Should I have sex during pregnancy?
Most women can have sex during pregnancy. As long as your pregnancy is low-risk and normal, then it should be completely safe for you to have sex during pregnancy. Situations that may require abstaining from sex while you are pregnant include a history or threat of miscarriage, possibility of pre-term labor, bleeding, leaking of amniotic fluid, and heavy cramping. Medical conditions such as placenta previa or an incompetent cervix may also require abstaining from sex.
It is also not advisable to have sex if there is any risk of you contracting any type of sexually transmitted disease during sexual acts. If you are in a committed relationship and you both have been tested for sexually transmitted diseases, this should not be a problem.
If you aren’t sure if you should be having sex, or if you experience bleeding, pain, or heavy uterine contractions or cramping after sex, then you should call your health care provider to make sure that it’s safe for you to be having sex during your pregnancy.
Does sex harm the baby?
Sex absolutely does not harm the baby in a normal pregnancy. Your baby is well-cushioned by amniotic fluid, and the mucous plug in your cervix prevents anything from entering the uterus during pregnancy. The penis and semen does not come in any contact with your baby during or after sex. Some pregnant women notice the baby moving more or moving less after sex. This is usually because of the rhythmic contractions you may experience after orgasm, and it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with your baby.
What positions are safe for sex during pregnancy?
Most sexual positions are perfectly safe during a normal pregnancy. The best way to choose positions is to listen to your body and do what feels most comfortable. During the later months of pregnancy, your stomach will be getting fairly large, and you may find that it gets in the way of your normal positions for sex. Experimenting with positions will be most helpful during this time. You should remember that a pregnant woman should not lie flat on her back for extended periods of time.
Under most circumstances, oral and anal sex are safe during pregnancy. Just be sure that if you and your partner engage in oral sex during pregnancy that no air enters the vagina. This can cause serious complications to the mother and baby during pregnancy.
What will happen to my sex drive during pregnancy?
Pregnancy affects the sex drive of every woman differently at different times. Typically, nausea and fatigue during the first trimester may detract from a pregnant woman’s sex drive. Most women begin to feel more sexual again during the second trimester. Many find that this feeling continues through the rest of the pregnancy, but it is normal during the third trimester to notice a decreased sex drive due to your growing size.
Many physical factors can affect your sex drive during pregnancy. Increased circulation during pregnancy can cause heightened sensitivity during sexual acts. For some women, this means sex is more pleasurable and many women experience better orgasms during pregnancy. For others, however, the sensitive tissue makes sex uncomfortable. Tenderness in the breasts can either cause you to enjoy being touched in this area more than ever, or it may cause you to designate your breasts as off-limits during pregnancy.
Mental and emotional factors can also affect your sex drive during pregnancy. Pregnancy can make you feel more feminine and womanly, but you may also feel awkward and huge during this time. Many women feel more sexual when they don’t have to worry about contraception. In other cases, worries about finances, motherhood, and childbirth may detract from your sexual mood.
How will my partner feel?
Men can experience a wide range of feelings during pregnancy, too. Most men will still be very attracted to their wives when they are pregnant. Many men find the shape of a pregnant women to be irresistible, but there are some men who will need to look past the look of pregnancy and find the attraction he has to the woman inside. Your partner may experience mental anxieties just like yours that can detract from his sex drive while you are pregnant.
What if we aren’t having sex?
While most couples will have a normal amount of sex during pregnancy, there are some couples who are simply more comfortable having less sex during pregnancy. This can be normal and healthy if you and your partner find other ways of staying close during pregnancy. Go out together often and find things to do together at home. Keep the lines of communication open and talk daily with your partner about how you both are doing. Even if you aren’t having as much sex, you can still kiss and cuddle with your partner, and enjoy a special closeness while you are pregnant.