Who has time for sex? Don't miss this moms-only workshop on March 26

By Guest Blogger Kelly Grocoff, LSW

Why teach a class called “Sex and Intimacy After Baby: Making it Matter for Moms”? Aren’t there a thousand other things mothers need to worry about? Who has time for sex?

In my classes and workshops, I make a case for sex. Why? Sexual health concerns are as important as any other health concern. Healthy sexual activity has numerous medical and psychological benefits, including many that are important for mothers, such as improving mood, aiding in sleep and keeping the pelvic floor muscles strengthened and toned.

My next workshop, for moms only, will be held at the Lamaze Family Center on Saturday, March 26 from 1:00pm-6:00pm. It will be an opportunity for moms to get answers to some of the trickiest postpartum questions, and engage in honest, thoughtful discussion about how to re-establish sex and intimacy after having children.

Many couples find that along with the multiple joys, challenges and changes of child-rearing comes an end to "Sex as We Know It." For some it gets better, but for many others it gets worse; it can create distance between two partners and is often marked by physical or emotional pain. But instead of accepting sub-par sex as the new normal, I encourage couples to identify what is not working, talk about the changes and make a commitment to their sexual relationship. For many couples, the postpartum period is the first time they have ever had to talk about sex. With commitment, honesty, and a sense of humor, couples can start a life long conversation that will help them adapt to a sexual relationship that inevitably changes throughout the life span.

Some common questions mothers have are: will I ever get my sex drive back? Why is my partner so interested in sex when I am not at all? Why should I consider sex when all I want to do with my free time is sleep or take care of things around the house? How can I show my postpartum body to my husband? Our kids are now much older and it seems like our sex life is forever changed. How can I learn how to enjoy sex again?

In “Sex and Intimacy After Baby” we discuss these questions, and many more. I hope to see you there.

Register now for the March 26th workshop, from 1:00pm-6:00pm at Lamaze Family Center Ann Arbor. The five-hour workshop is $60 and includes the great book "Sex Matters for Women," by Sallie Foley, MSW; Sally A. Kope, MSW and Dennis P. Sugrue, PhD. The workshop is for moms only and open to any mom who has given birth in the last ten years.

Expectant Moms: Come to Nesting, a Creative Prenatal Retreat at Blue House

Lamaze Family Center Ann Arbor and Blue House proudly introduce a retreat on Saturday, March 5, dedicated to a day of creative empowerment for expecting moms. Whether you are a first time mom or a busy momma expecting #3, pregnancy is a journey to cherish. What better way to mark this time in your life than to celebrate what matters most. Come enjoy a day just for you and your baby.

The retreat includes two crafting projects (no previous experience required, so don't be intimidated if you aren't a Martha Stewart-type!), delicious local food, prenatal yoga session, and a comfort measures and birth wish list session, co-facilitated by yours truly (Meredith Lovelace, LCCE, one of the Lamaze Family Center's childbirth educators.)

The retreat is on Saturday, March 5, from 9:30am-4:00pm at Blue House Ann Arbor, 1026 South Main St. (corner of Main and Pauline, across from the Big House.) Limited to 20 mommas, so sign up now if you are interested!

Go to Blue House's site for more information and to register.

Induction of Labor Info Posted at Childbirth Connection

Childbirth Connection has launched a new area of their Web site to provide evidence-based information about the benefits, harms, and appropriate use of induction of labor, which affects approximately one-third of births in the US. According to Childbirth Connection, a systematic review of evidence published in 2009 found that many of the accepted medical indications for labor induction lack rigorous research demonstrating health benefits. Another systematic review published late last year demonstrated harms of elective induction of labor (without medical indication). The new resource sums up the evidence from these reviews and other high quality studies to help childbearing women make informed choices. The resource can be accessed at http://www.childbirthconnection.org/induction. The site was launched as part of a partnership with the March of Dimes and the Leapfrog Group.

The Leapfrog Group, an organization aimed at mobilizing large employers to improve health care quality, released data from their national hospital survey that shows many hospitals falling far short of targets to eliminate elective deliveries before 39 weeks. The database of hospital rates can be found at http://www.leapfroggroup.org/tooearlydeliveries.

Summarized from National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition newsletter, 1/31/11