Awkward, AWKWARD Question

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Hello all! I havent posted in a long, long time so you may not remember me.
My niece (22 years old) is getting married soon. She has had a chaste relationship and has remained a virgin, as has her spouse. She is however, worried that through lack of experience that the wedding night will be awkward and not a pleasurable one for her and her husband to be. Her mother (My sister in law) left a long time ago and I’m the only one she can turn to for things like this.
However, I feel i’ve failed her because I’ve never taken much interest in sex and i’ve never fussed over the pleasure of it.

Any advice? Should she worry about orgasming or is it all by the by?

God Bless,
Lee
 
Hello all! I havent posted in a long, long time so you may not remember me.
My niece (22 years old) is getting married soon. She has had a chaste relationship and has remained a virgin, as has her spouse. She is however, worried that through lack of experience that the wedding night will be awkward and not a pleasurable one for her and her husband to be. Her mother (My sister in law) left a long time ago and I’m the only one she can turn to for things like this.
However, I feel i’ve failed her because I’ve never taken much interest in sex and i’ve never fussed over the pleasure of it.

Any advice? Should she worry about orgasming or is it all by the by?

God Bless,
Lee
My advice, for what it’s worth, is just to relax, have fun learning, and not have any goal other than to give each other pleasure. God has given us lots of ways to give each other pleasure in the context of marriage, and being newly married is a good time to learn to explore them. Really, orgasm is not the only kind of pleasure that married people can give each other. Instinct still works for generating ideas.

I am not at all a sex expert, and I have only been married once, so I can’t say that my opinion carries any gravitas. I am just an old married lady who has been enjoying sex with my husband for many years. So this is just for what it’s worth.

I assume that at least she knows the basic biology. If not, I would suggest that you make sure that she has some idea of physically what happens. You do not mention if you are the aunt or the uncle of this niece. If you are the uncle, I think it would be best if you could find a caring female to convey this.
 
My advice, for what it’s worth, is just to relax, have fun learning, and not have any goal other than to give each other pleasure. God has given us lots of ways to give each other pleasure in the context of marriage, and being newly married is a good time to learn to explore them. Really, orgasm is not the only kind of pleasure that married people can give each other. Instinct still works for generating ideas.

I am not at all a sex expert, and I have only been married once, so I can’t say that my opinion carries any gravitas. I am just an old married lady who has been enjoying sex with my husband for many years. So this is just for what it’s worth.

I assume that at least she knows the basic biology. If not, I would suggest that you make sure that she has some idea of physically what happens. You do not mention if you are the aunt or the uncle of this niece. If you are the uncle, I think it would be best if you could find a caring female to convey this.
I’m her Auntie… i’d be very worried if she went to her uncle for this kind of advice!! 😛
But i myself have never… well… had THAT kind of experience. I’m just worried that a sexually uninteresting life might not be what she wants.
 
I am assuming the couple will be going on a Honeymoon ??

This is the time to learn together how to please your spouse… Each person is an individual… The wife should take time to learn the needs and desires of her husband. As well the husband should to the same for his wife…

Both my wife and I were virgin on our wedding night… I was frighted that I would not please her… She gave me assurance… I will spare the details, but after hours of talking (and prayer) we were able to consummate our marriage.
 
I’m her Auntie… i’d be very worried if she went to her uncle for this kind of advice!! 😛
But i myself have never… well… had THAT kind of experience. I’m just worried that a sexually uninteresting life might not be what she wants.
I really don’t think that you need to worry that if you convey some textbook type information that it will somehow limit her experience to what you can tell her. If you just make sure that she knows some basic biology, how the parts fit together, and spiritually that God gives us the gifts of sexual pleasure so that we can give share these gifts with our spouses, then you can allow the graces of the marriage sacrament to work in them.

My husband used to say, in the early days when we were getting to know each other, that the most erogenous zone is the mind.

Christopher West has some very good books on the subject.
 
Hello all! I havent posted in a long, long time so you may not remember me.
My niece (22 years old) is getting married soon. She has had a chaste relationship and has remained a virgin, as has her spouse. She is however, worried that through lack of experience that the wedding night will be awkward and not a pleasurable one for her and her husband to be. Her mother (My sister in law) left a long time ago and I’m the only one she can turn to for things like this.
However, I feel i’ve failed her because I’ve never taken much interest in sex and i’ve never fussed over the pleasure of it.

Any advice? Should she worry about orgasming or is it all by the by?

