Online Articles
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Why Are We Scared To Admit That Pregnancy And Childbirth Can Be Sensual?
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Breastfeeding During Sex Is Totally OK, So Let's Stop Pretending Otherwise
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Voices Series: talking about sex during pregnancy & postpartum with people on the margins
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5 myths about sex in pregnancy and postpartum [interview with Dr. Emily Queenan]
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How to Love Sex When You Don’t Love Your Post-Pregnancy Body
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Intimacy in Conception- how it can change when you're TTC and what to do about it
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After Baby, can Parents Ever Regain that Lost Lovin’ Feeling?
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Does Your Clitoris Change After Pregnancy? An Expert Explains How Childbirth Impacts It
Articles written by members of the Couples and Sexual Health Research Lab at Dalhousie University:
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Fear-Based Reasons for not Engaging in Sexual Activity During Pregnancy
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How does Sexuality Before Pregnancy Affect Sexuality During and After Pregnancy
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Sexual Desire Discrepancy and Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction among New Parents
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The Prevalence of Dyspareunia and Genito-Pelvic Pain in Pregnancy
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New Parents: How empathy for your partner can be beneficial for your relationship post-baby
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Research Spotlight: Division of Labour and Sexual Satisfaction in First-Time Parents
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Books
postpartum sex
The Mother’s Guide to Sex: Enjoying your sexuality through all stages of motherhood
By Anne Semans & Cathy Winks
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Excellent book for everything about sex during pregnancy and parenthood for cis-gendered women. It covers everything from facts, activities, bodies, hormones, history… it’s great!
Sex After Baby: Why There is None By Kathleen Hamilton
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Extremely real and raw personal account of Kathleen Hamilton's experience with sex after having children. She interviews other women, though it is not a particularly scientific read, having a window into another person’s experience can be very enlightening and validating.
Sexual Intiamcy for Women: a same-sex guide for couples By Glenda Corwin
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Great resource for queer/lesbian women in same-sex relationships. There’s a dedicated chapter for parents, too!
Sex After… : women share how intimacy changes as life changes By Iris Krasnow
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There is a chapter on sex after pregnancy and in parenthood, but generally a great read about the stories of people who have weathered major transitions in their lives and how they impacted their sexual health. Very enlightening and well-written.
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Survivor Moms: Women's Stories of Birthing, Mothering and Healing After Sexual Abuse
By Julia S. Seng and Mickey Sperlich
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Excellent recourse for survivors, partners, professionals, and researchers.
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The Fourth Trimester: a postpartum guide to healing your body, balancing your emotions, and restoring your vitality.
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Receiving some excellent book reviews! There is a chapter devoted to postpartum sex and intimacy.
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*please note: I cannot currently find books on trans pregnancy and sexuality, or nonbinary/queer relationships and sexuality, or books for specific communities of colour
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relationships
And Baby Makes Three: This Six-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives
By John M. Gottman, Ph.D. & Julie Schwartz Gottman, Ph. D.
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Great book about relationship dynamics and how they are impacted by having children. Predominantly presented with monogamous heterosexual couple examples, though this book could be applied across relationship types. Complete with worksheets and exercises!
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general sexuality
Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That will Transform Your Sex Life
By Emily Nagoski, Ph. D.
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My favourite book about basic sexual health and sexual functioning. It’s all about why we are the way we are and how we’re totally normal and capable of having great sex. Based in good science and good research, but written so anyone with any degree of sex education can understand and apply it to their life. Complete with worksheets and exercises!
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Unscrewed: Women, sex, power, and how to stop letting the system screw us all
By Jaclyn Freidman
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A modern account and deeply moving book on women's sexuality and where we're at with our sex politics in North America. Information includes trans women's experiences, sex workers, marginalized and BIPOC women.
