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" Sure, you love sex -- and most of the time it&amp;#039;s great. But have you ever stumbled across a problem between the sheets so puzzling you&amp;#039;re at a loss as to what to do?   If so, you&amp;#039;re in good company: 24 percent of women say they&amp;#039;re distressed about their sex life, according to a recent study at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction. Fortunately, doctors now know about a slew of treatments and techniques that can often solve whatever is troubling you and help you have a hot love life again. We spoke to the country&amp;#039;s leading authorities, as well as real women who tried their advice, to find solutions to the biggest loss-of-libido problems ever.  1. I&amp;#039;m having trouble reaching orgasm ever since I had my baby a few months ago. Why?   Many women&amp;#039;s orgasms go temporarily MIA after their baby is born, largely because their bodies produce less estrogen, a hormone that improves blood flow to the pelvic area and aids in arousal, says Alan Altman, M.D., an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding can also become an obstacle to the big O, since it triggers your body to produce prolactin, a hormone that causes vaginal dryness, making it tougher to get turned on. While your hormone levels -- and orgasm abilities -- should return to normal in time (usually three months after giving birth or after you stop breast-feeding), you should ask your doctor about estrogen therapy (ET) in the meantime. ET is available in a variety of forms, such as vaginal creams and rings (like the Estring). These treatments get your vaginal hormones humming at the levels they were pre-baby. However, women who are breast-feeding should not get ET since it can affect breast milk.  In addition, motherhood may have taken its toll by changing your sexual self-image, says Sandor Gardos, Ph.D., a sex therapist at MyPleasure.com. &amp;quot;For new moms, parts of the body they had always associated with their sexuality, like their breasts and vagina, are now associated with a baby,&amp;quot; he explains. One way to get you thinking like a sexual diva again is to set a time and a place where you can banish all thoughts about your child, even if it&amp;#039;s only from 8 to 9pm in your bedroom. Firmly delineating me-time and baby-time will help you switch roles. It worked wonders for Susan,* 30, who had her first child four months ago: &amp;quot;After being the mom all day, I switch gears in the evening by putting Billie Holiday on the stereo and doing something extra for myself, such as slathering on scented lotions or slipping on a silky nightie,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;Surrounding myself with sexy sounds and sensations really helps me remember that I&amp;#039;m not just a mom, I&amp;#039;m still a sensual woman.&amp;quot;   *Names have been changed.  2. Ever since I started taking antidepressants, I&amp;#039;m never in the mood any more. I don&amp;#039;t want to go off my medication. What should I do?   Your problem is common: Up to 90 percent of female antidepressant users who are not suffering from major depression experience side effects such as low libido and diminished arousal, says Altman. The antidepressants most likely to dampen desire are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Paxil and Prozac. These drugs up your body&amp;#039;s level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that may inhibit your desire for sex. SSRIs can also make you less sensitive to touch. Switching to one of the newer drugs (such as Lexapro or Celexa) can help, since fewer women experience sexual side effects with them.   Another option is to talk to your doctor or psychiatrist about taking the antidepressant Wellbutrin in addition to your current medication. Wellbutrin can block your SSRI drug&amp;#039;s ability to dampen libido (this does not constitute double-dosing on antidepressants; your M.D. can explain).  3. I don&amp;#039;t get as lubricated as I used to, which makes sex a little painful. What can I do about it?   Vaginal dryness can be brought on by an array of seemingly innocent culprits, from your birth control pill to over-the-counter allergy medications. If you&amp;#039;re on the Pill, try a different brand until you find one that doesn&amp;#039;t have this effect. And if you&amp;#039;re on an antihistamine for allergies, keep in mind that it suppresses the body&amp;#039;s production of fluids, including those down below. Stop taking it -- or switch to a prescription allergy medication without antihistamines -- and you may notice an improvement. For an even quicker fix, try an over-the-counter vaginal lubricant, like K-Y Silk-E or Astroglide.  Your problem can also be caused by fluctuating hormone levels, which become even more erratic as women age, says Irwin Goldstein, M.D., director of the Institute for Sexual Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. You may even be showing signs of early menopause or perimenopause (the transition into menopause that lasts an average of four or five years). While it&amp;#039;s rare, these conditions can begin as early as your late 20s, and approximately 3 million women in their 30s suffer from them. While symptoms such as hot flashes and irregular periods are usually enough for your doctor to diagnose you, he can also perform a blood test to check your hormone levels. Treatment may be ET (), progesterone and/or testosterone therapy.  4. My orgasms aren&amp;#039;t as intense as they used to be. Why?   This is natural as women age, due to declining hormone levels and decreased muscle strength, says Goldstein. But it can also occur because you haven&amp;#039;t built up enough muscle tension before climaxing. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s like when you&amp;#039;re about to sneeze. The bigger the buildup, the stronger the sensation will be,&amp;quot; says Altman. So instead of racing to the finish line, try a technique called peaking, in which you bring yourself (or have your husband bring you) to the brink of orgasm, then reduce stimulation and increase it once again, until you&amp;#039;re ready for the grand finale.  5. When my husband touches me down there, I no longer get that warm, tingly sensation. What&amp;#039;s going on?   That &amp;quot;warm, tingly sensation&amp;quot; is caused by blood flow to the pelvic area, which increases sensitivity. Odds are a circulatory problem isn&amp;#039;t to blame. The culprit is probably low hormone levels (ask your doc to check them out), or that you two are too predictable in bed, sticking to what you know your partner likes best, which is hardly exciting. To shake things up, try heading into uncharted territory: Even just switching to satin sheets, making love in a chair rather than the bed, or turning on a sultry jazz CD can trigger the freshness you crave. &amp;quot;Experimenting is what it&amp;#039;s all about,&amp;quot; says Sheila, 45, who found that sex toys were the key to putting the sizzle back into her sex life. &amp;quot;My husband and I set out to find items that would spark my orgasms, and doing so added a whole new sense of adventure -- and new sensations -- to our sex life.&amp;quot;   6. My husband is often raring to go at night -- but I&amp;#039;m always so tired. What&amp;#039;s wrong with me?   The reason you crave shut-eye rather than sex at bedtime may be due to low testosterone levels (see your doctor for testing and treatment, usually testosterone therapy). Try for some &amp;quot;Honey, I&amp;#039;m home&amp;quot; sex right as he walks in the door or set your morning alarm a half hour early and pounce. When nighttime is your only option, try lovemaking in the spooning position or by manually bringing one another over the edge, which can be sweet without being strenuous. Karen, 30, agrees: &amp;quot;I always cuddle up to my husband when we get into bed,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;Feeling his skin against mine is often enough to get me in the mood. We&amp;#039;ve found that &amp;#039;tired sex&amp;#039; is just as good as going at it like rabbits.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/love-sex/sex/advice/a36/solve-sex-problems-yl/>