God Bless,
Lee
The best advice I have heard in this regard is: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. 😉

Secular culture has thrust upon us the unrealistic expectation that we should all somehow be experts in this area through some form of infused knowledge (or worse yet, through previous experience). That is not necessary (nor is it desirable).

There is no need to expect perfection the very first time. The joy is in the trying.
 
Tell her to relax and have fun with her new husband, and, as long as they are honest and communicative with one another over their likes and dislikes, intimacy between them will only get better over the years.
 
I just happened to open this thread because of it’s claim to awkwardness, but I’m a single man and am curious just what Church teaching is on what’s allowed as far as trying to please your spouse? I guess growing up Protestant and being told sex is bad and nothing else always gave me the idea that you were supposed to get things done and not bother trying to get too much out of it. Any good sources of information of this sort?

Oh, and as a guy I have no useful suggestions, OP. Mea culpa.
 
I think I’ve always looked at it as the first time you have sex its just like any other sport, skill or hobby you try for the first time…you’re not going to look like a professional athlete or expert in that chosen activity until you practice, practice, practice and gain experience. Its the same as honing a craft, or exercising a particular set of muscles. Or even similar to the first time behind the wheel of a car when you’re first learning to drive.

And really the ackwardness of the wedding night is what is going to bond them together. They’ll look back on it fondly if they don’t put too much pressure on themselves and relax and enjoy the experience.
 
Simply tell your niece to be happy, all will come about naturally.
If they know God loves them in their union and they love each other they will be expressing that love hopefully in the manner of the birds and the bees with Gods intention of creating other happy little nieces and nephews.:):crossrc:.
Peace , Carlan
 
I think I’ve always looked at it as the first time you have sex its just like any other sport, skill or hobby you try for the first time…you’re not going to look like a professional athlete or expert in that chosen activity until you practice, practice, practice and gain experience. Its the same as honing a craft, or exercising a particular set of muscles. Or even similar to the first time behind the wheel of a car when you’re first learning to drive.

And really the ackwardness of the wedding night is what is going to bond them together. They’ll look back on it fondly if they don’t put too much pressure on themselves and relax and enjoy the experience.
Two important differences: 1) the “learning” can be part of the fun. Don’t be goal oriented about this. And 2) you never need to be an “expert” at sex. Only at sex with one person- your spouse.

I have a friend who has 11 children. I asked her one time, meaning to start a long thoughtful conversation about the role of pleasure in God’s plan: “How many people get started on life just because sex is fun?” “All of them” she replied very promptly.
 
Thankyou so far for your replies.
An update to this story, she recently went to my older sister, who has stricter values than me. (Her girls are not allowed to wear pants, have very long or very short hair, wear makeup, discuss feminism, she screens the music on their ipod, have boys who are just friends, leave the house unchaperoned for longer than half an hour, she does not support the idea of going to college and she refuses to talk to my daughter when she dresses ‘innapropriately.’ In her eyes, almost everything my daughter wears is innapropriate, most of her skirts go to just above the knee or a bit higher, her tops arent drastically low cut but most are a scoop or v-neck and her tops are form fitting, and she is a very busty girl. My sister finds this ‘obscene’. As you can see, we raise our children in different ways.)
The advice my older sister gave her was along the lines of ‘You’ll only have sex with your husband once on your wedding night and as many times as you want children after that, so assuming you only want 2 or 3 kids, why bother trying to get anything out of it, it’s not a womans place to demand pleasure.’
I feel my niece may be being shortchanged with this Advice.
God Bless, Lee.
 
Thankyou so far for your replies.
An update to this story, she recently went to my older sister, who has stricter values than me. (Her girls are not allowed to wear pants, have very long or very short hair, wear makeup, discuss feminism, she screens the music on their ipod, have boys who are just friends, leave the house unchaperoned for longer than half an hour, she does not support the idea of going to college and she refuses to talk to my daughter when she dresses ‘innapropriately.’ In her eyes, almost everything my daughter wears is innapropriate, most of her skirts go to just above the knee or a bit higher, her tops arent drastically low cut but most are a scoop or v-neck and her tops are form fitting, and she is a very busty girl. My sister finds this ‘obscene’. As you can see, we raise our children in different ways.)
The advice my older sister gave her was along the lines of ‘You’ll only have sex with your husband once on your wedding night and as many times as you want children after that, so assuming you only want 2 or 3 kids, why bother trying to get anything out of it, it’s not a womans place to demand pleasure.’
I feel my niece may be being shortchanged with this Advice.
God Bless, Lee.
Is there any way your niece can become a member herself here at CAF or let her read these responses on your computer? Because the advice she got from your older sister, is horrible in my opinion. Sex is so much more than that, and is such an important part of the marriage relationship that I would hate to think that’s the advice she takes into account on her wedding night and into her marriage.
 
