Sex With Emily - How to Have Honeymoon Sex Forever

Episode Date: March 15, 2024

Weddings: They're like a beautiful blend of tradition and flowers, but let's be real – Is married sex worth all the hype? Let's face it, folks. Married sex often gets stuck in this rut of tired old cliches. But guess what? It doesn't have to be that way!  We're so over settling for dull or non-existent intimacy as we journey through life with our partners. So, buckle up because on today's show, I'm all about shaking things up to make sex with your spouse hot again. From crafting your own set of sex vows before you take that stroll down the aisle to pleasure planning with your long-time partner, we're rewriting the playbook on honeymoon passion. Oh, and we're diving into the cultural landscape of love, sex, and relationships because times are definitely changing! In this episode you’ll learn:  How to navigate bisexuality in a straight marriage What it means if you find yourself jealous at your friend’s wedding How to bring back the spark…even when the spark was a little dim in the first place Show Notes: Buy tickets to my San Diego, CA Show on April 10, 2024 HERE!  Buy tickets to my Phoenix, AZ Show on April 18, 2024 HERE! Yes, No, Maybe Guide  Pleasure Planner  SHOP WITH EMILY! (free shipping on orders over $99) The only sex book you’ll ever need: Smart Sex: How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your Pleasure VIIA Hemp Co’s High Love Libido Gummies (code EMILY for 20% sitewide + Free Gummies Sample) Want more? Sex With Emily: Home Let’s get social: Instagram | X | Facebook | TikTok  Let’s text: Sign Up Here Want me to slide into your inbox? Sign Up Here for sex tips on the regular. See the full show notes at sexwithemily.com.

Hey it's Emily. I know you know me from my podcast Sex with Emily, which I've been doing now for almost 20 years. It's been downloaded over half a billion times. But now I have an announcement to make. I am breaking out of the studio and coming to a live theater audience. I'll be in San Diego on April 10th and then in Phoenix on April 18th. So let's talk about sex. During these nights, I'm going to get into of your nitty-gritty sex questions. And I, come on, I know you have sex questions. Like how to give your partner an orgasm, how to top dirty, how do you experiment with roleplay, using a toy, we're gonna laugh, we're gonna learn. I mean, who doesn't want to improve their sex lives with some new friends in the audience?

So whether you're single in a relationship or somewhere in between, this event is for you. Look forward to an evening where your curiosity is celebrated, your questions are answered, and your laughter, well, that's on the soundtrack. Leave your inhibitions at the door and join me for an unforgettable event. So mark your calendars, San Diego on April 10th, Phoenix on April 18th.

Trust me, this is one night you won't wanna miss. So I hope to see you there. Spread the word, tell your friends, and we'll put the links in the show notes, San Diego, Phoenix won't want to miss. So I hope to see you there. Spread the word, tell your friends, and we'll put the links in the show notes, San Diego, Phoenix, and more to come. So let's laugh our way to better sex together. Are you in? We vow to be honest with each other

if we're experiencing sexual attraction to others. I know, I know, that's spicy. You're probably thinking, whoa, Emily, that's pushing it too far. I'm not gonna talk about that, but, Emily, that's pushing it too far. I'm not gonna talk about that, but let's be honest. It's gonna happen. There's gonna be someone else you might be attracted to.

I know, I'm not saying you're gonna act on it, but why not acknowledge it? And then you can work with it when it comes up. You're listening to Sex with Emily. I'm Dr. Emily and I'm here to help you prioritize your pleasure and liberate the conversation around sex. Ah, weddings. They're so ceremonial. So floral. But are all those newlyweds talking about their sex life?

Well, they probably should be. Married sex is full of tired, toxic cliches that I'm personally ready to bust. We don't have to settle for absent or boring sex as we grow old together, we do not. So in today's episode, I'm making the case for writing your sex vows before you walk down the aisle, helping you recreate a honeymoon sex if you've been married for ages and giving you a lay of the land, culturally speaking,

on how we're thinking about sex and relationships now. Plus I take your questions, how to navigate bisexuality in a straight marriage, and how to bring the spark back when the spark was a little dim in the first place. Please, please, please rate and review Sex with Emily wherever you listen to the show. It really helps to get the show out

to more sex positive people like you. My new articles, how to master speed bump position, and what your penis says about your overall health are up on sexwithemily.com. You wanna ask me questions, leave me your questions or message me at sexwithemily.com slash ask Emily or call my hotline 559-TALK-SEX or 559-825-5739.

