Putting the fun back in your bedroom

PUTTING THE FUN BACK IN YOUR BEDROOM

One of the first things that happens when a baby comes into the house is that your bedroom stops being a palace of fun and naughtiness and becomes a work area.
Where once there were drawers of sexy lingerie and bottles of enticing perfumes there are cupboards of nappies and tubes of nipple cream. Changing mats and baby baths are brought out in the middle of the night and lurk in corners during the day.
That Moses basket or crib by your bed will eventually be removed to the nursery as your child grows up but there will be little clues hanging around afterwards to remind you that your bedroom is no longer your own - whether it’s piles of washing that you just haven’t had time to iron or the cat, hiding out there to escape inquisitive little hands grabbing its tail.
Then there’s the tiredness of being a parent of a young child. And if you’ve got a job outside the home as well or your children constantly crawl into bed with you in the middle of the night... well, it’s no wonder so many parents come to see their bedroom as somewhere for ‘sleepy time’ not ‘sexy time’.

Here are our top five ways to reclaim your bedroom - and your sex life

Tidy up! Yes, we know it’s a pain but there’s nothing quite like suddenly catching sight of a box of breast pads on the dressing table to cool your ardour. The idea is to turn your bedroom back into a room for grown-ups - a sanctuary where you can relax together. Put on fresh bedding and buy a new lamp for some quality atmospheric lighting.
If you’re worried you’ll be interrupted in your moment of passion by crying or the patter of tiny feet in the hallway you won’t relax properly. If your child constantly wakes up after you put them to bed ask a friend or relative to look after them for the night. It doesn’t make you a bad parent - honestly. If you’re not comfortable doing that, make time during the day when they’re napping or at nursery.
And if all else fails, you could always follow comedian Billy Connolly’s advice and put Vaseline on the door handle so they can’t get in. (Or maybe not...)
Buy some gorgeous new underwear to get you in the mood. If you’re bigger than before you were pregnant, trying to squeeze into a thong two sizes too small for you will make you feel bad, not sexy. Treat yourself to something that makes you look and feel a million dollars. Hang it somewhere your partner can see it for a couple of days before you wear it so he can’t wait for you to model it.
Discover the delight of grabbing the moment. Even if it’s just popping upstairs for a quick snog while your mother-in-law reads a Thomas the Tank Engine story. Just remember to turn the baby monitor off.
Discover the delights of sensual massage. Sometimes, just touching each other in all the right places is enough. Dim the lights, light some aromatherapy candles and find another use for that bottle of baby oil in the bathroom cabinet.
Check out The Tao Of Sexual Massage by Stephen Russell and Jürgen Kolb (Gaia Books, £6.59 from Amazon). Buy it here!