Doesn’t the church have Pre Cana conferences anymore.
I was married in 1965 and the info given to my future wife and I by a husband and wife Docter team(The Men and Women were inseparate groups.)was pretty much the same info as an alleged cutting edge Oprah show last year. The men were given concrete suggestions on how to please their wives and the women were encoraged to participate.
 
I’ll just offer one bit of advice from my own honeymoon, where both myself and my wife were virgins. The build up to the wedding is exhausting and stressful, and by the time they finally hit “the marriage bed”, they may both be too frazzled to consummate the marriage on that particular night. Avoid any sense of pressure to do so. There is no urgency - just take time to get to know each others bodies, and let it all happen when they are both comfortable.
 
Thankyou so far for your replies.
An update to this story, she recently went to my older sister, who has stricter values than me. (Her girls are not allowed to wear pants, have very long or very short hair, wear makeup, discuss feminism, she screens the music on their ipod, have boys who are just friends, leave the house unchaperoned for longer than half an hour, she does not support the idea of going to college and she refuses to talk to my daughter when she dresses ‘innapropriately.’ In her eyes, almost everything my daughter wears is innapropriate, most of her skirts go to just above the knee or a bit higher, her tops arent drastically low cut but most are a scoop or v-neck and her tops are form fitting, and she is a very busty girl. My sister finds this ‘obscene’. As you can see, we raise our children in different ways.)
The advice my older sister gave her was along the lines of ‘You’ll only have sex with your husband once on your wedding night and as many times as you want children after that, so assuming you only want 2 or 3 kids, why bother trying to get anything out of it, it’s not a womans place to demand pleasure.’
I feel my niece may be being shortchanged with this Advice.
God Bless, Lee.
“Shortchanged” is putting it mildly! :eek: That is horrible advice and not at all consistent with Catholic teaching.

The Catholic Church does NOT view sex this way. I would highly recommend reading Christopher West’s The Good News About Sex and Marriage. Sex is a wonderful and good thing in the proper context (i.e. marriage).
 
Thankyou so far for your replies.
An update to this story, she recently went to my older sister, who has stricter values than me. (Her girls are not allowed to wear pants, have very long or very short hair, wear makeup, discuss feminism, she screens the music on their ipod, have boys who are just friends, leave the house unchaperoned for longer than half an hour, she does not support the idea of going to college and she refuses to talk to my daughter when she dresses ‘innapropriately.’ In her eyes, almost everything my daughter wears is innapropriate, most of her skirts go to just above the knee or a bit higher, her tops arent drastically low cut but most are a scoop or v-neck and her tops are form fitting, and she is a very busty girl. My sister finds this ‘obscene’. As you can see, we raise our children in different ways.)
The advice my older sister gave her was along the lines of ‘You’ll only have sex with your husband once on your wedding night and as many times as you want children after that, so assuming you only want 2 or 3 kids, why bother trying to get anything out of it, it’s not a womans place to demand pleasure.’
I feel my niece may be being shortchanged with this Advice.
God Bless, Lee.
Ouch, that is terrible, terrible advice. I suggest that you talk to your niece very soon about all of this. She is very confused from the advice, I’m sure. I hope that the poor girl will be given the proper information. I agree with the other post that asked if she could look at the comments on here.
 
The advice my older sister gave her was along the lines of 'You’ll only have sex with your husband once on your wedding night and as many times as you want children after that
Actually, that advice holds pretty true for my wife and I. We were so tired on our wedding night that once was enough that night. After that, only when we want more children. Of course, my wife and I ALWAYS want more children :p:p:p:p:p:p

Seriously though, the wedding night almost certainly WILL be awkward! And if they go into it knowing this, it will also be a blast.
 
As someone who was decidedly NOT a virgin at marriage, I would like to put out some advice. Take it or leave it at your discretion.