Always include your name, your age, where you live and how you listen to the show and totally cool to change your name or choose to remain anonymous. All right, everyone, enjoy this episode. All right, real talk. Have you tried a penis ring? Well, they're trending in my line of work and it's probably because penis owners have heard that they're really a game changer in the bedroom and Firmtec they're here to upgrade your sex life.

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from Plus One. It's like the Swiss army knife of sex toys. It's versatile, it's reliable, it's really satisfying. Oh, and they also have this sleek bullet vibrator. It's literally the gift that keeps on giving and I've been handing them out to my girlfriends like Oprah on a giveaway spree because they are that amazing. You get a vibrator and you get a vibrator. Oh, and have you seen the rose toy that's been causing a storm across social media? That's the one that's been buzzing everywhere, pun intended. And the hype is real. It's this little gem and it's not just a trendy fad. It is what you've been waiting for. It looks adorable on your bedside table and it is a good time. So dive into some self-discovery and ecstasy. Hop over to myplusone.com and treat yourself. You deserve it. And don't forget, use code SWE15 at checkout for 15% off. And if you're it and don't forget use code SWE15 at checkout for 15% off.

And if you're out and about, you can always swing by CVS, Target or Walmart and get one for yourself. That's myplusone.com. Use code SWE15 for a 15% discount. Let's talk weddings, honeymoons and sex. So I want to do a show on honeymoon sex and beyond since I get questions from you all the time on your sex life changing once you get married.

I've even got a question here from one of you where a young woman writes, As soon as we got married, my husband's interest and sex drive plummeted. Oh, I hear you, listener. That would be painful for me too. So one of the reasons I personally never really coveted marriage was that I saw all these defeatist patterns around me. You know, couples tying the knot and then completely losing their sex life, you know, just like dries up, like you got married and say goodbye to your sex life. And it usually happened within a

matter of years. So that's why I wanted to do this show because I don't want you to fall into the same patterns. And good news for my listener who wrote me, because listen, you absolutely can shift the dynamic with your new husband. So on today's show, we're going to cover a few things. How sex and relationships have changed over the last two years and why this data is critical to every couple, including newlyweds, how to write your sex vows if you're about to get married and even if you're in a long-term relationship, you can always write them, and

how to plan your pleasure no matter how long you've been married and even revisit some honeymoon sex action. My goal in this episode is to get away from the old toxic clichés about married sex and help you see it in a broader light. It's my firm belief that every couple can make pleasure intentional all throughout a relationship. So today, that's what we're focusing on. And let me just be clear, this doesn't just apply to people who are about to or already

married. These tips are helpful for anyone no matter what stage of your relationship. Maybe you're just about to move in together, becoming more serious, maybe you're meeting each other's families. You just know that the relationship is getting more serious. This show is for you. Let's dive in. So let me tell you real quickly, how are people thinking about sex

and relationships right now? What's changed? Number one, bisexuality is on the rise. Do you know that more than 7% of Americans identifying as such, this was not always the case that bisexuality was even recognized. It certainly didn't have a place in lesbian or gay community, so I think the stat is true

and I am seeing bisexuality on the rise. About a quarter of Americans are now interested in having an open relationship. That number is high. Quarter of Americans are thinking about it. You know and I would say that years ago not even a quarter of Americans even believed it was possible even understood what it meant. So that's another trend. And this is one that I love here that daters are now finding themselves having deeper conversations more quickly. You know, we don't have time for small talk. We want to know who is this person I'm getting to

know? Like what's the real stuff? We used to call these scary conversations. Like let's have a scary conversation about the commitment or about money or about all these things, but they're just normal conversations right now. We've had a lot of time to reflect on what was actually important to us and our values and so now we're just not feeling sheepish or apologetic about having needs and sharing our own desires and relationships. We're also, I found, more open talking about anxiety, depression, our struggles, our deeper desires. I love this trend.

