Sex life and sexual relationships always tends to take a back seat during pregnancy. You are always thinking about the safety of the fetus during lovemaking. It should be noted that it is perfectly safe to have sex during pregnancy unless you have been advised otherwise by your doctor. The baby in the mother’s womb is absolutely safe and is protected by the amniotic fluid, the abdomen and the mucus plug which closes the cervix.
Expecting mothers find a decline in their sexual desires during certain stages in the pregnancy because they are more preoccupied with their present condition and with the thought of becoming a parent. There are times when they may find sex uncomfortable also. This fact needs to be communicated to their partner. They need to discuss other forms of intimacy such as kissing, holding hands and caressing. They can even discuss some more comfortable position for sex. Women at times tend to get uncomfortable with the way their body changes but men enjoy the changing shape of their partners with fuller breasts and rounder hips. Sex at times during pregnancy can be more enjoyable because there is an increase in the vaginal lubrication, no precautions for birth control have to be taken, and swelling in the genital areas helps certain people attain orgasms or multi orgasms.
Listen to the changes that your body is going through during pregnancy and accordingly make changes in your sexual lifestyle, so that you derive the maximum pleasure out of it. The sex positions which are comfortable before pregnancy and in early pregnancy can be very uncomfortable and unsafe during late pregnancy.
During the first trimester, it is very safe for a woman to indulge in normal sexual activity without causing any harm to the fetus. Sex doesn’t cause miscarriage. The male sexual organ, penis, does not come in contact with the fetus at any time during pregnancy so it can’t do any harm
During the second trimester, the woman is sexually more sensitive and get aroused easily. This happens because more blood is circulating into your genitals and breasts and you have renewed energy. If the pregnancy has started showing and there is a large abdomen then the woman and her partner should experiment with alternate positions during this time.
In the last trimester of the pregnancy, there might be a few problems like back ache, swollen ankles, fatigue. Either of the two partners may be scared at this stage to indulge in sex. So the healthy option is to talk about one’s feelings and discuss your physical and emotional changes. One can even talk about the need for physical sex and the most comfortable position for love making at this stage. There should be openness about the comfortable positions. The non-missionary (woman on top) position during intercourse and orgasm is linked with reduced risk of premature delivery.
Couples should take pregnancy to be a time when they can learn to please and arouse each other with other means of love-making than penetration. This helps them to experiment and develop other means of pleasing each other sexually.
In a few situations your doctor may tell you to abstain from sex during pregnancy –
- There is family history of miscarriage
- Bleeding or vaginal discharge occur.
- Symptoms of placenta previa occur or the placenta is low lying.
- There is a broken water bag
- If the cervix is dilated
- Chances of STD (sexually transmitted diseases) in either you or your partner.
- There is a family history or preterm labor
After the fourth month pf pregnancy, during sexual intercourse the woman should avoid lying flat on her back. You should look for alternative positions which are convenient and relaxing because you keep on growing in size. Some of these positions are –
- Woman on top
- Spooning (man behind woman)
- Side lying with knees pulled up.
A mild cramping is very normal in low risk pregnancies after sex. This happens due to an increase in blood flow to the pelvic area during pregnancy, contractions of the uterus after orgasm. Oral sex is a very good and safe substitute when intercourse is not permitted during pregnancy. Mutual comfort and pleasure should guide your sex life. If there are certain issues where one of you is not comfortable, it is best to avoid it than be sorry later.