1.) I agree with the previous poster that the couple should agree in advance NOT to have sex on the wedding night. If the wedding is anything more than just a handful of people and a short ceremony, there will be TONS of stress dancing, fatigue, and general exhaustion built up during the day. On my wedding night, I was asleep within 5 minutes of being in the hotel room (with that said, there’s no prohibition against it, if you both feel up to it, but there shouldn’t be an expectation).
This is not just for comfort. Both sides have built this up, and I guarantee that the guy is afraid of making a poor showing just as she is. If they hype the wedding night for months and then he’s too tired to perform, that can be a humiliation he will have a hard time recovering from.
My advice is to start the morning after the wedding, make sure they’ve got a light breakfast in their hotel fridge, or order room service if you can afford it. Be in no hurry at all, and just take it slow. This brings me to the number 2 thing:

2.) I could give you a list of “do this, not that” but really, every individual is different, and part of the “fun” of sleeping around (I say that in quotes because when I did it, I thought it was fun, but as I soon realized it was not in the least fulfilling) is learning what makes this new person unique, what they like and don’t like, etc.
But, if all goes well, this is the only time she’s ever going to be doing this, so she should draw it out as much as possible. Imagine if I told you this was the last time you could ever have a pie… you would savor it piece by piece and try to remember every bit for later. That’s a good plan for here.

3.) Don’t get wild and crazy. If they’re both true virgins, simply looking at each other is likely going to be a mind-blowing experience they’ll want to enjoy. Remember, you’ve got the rest of your life to try out random stuff.

4.) What I would tell her: First, restate the limitations. Ejaculation anywhere that can’t lead to babies is out. Everything else is allowed.
Second: Remember he’s new to this and just as nervous as you, probably more-so.
Third: Remember that you’re actually the lucky one. It isn’t really possible for a woman to be unable to perform. It is for a man, especially a newcomer under pressure. Fortunately, most men frequently wake up with the equipment ready, which is one reason I suggested the next morning
Fourth: Start touching skin anywhere (it doesn’t need to be genitals, shoulders, necks, and legs can be incredibly erotic). Not only do you not know what he likes, HE doesn’t even know what he likes. Take it slow and let him decide if he likes things or not (he should do the same for you). The other advantage of begining with touching is that there is no time limit on it. If you say “we’ll cuddle for 20 minutes, then consumate,” then you’re basically saying “be ready in 20 minutes.” But with this, both sides can relax and only move forward when both sides want to.
Fifth: He may well not be shy, but rather enthusiastic. If so, that’s a great thing, this is an adventure the two of you are on together, and as long as you two move at the same pace, you’re fine.
Sixth: Do not be afraid to laugh!! Sex is like riding a bike: your first time, you’re probably going to mess up and may skin your knee. It’s funny. Laugh.

In my experience, the key to great sex is that both parties agree that they are going to work for the other one’s pleasure. She can’t please him, if she doesn’t know what he wants, so her first task is simply to try things and find out how he responds. The only 2 complaints I’ve had with women I’ve slept with are:
1.) not paying attention when being told I don’t like something (certain places aren’t meant for biting), but this is usually from women who have a fixed idea (usually from a previous lover) of what sex should be. That scenario shouldn’t apply to you.

2.) believing that a woman’s role is simply to be there and let the man do what he has to do. This was mostly with younger women, but it’s a common enough that I wanted to mention it. Sex is supposed to be a shared act for mutual pleasure. Laying like a log gets old fast.

Treat it like a conversation, as they started talking, they explored areas that they were interested in, found things they both liked, they both were active participants, and they both got to know each other more deeply because of it.

That was somewhat long, and I appologize if it was a bit crude, but everything I said was designed to be helpful.
 
I just happened to open this thread because of it’s claim to awkwardness, but I’m a single man and am curious just what Church teaching is on what’s allowed as far as trying to please your spouse? I guess growing up Protestant and being told sex is bad and nothing else always gave me the idea that you were supposed to get things done and not bother trying to get too much out of it. Any good sources of information of this sort?

Oh, and as a guy I have no useful suggestions, OP. Mea culpa.
I’m sorry, but what kind of Protestant Church were you a member of? I was also raised Protestant, and I was never taught anything like this. Protestant Christians look very positively on sex; possibly more positive than Catholics did, at least in previous history. I actually wonder if the positive attitude that many Catholics (both clergy and laity) have towards sex is a result of the influence of Protestant theology. The theology and arguments that Catholic Answers presents on the Pure Love Club are (with the exception of contraception, masturbation, and religious vocations) are completely interchangable with Protestant websites on chastity. Furthermore, the ideas and jargon used on that website are Protestant ideas and jargon. The website tells young people that their sexuality is a gift from God, that they should “save themselves from marriage,” and that they are “worth waiting for.” These were originally Protestant ideas, not Catholic ones. These ideas stem from Protestant understanding of marriage and sexuality.

I am happy that I am a Catholic, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. But I am thankful for the time that I spent in Protestant churches because I got to learn and accept the Protestant understanding of sex; that my sexuality is a gift from God to be shared with my future spouse, that I should save myself for him, and that sex within marriage is gift “worth waiting for.”
 
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