So what the data tells me is if you're about to get married, you know, about to move your relationship to another level, then you are in the exact moment to be very open and very real with your soon to be partner. I know you might be thinking, an open relationship, never. I'm about to get married. I'm about to commit to this person. And listen, if that's your mindset, that is great. That's

amazing. But I'm just sharing these data points with you to shed light on where we are as a culture so you can make the best possible sex and relationship decisions going forward. And speaking of which, if you haven't gotten married yet, something I would suggest ASAP is just being open to couples counseling. And whether or not you choose to go to counseling, still have these deeper conversations with your partner. This is a golden opportunity to envision your future together and weave sex into all the other plans. You know, talking about if you want to have children together, if you want to buy a home together, where you want to live, do you want to have children together, if you want to buy a home together, where you want to live, do you want to live in the city or the country, talk about money,

how important is investing to you and saving and how do you spend money. Guys, these are the questions that are so important to answer and conversations that are important to have before you move your relationship to a deeper place or to another level. Ask each other questions like this, about how often would we like to have sex together? What does a healthy sex life look like for each of us? Do we always want to be monogamous? Are we open to other relationship models?

If we start experiencing a libido mismatch, which is super common by the way, how do we plan to address it? What if one of us experiences a shift in our sexuality? For example, we think we're straight now but evolve into a more bisexual way of being later, how do we plan to address it? Now these are just sample questions, but my point is it's really good to be intentional about your sex life now. Don't leave it to chance.

I just want to normalize here. Having this level of sex communication in your relationship is so important. Even if you just want to think about those on your own right now. What does a healthy sex life look like for you? Really think about it. I just think you want to make sure that you're in a relationship with somebody who has a growth mindset around sex. I'm assuming you have a growth mindset around sex because you are listening to this show right now.

A growth mindset simply means that you and your partner both acknowledge that sex is gonna change. We're not always gonna want sex at the same pace that we want it now and the same way we want it now. Let's just acknowledge that we are open and we understand that this change is going to happen. It's almost inevitable and let's commit to being open to talking about it.

Okay, another tip is to write your sex vows. Okay, let's get into something fun here. How to write vows that have to do with sex. I mean, think about it. Think of all the care that goes into wedding vows. You know, it's a big deal. Everyone, you're standing up in front of families and friends and these vows are so important. But often we leave sex and intimacy out of the picture. Well, no longer.

It's time for the sex vows. Now, along the line of the questions I think you should be answering and asking of your partner that I just mentioned, I encourage anyone planning a wedding to reflect on sex as a personal value. The same way you think about parenting, spirituality and religion, all those things.

Being a parent, commit your sex vows to paper and treat them with the same care you would your marital vows. I'm not saying you have to read them out loud at the ceremony, no pressure, but this is a wedding ritual I genuinely wish every couple would do. It would save us so many problems in the future. So here are some examples of what your sex vows might look like. Plus, never too late, even if you don't want to get married or you're already in a relationship, it is never too late to write these sex vows.

Here's some ideas. We vow to always honor each other's sexual growth. We vow to stay curious and compassionate about our sex life. We vow to prioritize sexual pleasure in our relationship, whether that means setting aside money for babysitters, putting sex on the calendar, or having regular check-ins. We vow to stay present and connected to one another as our sex life changes. We vow to be honest with each other if we're experiencing sexual attraction to others. I know, I know, that's spicy and you're probably thinking,

Whoa, Emily, that's pushing it too far. I'm not going to talk about that, but let's be honest. It's going to happen. There's going to be someone else you might be attracted to. I know. I'm not saying you talk about that, but let's be honest. It's going to happen. There's going to be someone else you might be attracted to. I know. I'm not saying you're going to act on it, but why not acknowledge it and then you can work with it when it comes up? Why not? These sex vows are just starting points to get you thinking, so why not wear them together or on your honeymoon or do it tonight? Great date night activity. All right, next, planning your pleasure.

Speaking of honeymoons, you know, some of you are listening to this episode going, yeah, yeah, I've been married for 15 years and I'd love to have honeymoon sex, but we haven't had regular sex in ages. So let's see if we can change that too. I've talked a lot already in this show about expecting that your sex life will change

after you're married. But if it already has and the changes aren't great, what do you do? Well, a good first step for this kind of situation is a tangible tool, something like the Yes No Maybe list. You know, you heard me talk about it. I've got it on my website. And it's a super playful activity that can help break the ice, especially if you and your partner don't talk about sex on the regular,

which again, super common. And because it's literally a menu of sexual behaviors, the yes, no, maybe list, it can help each of you think more creatively about sex and possibly help reveal some desires to each other that you weren't even aware of. So the yes, no, maybe list lists maybe 70, 80 different sex acts.

