Left to right: Nell, Essence and Anna

It will come as no surprise that a person’s sex life can change dramatically following the birth of a child.

But new research from Lovehoney has revealed exactly how many people are impacted, with almost half (49%) of mums reporting having less sex after children, and 29% stating their sex lives worsened postpartum.

The biggest factors contributing to this include: low libido (25%), body confidence struggles (20%) and physical recovery challenges (20%).

To help mothers navigate this period, the sexual wellness brand has launched the “Mama Sutra” – a free guide providing expert advice and research-backed insights to help parents navigate the realities of sex and relationships after childbirth.

“People don’t talk about intimacy as a mum enough – motherhood does not erase your sexuality,” said broadcaster Anna Whitehouse (aka Mother Pukka), who is an ambassador for the new campaign.

“But between the exhaustion, body changes, and low libido, sex can feel like an afterthought – or worse, a source of stress.”

Here, three mothers bare all about sex in pregnancy and beyond.

Pregnancy can prompt a shift in desire

While some might experience an increase in sex drive during pregnancy, others may see a dip in desire – and that’s totally normal.

Nell, who is 30 and pregnant with her second child, said she withdrew from sex during her first pregnancy. In fact, she and her husband had sex a handful of times over the 40-week period.

Morning sickness during the first trimester was the ultimate mood killer, and even when this began to ease off, sex was still the last thing on her mind.

“What I think happened with my first pregnancy is that it was completely all-consuming,” Nell told HuffPost UK.

And once she began to feel her baby move, “it was like another layer of obsession had been added”.

“Because of how engulfed in this I was, my husband did fall to the wayside a bit and I stopped wanting to be physically intimate with him,” she said.

Instead, they found other ways to stay connected: cuddling, bathing together,........

© HuffPost