Sexual Relations During Pregnancy

Sex During Pregnancy

When people know about a woman’s pregnancy, everyone right from the relatives, to the friends, to the neighbours etc. have umpteen number of unasked pieces of advice for her to follow; what are the remedies for morning sickness, what kind of food she should eat and what to avoid, how much of rest she should take, how to put the baby to sleep etc. etc….

But nobody would ever want to talk about one of the most important concerns of an expectant mother and an expectant father that is sex during pregnancy – how it is going to be different now!

Sex can be a very touchy issue for most couples who are making their journey towards parenthood. Hence, it is essential that the two of them have an open discussion to clear out any lingering doubts.

Similar to the mood swings of pregnancy, your sexual urge can also go from high to low and low to high in various stages of pregnancy. The hormonal changes and emotional status can influence your sex drive. Some of you may have an increased desire for sexual satisfaction due to increased blood circulation in the pelvic area and the genitals. Enlargement of the breasts and also wanting to share with the husband the physical changes happening around this time are the added factors.

Contrary to this, there are woman who want to abstain from sex during pregnancy completely. These women have fears that by having sex they might harm the baby, they may go in for a miscarriage or probably the many changes like fatigue, morning sickness, sleep disturbances etc. just don’t allow them to enjoy sex.

Let us see what are the reactions of the expected father too!

Usually, all the fathers are equally anxious about having sex during pregnancy but they also have their likes and concerns!

Sometimes, their urge reduces, thinking of harming the baby or due to the awkward positioning or just worrying that next visit the doctor might forbid having sex. At other times, they are aroused by the fullness of the expectant mother and are thrilled at experimenting with newer positions.

In most cases (except in those in which the doctor has advised on medical grounds for no-sex at all), it is safe to make love all throughout the pregnancy within the comfort zone of the expectant mother. Having an intercourse will not rupture the membranes nor will it affect the baby. Orgasms can produce contractions for a while, that are harmless. Also, having intercourse during the last trimester of pregancy will not initiate labour, as semen doesn’t contain large amounts of prostaglandin to cause premature labour.

With the abdomen enlarging, conventional positions may become difficult. So, alternatives like woman being on the top or letting the husband to enter from behind can be tried.

Sex isn’t the end point. There are times when you may not be able to have an intercourse during pregnancy, especially towards the end of the pregnancy due to increased weight or fatigue, then physical and emotional connectivity can be maintained by finding newer ways of pleasuring!