And I'm telling you, it's like so many things. It has like kissing and hugging, but it also has like spanking and things like taking a bath together, cuddling, sensual massage. And then you each get to take this little quiz. Is it a yes for you? Is it a no?

Is it a maybe? And what's really interesting for couples, and I've heard from so many of you that this really moved the needle in your relationship, is to look at the maybes. Like, huh, you're a maybe on that? Wow, I'm a maybe too. Like, what makes it a yes?

What would make it a no? And it just really is a great tool to help facilitate this conversation. It's fun, you can download it on our website. It is a free guide. I recommend you do that ASAP. Now you could also check out the Pleasure Planner on my website.

And this is a tool that walks you through an entire year of sexual pleasure. It helps you actually map out pleasure by quarter, by month. And it's a really helpful tool and allows you to think a little bit deeper about the kind of sex plan you wanna have in your relationship, the kind of things you wanna do.

For example, it helps you make experiential plans together as a couple. For a lot of you, I know that tool in particular is super healing because it just brings back the intentionality of your sex life. We're gonna fill out this pleasure planner and we're going to make our sex life intentional. We're going to think about, maybe you took the yesterday, maybe less,

you're like, we both want to spank each other. What's keeping us from spanking? And then you think, oh, we want to take a BDSM class or we want to buy some floggers or we both want to get to central massage. What's the problem? We don't own any massage oil. Well, let's buy some massage oil.

Or, you know, maybe you're looking at a lot of things you wanted to do and you just realized there's no time. So maybe you make a commitment to get a babysitter, once a week, which I highly recommend. Let's talk about bringing the magic of honeymoon sex back into your in real life sex life. And is that even possible? They hear this all the time.

People wanna know, is it possible? Is it possible to get that spark back? Bottom line, listen, if you've been married for a while, you're different people now than you were when you walked down the aisle. In fact, I hope you are. We're all different. All the time, we're always growing and changing.

I'm a different person than I was six months ago. I work a lot of myself. But still, recreating honeymoon sex can be a helpful, sexy exercise for just rekindling that spark. Here's some ideas to try. On your next date, try this. Discuss your most favorite times having sex together.

Like really, really do it. Take a walk down memory lane and have each of you describe those peak moments. You can use that as clues for what each of you really desire. You know, maybe you remembered a time when you were on vacation and the sex was really hot. God, I always hear from a lot of you that vacation. You know, maybe you remembered a time when you were on vacation and the sex was really hot. God, I always hear from a lot of you that vacation sex was the hottest or maybe it was a time, it was a few months ago and it would kind of move

the needle of what you thought was possible. Whatever comes to your mind, like one of the favorite times, discuss it. Because once you like lay those out on the table, you're going to start seeing clues that will help you. We'll help you figure out some patterns and figure out what was hot for both of you. I love the idea also of getting nostalgic. Talk to each other about how and why you first fell for each other. You know, what was it that drew you to your partner? I love hearing these stories. I love talking about it with my partner. He's like, I remember that first conversation we had on the date or what you were wearing. That conversation we had really made me realize you were someone I want to be with.

Or in month three, I remember that outfit you wore. It could just be silly things, but getting nostalgic, looking at old memories or old photos really helps to bond couples. And another way to carry that along would to make plans to recreate something from your early courtship. Now that could look like a staycation where you spend the night in a local hotel together. Huge fan of hotel sex personally, love it. Or it could be more low key and playful

like revisiting your very first date spot. And here's a pro tip. Treat it as you would have back then. I.e. meet each other there rather than drive to your destination together. Ask get to know you questions. You know it's a little bit of role play. You know but you're role playing your past selves. And I know that sounds silly but it's really kind of fun and sexy to do. I've totally done that before. I'm like so. Next time I, I've got this joke with my partner.

I'll be like, so what brings you here? So where'd you grow up? I'll just say that to him sometimes. It's like, where do you grow up? And we just kind of get into it. It's kind of like a pretend conversation, but it takes you back to the time you first met and those butterflies.

