A boy cries as his father holds him still for a polio vaccination in Sanaa December 17, 2013, during a national campaign to vaccinate more than 4.7 million children across Yemen against polio. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A boy cries as his father holds him still for a polio vaccination in Sanaa December 17, 2013, during a national campaign to vaccinate more than 4.7 million children across Yemen against polio. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

YouTube/Yummy Mummys

Wives or girlfriends, if you had just given birth for the first time and you notice the lack of interest or sex drive from your husband or boyfriend in the next couple of months, fret not.

It is not because he no longer finds you physically attractive because of extra pounds gained after delivering a baby, or because he has a mistress on the side.

A new study released by the Notre Dame University explained the phenomenon to new dads temporarily losing their sex drive during this period as their testosterone drop by about one-third until the baby reaches 12 months.

Rather than worry about his seemingly lack of interest in having sex with you, use this period to fix a rocky relationship and reduce the chance of a divorce by tapping to your advantage his becoming more caring, protective and less aggressive during this period when his focus is more on protecting the newborn, above all things.

The research added that fatherhood also helps block colds and flu.

Dr Lee Gettler, a researcher of Notre Dame, said, quoted by The Mirror, "It's not just mothers who go through pregnancy and birth, and it's not just mothers who biologically respond to parenthood ... Our species has evolved maternal instincts which are somewhat unique to our species compared with our closest relatives."

However, Mr Gettler clarified that undergoing these changes does not affect a new dad's masculinity.

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