss et al., 2009).
You're not interested in date night anymore. You no longer feel excited or look forward to going out on a date with your boyfriend. If you do go out, you lack effort into your looks to make yourself look more desirable.
In fact, couples therapists say that feeling is quite common. “Loss of attraction tends to develop over time when partners no longer share new or exciting experiences,” says Rebecca Phillips, a therapist in Frisco, TX. “When you're no longer curious about your partner, you can feel stagnant and bored.”