You can channel those inner butterflies from earlier in the relationship. Whether or not this exercise turns into full on honeymoon sex is besides the point. But the goal is you're shaking things out of your usual routine and getting intentional and playful together. That is the energy that you brought to your honeymoon. Now, after all, a lot of intention with a lot of

exploration and play. That's what we're talking about here. All right, there you have it. That's the lay of the land with weddings, sex, relationships, how to write your sex vows, how to recreate some honeymoon sex, all of it. I'll be right back, but real quick, this episode is brought to you by Via Hemp Company

and they've been my go-to company for all things cannabis in the past year. Now, if you haven't tried mixing a little cannabis with your sex life, remember that cannabis helps you feel more present and in your body during sex and less in your head, less worrying about maybe how awkward or uncomfortable you are or what you should do next or worrying about the laundry

or the to-do list, that's what cannabis does. And what I love about Via Hemp Company is they have these delicious gummies. I use them for sex, I use them for sleep, and they're well dosed out, so you're not gonna be trippin'. You're just gonna be able to be in your body and enjoy things more, have increased pleasure. There was a study last year, I wanna tell you about, it was on the influence of cannabis,

and it said that 62% of respondents reported increased pleasure while masturbating, and over 40% of women said they were able to have multiple orgasms while using marijuana. Just saying, those are some stats there, but for you, you get to decide what's important to you during sex. And if it's to feel more and be in your body, be more present and maybe have more orgasms, you want to try out Via Hem companies THC libido gummies. Now they're amazing. They're made with THC, CBD, and aphrodisiac herbs, which work together

to just ignite your pleasure. I love these gummies, I carry them wherever I go. I really do, they're literally all over my house. And same with our sleep gummies. So spice up your love life with Via Hem Company's high love THC libido gummies. Visit viahaemp.com and use the code EMILY to get 20% off your order.

They'll also throw in a free sample of their award winning gummies. You gotta be in the United States to order. That's viahaemp.com and use the code EMILY at checkout. ViaHempCompany.com and the link is in our show notes. I'll be right back. Here's Abigail 20 from Orange Beach. Hey Dr. Emily, I have a dilemma. I am 20 and recently married in October 2021. Before our marriage, our sex life was definitely satisfying and fun. Both of us had very high sex drives, but after we married recently married in October 2021. Before our marriage, our sex life was definitely satisfying

and fun. Both of us had very high sex drives. But after we married, within weeks, his interest and drive plummeted. I expected our sex life to get even better once we married. But now we only have sex maybe once a week or week and a half if I persist. And when we do it, it's short lived and doesn't last long enough for me to really enjoy it. We've had him tested, no issues popped up, no testosterone issues or any other health problems. He admits he hardly has a sex drive and has no idea why. We haven't been married long, but I'm already feeling extremely unsatisfied. And the longer it goes on, the more I lose my own sex drive. We both expected things to be so wonderful.

Please help. I feel like I'm missing out on the fun and adventurous sexual experiences of being newly married. I am so thankful for your show. Thank you." All right, Abigail, thank you for your question. And listen, this is super relatable. There's a lot of couples who get together and they realize, oh my God, where did all the sex go? And I hear it from all people. Like it could be the penis owner, the vulva owner, just someone usually doesn't want sex as often as the other one. And I also want to remind everybody that in every relationship always, always, always there's a high desire and a low desire partner. There's always gonna be someone who wants

more sex than someone else. Very rarely is it equal except for in the early stages of the relationship, i.e. the honeymoon sex part of the relationship. So you're saying you got through the honeymoon sex, you got married, and it just plummets. So I hear you mentioned that you got his testosterone checked and let me just mention that testosterone hormonal tests are not typically that accurate. Meaning you're supposed to get him tested at certain times a month. Blood work can be less accurate than other ways to test testosterone,

but it could be something else. There's a lot of things that impact our sex drive, like more things than not impact our sex drive. For example, is he stressed about anything? Is he stressed about money? Is he stressed about his job? That could impact your sex drive. That could impact his ability to perform.

Is he on any medications like for depression, anxiety, does he drink, does he smoke weed, is he depressed, does he have issues sleeping, how is his self-esteem, how is his health overall? I mean these are all the things that can impact our ability to have sex, desire sex. Look at those things and it might kind of help you figure out what it might be. Because it's interesting that just shifted right away, you said, after you got married. And again, it can be stress and anxiety. It's one of the biggest killers of our sex drive is worrying about money and our work. So take a look at those things.

