Frank Sexology

Last week I gave birth to baby Bert 🧡 As you can see, Peanut has ensured there is still room for him on my lap, though he is somewhat put out by our new house guest.

I might share more details down the track but for now we’re just in the home bubble, having lots of cuddles, nourishing food, and rest. Have had incredible support from my family, particularly my Mum and cousin who were there supporting me on labour day and afterwards. Bertie is one lucky kid!!

I’ve included a couple of postpartum pics as well, as I feel like I don’t see many images of tummies after birth, so here are mine! I swear I changed outfits in between. In future I’d love to see more of these images to help counteract decades of gossip magazines showing celebrities with flat stomachs supposedly straight after having a baby.

Thanks so much to everyone who has reached out with offers of support (and dropped off food and gifts), I’ve been overwhelmed with people’s kindness and generosity 🥰

Also, at this stage I won’t be sharing pictures of Bert’s face on social media, but very happy to send pics to friends and family 👶🏼

As I approach the pointy end of my pregnancy, I’m slowly winding down work and other commitments. It’s hard to predict what the next 6 months will be like (though I predict somewhat chaotic 🤩), but my current plan for Frank Sexology is to take a big step back for the first little bit while I enjoy the newborn phase, and then play it by ear. If I’ve got capacity I’ll check my emails on and off, and I may even be running short workshops and posting on social media after a few months.

Thank you everyone for your support of Frank Sexology, and I look forward to sharing the news when the time comes 👶🏼. If you’re another solo parent by choice, feel free to reach out at any time.

Fran x

Is it ok to date while you’re pregnant?🤰🏼🤷🏼‍♀️

I think so.

Before I started properly showing (between weeks 12-16), I went on three dates with three different people. Why? Because I wanted to, and also because I didn’t think pregnancy and casual s3x had to be mutually exclusive. While I didn’t feel a spark with any of my dates (pregnant or not pregnant, it’s slim pickins out there), I’m still glad I went on them. For me, it’s enjoyable to connect with new people and have new experiences.

Some people I told were a bit confused as to why I was dating while pregnant, because wasn’t the point of dating to find someone to marry and have kids with? Not for me, and not for a lot of people. I find dating in itself quite fun (albeit hard work), and I enjoy casual relationships. And while I didn’t have the urge to continue dating with a growing tummy (because yes those situations would have been tricker to navigate but mainly I didn’t want to remove any of the existing pillows from my bed to make space for another person and my energy reserves were quite small), I also acknowledge that some people might want to keep dating throughout their pregnancy, and I think that’s perfectly ok.

If you’re open with communication, you’re being safe (i.e. STI prevention), and both parties are into it, I don’t think there’s any reason other than social expectations not to date while single and pregnant ✅🤰🏼

Your va**nal microbiome is supposed to be simple — not diverse.

Unlike your gut, a healthy va**na is dominated by specific bacteria called Lactobacillus 🦠. These bacteria help keep the environment acidic, which protects against things like bacterial vaginosis (BV), thrush, and other unwanted microbes.

When that balance is disrupted (hello antibiotics, hormones, s*x, life), other organisms can take over — this is called dysbiosis (an imbalance of “good” and “not-so-helpful” bacteria), and it can lead to symptoms and infections.

So where do probiotics fit in?

The evidence is still emerging for how va**nal probiotics impact bacterial vaginosis, thrush, and risk of Group B Strep (relevant for those who are pregnant). However, there is good evidence that certain strains of probiotics can help maintain an acidic va**nal environment — which is protective against dysbiosis.

So, what’s the bottom line?

If you experience thrush, BV, and/or you’re pregnant — taking a va**nal probiotic (specifically one that contains Lactobacillus crispatus) MAY be protective and help prevent the wrong kind of bacteria from dominating this environment.

I’m excited to see how the science develops on this topic 👀