Maternal self-esteem and postpartum sexual health in Polish women

The postpartum period brings profound physical, psychological and social changes that significantly impact women's sexual health and relationship quality. Despite its importance for maternal wellbeing and family functioning, postpartum sexual health remains inadequately addressed in clinical practice and research. Self-esteem is a fundamental psychological resource often challenged by postpartum body changes and role transitions; however, it has received limited empirical attention regarding its association with sexual behaviors during this significant period. The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with maternal self-esteem among Polish women, and to examine its associations with selected aspects of postpartum sexual functioning and behaviors. These specifically include the conscious decision to delay first intercourse and ongoing sexual activity frequency.

This cross-sectional study included 350 Polish women within 1-12 months postpartum, who were recruited through online parenting forums. The participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and a structured questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, obstetric history and sexual behaviors. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc and logistic regression analyses.

Self-esteem demonstrated strong associations with perceived childcare competence (Z = 6.08, p < 0.001), sexual attractiveness (H = 57.89, p < 0.001), and partner closeness (τ = 0.23, p < 0.05). Women with higher self-esteem were significantly less likely to consciously postpone first postpartum intercourse (M = 30.60 vs. 28.10, Z = 4.35, p < 0.001) and reported more frequent sexual activity (H = 14.09, p = 0.029). Independent predictors of conscious delay included perceived delivery difficulty (OR = 1.55), postpartum sexual frequency (OR = 1.14) and need for self-respect (OR = 1.31).

The findings demonstrate that higher maternal self-esteem is associated with less recurrent conscious postponement of first intercourse and greater sexual activity frequency. Integrating support for maternal self-esteem into clinical practice and public health initiatives should be a crucial component of comprehensive postpartum care.