And if that resonates, you know, you're like, oh yeah, he is really stressed. Well, that's the thing we got to tackle right there. And I wanna know also, how is your intimacy overall? Are you connecting? Are you holding hands? Are you making time for date nights? Super important, you guys never stop dating each other.

Any other tensions going on in the relationship? Does he masturbate? Is he sexual beyond the time that you have together? Do you masturbate? Something you could also try together. Love a hot mutual masturbation sesh. In hearing some of those, maybe some of those are resonating with you.

You know, you're like, yeah, maybe he's really stressed or he is on medication. Well, that's something to look at. And we have a lot of great information about that on our website. I've talked about it a lot on shows about how to kind of tackle some of the things that might be impacting libido.

But regardless of what the culprit is, and sometimes there's a few culprits, it's also a great time for you to explore your intimate life together. Have you talked about your turn-ons? You know, what are they? What turned you both on? What are the memorable times you've had sex together?

Get invested in each other's pleasure. You could also try taking sex to find its penetration off the table. Reduce any potential pressure and focus on just connecting, creating intimacy with one another, making time for those date nights or just to hold hands or to have some of these conversations. Take different nights to make it all about each other's pleasure, like one night it's all about your pleasure,

the next night it's about his pleasure. Talking about your turn-ons, I have to say is helpful. Just try something new in the bedroom. It is so crucial. What we crave some time in long-term relationships or after we commit is a novelty, the spontaneity. Also listen, it's never too soon to get into couples counseling, to get into therapy. Have someone on your side as a mediator that can help you as work through any

potential conflicts. But let me say this Abigail, you are young, you're in a new relationship, and if he's you're in a new relationship, and if he's not willing to talk about sex, to really look at his own sex drive and to take matters into his own hands, because you can help facilitate this conversation, but he has to want to figure out his sex drive. He has to figure out what it would take for him to be a wonderful lover to you. If he's not interested in any of this, you have more information right now to make a more educated decision about the relationship and if this is something that you really want to go the distance with. Because if our

partner is saying, nope not gonna work on it, don't care, this is how I am, I'm just never gonna want sex, well you know then you get to decide is this someone you want to spend your life with. This is from Darren25inthemidwest, Hey Dr. Emily, I'm asking on behalf of my fiance. We've been together for almost seven years and we'll be getting married this summer. Over the past year or so, my fiance expressed that she realized she's into women.

Kind of always has been, but actually came out to me about it. We've started going to strip clubs together and I love seeing her enjoy fun with the dancers. Once married, she really wants to try seeking out women again. We've tried in the past finding other girls who may be interested in meeting her or us, mainly on Tinder.

But that seems to deliver some bad results. They seem to lie about their experience, what they're looking for, or all of a sudden they have a boyfriend that they want to be part of the equation. She has zero interest in other men. Even puts it in her bio and is still asked. This has caused her a lot of stress and decided it's to be put off until after the wedding. Where can she go to meet straightforward,

like-minded females? Is this even possible? Is it just luck? It took her a long time to open up and I want her to have the freedom to find herself sexually. Would love any help if you have it. Thank you.

All right, well congratulations on your marriage. Truly I love that and I love this question. Just because this has been your experience in the past doesn't mean it's always gonna be like this. I think that it's really important to get even clearer on your intentions and do a little bit more work to find your people. You know, getting clear on the apps wherever you go and getting clear on your intentions will be helpful. So you mentioned that you're looking for someone to meet her or both of you.

So are you looking for a threesome? You know, someone to connect with just your partner sexually? Is it romantic? There's a big difference between being sexual and romantic. You know, I have a friend who's married, just recently told me that they brought in another woman and my friend, it was her idea, similar to your fiance was like,

it didn't work with the third because the woman was like, wanted more of an emotional connection. And my friend's like, I just wanna have sex with you. So it's really important to get super clear and to drill down. Do you wanna be involved in the same way with someone? So maybe it's just been ambiguous

and that's why you're getting a bunch of people who aren't quite clear on what you're looking for because maybe you guys aren't as clear. It's all marketing in these apps. So the two of you need to get real specific on how your partner wants to explore her bisexuality in a way that you're comfortable with. So you can plan to make that fantasy a reality.

Now don't feel limited, you know, just to use Tinder. Every app is good for something different. She can try Hinge, Bumble, or an app that allows you to be more specific in your intentions, like what you're looking for, like Field, F-E-E-L-D, or hashtag Open, which allows you to date as both a couple and single and it's friendly for people in non-monogamous relationships.

