Puerperium means blood that comes out of a woman's uterus after giving birth. This is a phase that every woman who has just gone through labor must go through.
Another meaning of puerperium also means the period from giving birth to the recovery of the production organs and limbs (the duration is about 40 to 60 days). Of course this is not just a ban on sex, but also gives the body time to recover.
What if you want to have sex with your husband during the puerperium? Can I have sex during the puerperium?
Let's talk about the law relating to the postpartum period and the health risks. Even having sex during the puerperium can cause death, you know.
How could that be? Check out the description of having sex during the puerperium.
The law is related during the puerperium
The law relating to the postpartum period in Islam is not allowed. The law is the same as having sex during menstruation which is strictly prohibited in Islam.
During the puerperium, your body bleeds a lot and is recovering. Like during menstruation, after giving birth, dirty blood also oozes out which can be dangerous if you have sex during the puerperium which can affect.
Therefore, you and your husband are prohibited from having sex during menstruation or during the puerperium. The prohibition of having intercourse during menstruation is stated in the letter Al-Baqarah verse 222 which reads;
Ù„ُÙˆْÙ†َÙƒَ الْÙ…َØِÙŠْضِ Ù‚ُÙ„ْ اَØ°ًÙ‰ۙ اعْتَزِÙ„ُوا النِّسَاۤØ¡َ الْÙ…َØِÙŠْضِۙ Ù„َا ÙŠَØ·ْÙ‡ُرْÙ†َ ۚ اِØ°َا اَÙ…َرَÙƒُÙ…ُ اللّٰÙ‡ُ اِÙ†َّ اللّٰÙ‡َ التَّÙˆَّابِÙŠْÙ†َ الْÙ…ُتَØ·َÙ‡ِّرِÙŠْÙ†َ - ٢٢٢
It means:
"And they ask you (Muhammad) about menstruation. Say, 'It is something dirty.' Therefore stay away from wives during menstruation; and do not approach them until they are pure. When they are pure, mix them according to (the provisions) which Allah has commanded you. Indeed, Allah loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves."
The postpartum period is also something dirty and you should control yourself so that you don't have sex after giving birth. You and your husband need to wait approximately 40 days until the postpartum period is over.
Based on the book 'The Crown of the Bride' by Majdi bin Mansur bin Sayyid ash-Syuri', there is also a law for those who have intercourse with their wives during menstruation or the postpartum period. First, it is obligatory to repent and ask forgiveness from Allah SWT for having intercourse during the puerperium.
Then give charity with one or half a dinar as a form of kafarat (fine) in Islam. This law applies the same if you have intercourse during the puerperium or during menstruation.
Can cause death
Apart from being disliked by Allah SWT, having sex during the postpartum period from a medical perspective can also harm you and your husband. It can even cause death.
In 1998, the BBC reported that women aged 22 and 29 died because of having sex during the puerperium. They had intercourse during the puerperium after 8 and 5 days after delivery.
The two women were known to have given birth normally and had intercourse during the puerperium which later died during sex. The researchers looked at cases of death due to intercourse during the puerperium due to the emergence of emboli or air bubbles that enter the body and flow to the heart and then the brain.
Although rare, but having intercourse during the puerperium can be fatal.
"It is feared that there are still blood vessels that are open so that they can trigger air bubbles (embolism) when the penis moves when it penetrates into the vagina. This embolism can be carried away by the current of the blood stream which if it clogs the heart blood vessels (coronary arteries) the consequences will be fatal, "explained Dr. Andri Wanananda MS, sexologist.
Doctor Noviyanti, SpOG, added that normally the vessels of pregnant women dilate which then takes at least 3 weeks after giving birth to return to their normal size and condition. That is why medically it is also not recommended to have sex during the puerperium because your body has not recovered after giving birth.
Another risk if you have sex during the puerperium
Not only can it cause death, other risks associated during the puerperium can cause infection to the uterus. Just like during menstruation, penetration into the vagina during the puerperium can trigger infection because the area is dirty.
In addition, the risk of tearing the vaginal suture if the delivery is normal due to intercourse during the puerperium. It took about 40 days for the vaginal stitches to heal.
"Within 42 days it also gives the uterus time to recover. Moreover, the mother herself doesn't necessarily want to have sex. If a normal delivery is made, the stitches will be painful. It can allow the stitches to open in a vaginal tear because vaginal stitches generally heal within 42 days. "explained Dr. Novi.
It's best to avoid having sex during the puerperium.