We have a hot topic on the podcast today, sex after baby. For many couples this aspect of the relationship can be strained or even nonexistent. From birth trauma, to fear, pain, feeling uncomfortable in your body, or completely disconnected from your partner, postpartum sex is a complicated issue.
To take on this issue, I invited Ashley Mariani MSW RSW onto today’s episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies. Ashley is a clinical social worker specializing in couple’s perinatal mental, emotional, and sexual health and is a fierce advocate against obstetric violence.
We start our conversation discussing how newborns impact the relationship of parents. Then we talk about attunement between the parents aka reconnecting outside of sex. Then we jump into how new parents can navigate sex and sexuality. It’s a conversation that I feel is incredibly important for the relationship.
Ashley explains the hierarchy of needs in a relationship. This may or may not surprise you, but sex is at the top. She gives incredible advice and support on how couples can create and restructure the foundation after the baby comes for moving up to finding reconnection. I thought this was a great conversation and I think you will too.
In this episode you will learn:
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- Learn about Ashley and how she came to focus on couple’s perinatal mental, emotional and sexual health.
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- How Ashley typically see a newborn impact the relationship of the parents.
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- How new parents can get attuned with one another after the baby arrives.
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- Ways to reconnect and feel intimate outside of sex.
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- How new parents can navigate reintroducing sex and sexuality.
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- Getting past the fear aspect of sex postpartum.
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- Approaching sex and sexuality when you no longer feel at home in your body.
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- Approaching sex when you feel exhausted and/or over touched.
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- The intersection of birth trauma and intimacy.
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- One tip/piece of advice Ashley would like to offer new or expectant parents.
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- Where you can find Ashley’s work.
About Ashley:
Ashley Mariani, is a clinical social worker specializing in couples perinatal mental, emotional and sexual health, while also fiercely advocating against obstetric violence.
Ashley has seen the implications of birth traumas impact on the mental, emotional and sexual lives of couples and strives to help couples and individuals in prevention and resilience building. Ashley’s academic background includes degrees in sexuality, counselling and individual and couples work. The lens she works most passionately from is rooted in the body’s innate wisdom, the nervous system.
Ashley works with her clients from a holistic framework that utilizes, movement, nutrition, plant medicine, vagus nerve toning, and functional medicine.
Connect with Ashley:
Instagram: @mindonline.ca
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- Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE
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- If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify!
To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:
Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter
Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center