She can also explore with people outside the apps. Two of you can find a play party in your area. You're in the Midwest. You might want to look at FetLife, F-E-T-L-I-F-E, that might have some parties in your area. Skirt Club is a space for bicurious and bisexual women to connect through play parties and events all over the world. Now you wouldn't be able to join her, but she could explore her sexuality in a place like that where other women are in relationships and just want an open place to explore.

So I just love that you are really helping facilitate this for your partner and I think that once you kind of try these different angles you're gonna find that it's gonna get a lot easier especially when you get clear and specific. And remember you want to keep discussing your boundaries and what kind of sex you're open to and after you have an experience it's really important to download afterwards and just make sure that you both check in about what felt good, what didn't, so you can keep readjusting and communicating

in a healthy way about what's on limits and what's off limits. So keep me posted and let me know how it goes. This is from Amanda, 30 in Alabama. Hey, Dr. Amelie, my husband and I've been married for seven years. In none of these years have we had a great sex life. Now we have a one sex life. Now we

have a one year old and the tiny bit of a sex life we had before is completely gone. We've had sex three times since my son was born. Now it's just awkward. Like we've lost our way and I don't know how to navigate back. Do we go straight to couples therapy or sex therapy or are there things we can try first? All right Amanda, thank you so much for your question. Now your question is a little bit different than the other questions and I'll tell you why in a second but first let me just say this it's completely normal to take some time away from sex especially when your lives get

busy and I mean really after having a child, I mean, come on, that's legend. This is legend. You have a child and you just, sex, it's on the back burner. It happens. But I do love that you are asking this question and taking steps to reclaim your sex life with your partner.

But let me say why this is a little bit different. You've never had a great sex life, ever. You've married someone, sex has never been great. And I wanna know more about that. Now, was it great before you got married? Doesn't sound like it. It sounds like married for seven years and it's never been great.

I'm concerned because when we don't have a place to go back to, to think about, like remember those early days and all the things, which is what we're talking about a lot in this episode, like stoking that early fire and reminiscing and using nostalgia and all those things. But you've never had it. And so I'm curious what you think that is about. Did you tell yourself when you were getting married, like, you know, maybe it's less important

and now it feels more important to you? Has it become more important to you? Has it become more important to your partner? Has something changed? Because let me tell you this, when we have a baby, hormones change. Our levels change. Sometimes we feel like a completely different person. We no longer have the same sex drive.

Sometimes we feel a little more depressed or more anxious or more sad, or you know, you've heard of postpartum. And so it kind of can also change the way we think about things or remember things if hormones are particularly out of whack. Let's just say that. So that's something to consider. It was never there and so you're basically what you're asking me is can I create sexual attraction, chemistry, can we have really hot sex starting new? Because we've never had it before. And that's a little bit more challenging

because you're already in the relationship, you already have a child together. So what I would suggest though is having a conversation with your partner about your sex life. And you can think about my three T's of communication, timing, tone and turf. You want to do it outside the bedroom. You want to do it on date night or time when you guys are relaxing and hanging out and you're just not worried and stressed about all things you're stressed about. And the tone is light and curious which is really important for your situation, especially that. And the conversation goes like this, like hey you, let's talk about our sex life

and let's talk about our connection to each other. I know we both want to make it work. And we really both want to be great lovers to each other. And so what can we do? I'm telling you, having date nights that are non-negotiable, you do not cancel. You always have a babysitter, and it's going to happen just as important as your checkups with your doctor.

There have been studies that have shown that couples who have date nights in place and they honor it are way more likely to report having better sex, healthier relationships overall. And I know it can be hard to do, but it is crucial that you guys have time away from the report having better sex, healthier relationships overall. And I know it can be hard to do, but it is crucial that you guys have time away from the stressors of home and away from your child so you can prioritize your relationship. And I think therapy would be fantastic for both of you. This might be really more challenging on your own.

