Mothers' postpartum perceptions of spousal relationships

The postpartum period is one of sexual adjustment for parents. A prospective study of a convenience sample of 194 women ascertained their perceptions of physical, social, and emotional aspects of spousal relationships at one, three, and six months postpartum. Attrition resulted in 131, 114, and 104 women remaining in the study at those time periods, respectively. Open-ended questions and rating scales were self-administered in the women's homes and returned in the stamped, addressed envelopes provided. Although perceptions of the spousal relationships changed little, sexual interest of the women declined over six months. The few women who responded to these questions felt positively about their mates' changed sexual interest in them. Of these women, the majority felt that breastfeeding did not affect their sexual enjoyment. At three and six months postpartum, the condom was the contraceptive method most frequently reported.