London - New mothers worried about resuming their sex life need not fear because men actually prefer their curvier post-baby shape, say researchers.
In a study of couples with children, almost two-thirds of fathers said they found their wife or girlfriend sexier after giving birth, while a third said it made no difference.
And more than half of new parents said the quality of their love lives had improved since having children, while more than nine out of ten were satisfied with the amount of intercourse.
It suggests that while women feel under pressure to follow the example of slim celebrities who appear to effortlessly regain their pre-pregnancy shape, their other halves are more forgiving.
Just 14 percent of new mothers surveyed said they felt body confident, while more than a third felt “too fat for sex”. As a result, more than 40 percent worried their partner would not be attracted to their new body.
Despite this the poll of 1 118 couples by YouTube parenting network Channel Mum found that 45 percent of new parents said they felt even more “attracted and closer” to each other, with 28 percent saying they enjoyed more sex sessions than ever before. Three in five couples also said they had regular “date nights”.
However lack of sleep and caring for a newborn had taken its toll on some couples, with 58 percent admitting they had less sex since becoming parents, and 23 percent confessing that busier schedules had forced them to schedule in sex.
The study also revealed a difference in sexual appetites, with fathers saying they wanted sex an average of twice a week, while mothers would be happy with just once a week. However one in 20 women said they saw sex as a good way of losing baby weight.
Channel Mum founder Siobhan Freegard said: “Having a baby is the biggest change you can bring into a relationship, so it’s wonderful to see it can bring couples closer together.
“Younger dads tend to be much more willing to do more to help out with children, benefiting the couple in so many ways. While no one is pretending it’s easy to get your love life back on track post-birth, perhaps new mums can enjoy their extra curves as much as their partner does.”
Daily Mail