Couples, sex therapy, always a great option. It does have to be a last resort. In fact, I think that therapy, the earlier the better. It's actually best to go to therapy when you're not at rock bottom because you can build skills to get through things at any point in your relationship. Really important. And listen to the show together. Talk about your turn-ons. A lot of couples listen to the show together and they realize that they can develop a language around sex that they never had

and they can learn how to prioritize it. Maybe both of you just don't have a lot of experience having really wonderful sex with other people. Maybe you just wasn't with your partner. You have to be honest, I had a lot of relationships that weren't that satisfying and I would report as sex not being that great in my long-term relationships. Come to find out now, you know, because this is my job and I've spent many, many years,

almost two decades studying this, that that was actually on me. I didn't know what it took to have great sex. I had never worked to myself. I barely masturbated. I really knew how to communicate. I didn't even know what great sex was. So maybe this is a great time for you both

to sort of learn together about each other's bodies, what makes you feel good and masturbate together and like do some things to see like who are you both as sexual beings and can you come together and create an extraordinary sex life. Let's start from the place of let's build something we have never had together and see what happens. You got nothing to lose here and everything to gain. Alright thanks for your email Amanda. This is from Aaron 31 in Salt Lake City. Dear Dr. Emily, my boyfriend I've been together for over nine years

and we live together. I want to get married eventually but he has no interest. He thinks that weddings are self-centered displays of vanity and wealth and he finds the thought of a wedding embarrassing. Over the past few years, we have both been invited to many of his friends and family's weddings and I have noticed feelings of jealousy arise to me when I attend them. He has a great time and I'm left feeling resentful that we can't experience that for ourselves. How could I get over this jealousy? Any help would be so appreciated. I love your show." Alright, Erin, listen. Totally makes sense. I'm

getting jealous and resenting this for you. It's totally normal. You know, you want to get married and your partner doesn't want to get married. Now, does he know that you want to get married? Have you two had a healthy discussion about marriage? Because it sounds like he's come at it from a really negative place, but they're probably more beneath that. There's probably a reason why he finds it shameful or embarrassing or it's a, you know, gross display of wealth to get married. Like, when did he develop that opinion of weddings and why? Maybe you'll find that there's more to it and it's actually not about marriages and weddings,

but it's about something else. And also ask them this, like would he be interested in getting married without a ceremony? And how important is the ceremony or the party to you? And you can let them know why marriage is important to you. Maybe it's important for you to have a really big party and celebrate and have all your friends and family there.

Or maybe the ceremony is important to you and lets less about the party. I think you should really tease this out together from a curious, open, non-judgmental, non-threatening place. Can you both really just talk about what it is about marriage that's important to you or not important to you? I'm just going to kind of give some examples here, Erin, because we're not talking about this, but let's say you really want to get married because you come to a place where you always pictured yourself walking down the aisle as a young girl and it's been a big tradition in your family and something you've always really wanted

and it's important to have that commitment and you just can't see life without it. It's part of what love is about. You're not gonna let that go. Or maybe you're thinking, you know what? I actually don't see life without it. It's part of what love is about. You're not gonna let that go. Or maybe you're thinking, you know what? I actually don't want to party either. I just want to know that we are married. It's important for me to have that commitment

and have the paperwork, but you don't care about a party. Or maybe you just really want the party, but you actually don't want the marriage certificate, but you just want a huge party with all your friends and family. You know, like, what is it? Tease it out, get really granular and break it down together. What's this about? Because listen, neither one of you are right

here, neither one of you are wrong. The only place is if you don't really talk about it and understand each other. I think you guys could probably work this out. You get to decide, get specific about your likes and dislikes and see if you can come to agreement about what that means for the future of your relationship. Because this is a really important thing. It's getting you distressed, which I understand. If you're going to wedding after wedding and you're realizing this will never be mine, well, that's painful. So that's a great place to start when you're talking to them. Please have this conversation soon later and figure out if you're on the same page, because I would love it if you guys would keep going and build a healthy relationship.

Let me know how it goes. That's it for today's episode. See you on Tuesday. Thanks for listening to Sex with Emily. Be sure to like, subscribe, and give us a review wherever you listen to the podcast and share this with a friend or partner. You can find me on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at Sex With Emily. Oh, I've been told I give really good email.

So sign up at SexWithEmily.com. And while you're there, check out my free guides and articles for more ways to prioritize your pleasure. If you'd like to ask me about your sex life, dating, or relationships, call my hotline, 559-TALK-SEX. That's 559-825-5739. Or go to SexWithEmily.com slash Ask Emily. Was it good for you? Email me, feedback at SexWithEmily.com.