Lower sexual interest in postpartum women: Relationship to amygdala activation and intranasal oxytocin

► Postpartum and nulliparous women given oxytocin viewed sexual images in fMRI. ► Nulliparous rated sexual images more arousing than did postpartum women. ► Right amygdala activation was lower in postpartum versus nulliparous women. ► There was no difference in right amygdala activation with nasal spray application. ► Propose a generalized postpartum decrease in amygdala response to arousing images.