Sex is different after a baby arrives, but there can be beauty in the evolution. Learn more from Unii expert Natalie Mossayebi.

New parents! Does foreplay make you think of lingerie and innuendo you don’t have the mindset to deal with right now? Fear not, because according to Unii’s Relationship Expert, you have more time—as well as more creative ways—to get your foreplay game on point than you think, even as a busy mum and dad.

Speaking on the Unii Babies podcast, relationship coach Natalie Mossayebi says you can consider the end of your last sexual encounter the starting gun. “There's all this space that you can use as foreplay. And foreplay doesn't mean it has to be sexual. It's intimacy. It's a connection.”

She recommends patience and making time to reconnect in simple ways as you adjust to life as a family. “Every week, you could kind of schedule an exercise that you do together.”

Everyone has five minutes for this! Natalie describes an exercise that’s all about consent and communication. “So you're sitting opposite your partner, and you're asking what your partner would like. So your husband would say, ‘How would you like me to touch you? And it could just be wanting him to stroke you on the hand. And then he will say, ‘Is that okay? Do you want me to do anything different?’”

“And you'll go. Yeah, can you do a bit harder? He'll go. Okay, brilliant. And then, is there anything else? And it starts with just a soft touch, and little exercises like this really mean that he's hearing you. You're feeling connected. He's not pressuring you. You are inviting him to touch you; you want to be touched, and then vice versa. Then you will say to your husband, "How would you like to be touched?”

Equally, there must be space to communicate what you’re not ready for just yet, says Natalie. “You can also say that's not comfortable for me. You can also say, No, that's not comfortable for me. You work within your boundaries and consent, so you're really hearing each other in that space. And it's really, really powerful exercise.”

Join Natalie and Unii Babies host Dr. Ravindran for more post-baby relationship advice in this inspiring Unii Babies podcast episode.

Unii Babies is created and owned by London-based family wellbeing educational platform Unii.com, which offers hundreds of episodes of expert-led video courses and a library of medically reviewed articles devoted to improving both baby and child health and your parenting journey. We can also have your parenting questions expertly answered. Contact us with what you want to know, and you may see one of our experts discuss it on our podcast or Unii.com: Because Family Matters.

This podcast is for reference and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied upon as such. Specific medical advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking or deciding not to take any action.

Unii's Relationship Expert: "Foreplay Doesn't Have to be Sexual"

Unii's Relationship Expert: "Foreplay Doesn't Have to be Sexual"