There are times when couples wonder whether they can enjoy safe sex during pregnancy. Will you be able to enjoy as much sex as you do before the baby bump? Will the sex be uninhibited? Whether your pregnancy makes you feel sexier than before, or you are simply uninterested in sex after getting pregnant, most women’s sex life is changed in ways they have never thought possible when they get pregnant.
Is It Safe to Have Sex During Pregnancy?
When It Is Safe
If your pregnancy is a normal one, you can have safe sex during pregnancy. You can even keep doing it until the moment your water will break. In normal pregnancies, sex is not associated with miscarriage and neither is it a cause of vaginal infections.
When It Is Not Safe
If you anticipate significant complications during pregnancy or if your health provider detects complications, he may advise you not to have sexual intercourse. Some of the common risk factors are listed below.
- Threat or a history of miscarriage
- Signs indicating or a history of pre-term labor (if you have ever delivered a baby before the 37 weeks are over)
- Unexplained cramping, discharge or vaginal bleeding
- Amniotic fluid leakage
- Multiple fetuses in your last trimester
- Placenta previa, a condition whereby your placenta is so low that it covers your cervix.
- Incompetent cervix, a condition whereby your cervix dilates prematurely and is weakened, thus raising the risk of premature delivery or miscarriage.
Safety Concerns about Sex During Pregnancy
1. Can Having Sex During Pregnancy Harm My Baby?
Sexual activity will not harm your baby. All developing babies in the womb are protected by amniotic fluid. The uterus also has strong muscles that help to protect your baby.
2. Can I Have Anal or Oral Sex During Pregnancy?
Oral sex is safe when you are pregnant, but you must make sure that your partner will not blow air into your vagina. Although it is rare, when air is blown into your vagina, it might cause air embolism, the blockage of blood vessels by air bubbles. This could pose harm to both your life and the baby’s.
As for anal sex, it is not recommended when a woman is pregnant. It might be uncomfortable especially if you suffer from pregnancy-related hemorrhoids. Worse still, anal sex can help spread bacteria that cause infections from the rectum to your vagina.
3. Will Sex Cause Premature Labor?
Couples often worry that having sex during pregnancy can cause premature labor or miscarriage. In fact, sex is not a concern in this case. Premature labor and miscarriage are normally related to problems with the baby, like chromosomal abnormalities.
Sex in Different Stages of Pregnancy
Most couples experience many ups and downs when it comes to sexual desire in the nine months when a woman is pregnant. As the pregnancy progresses, the couple may find it hard to get a comfortable position during intercourse. Here are things you should expect.
Sex in the First Trimester
Safe Sex Position:
When you are in your first trimester, you will still be able to enjoy any sex position you enjoyed prior to the pregnancy.
Sex Drive:
Many pregnant women experience diminished sex drive when they are in their first trimester. You may be too nauseated or exhausted to start thinking about sex. Sore breasts may also affect a woman’s desire to be touched. The good news is that there is a high likelihood that your sex interest will pick up in some weeks’ time.
Sex in the Second Trimester
Safe Sex Position:
Many women, when in their Second trimester, find it comfortable to have sex while lying on their side. This position takes less energy from the pregnant woman and puts less pressure on the uterus.
Sex Drive:
The second trimester is considered the golden time for a pregnant woman’s sex drive. The nausea and fatigue have lifted, and a woman starts feeling sexy as the baby bump starts to show. Physically, the vagina and clitoris are swollen from the increase in blood volume, which adds to the pleasure in sex. During this time, most women even experience multiple orgasms for the first time. You should, however, be aware that the father-to-be may feel somewhat inhibited as he is coming to terms with the fact that you are actually carrying a real baby. He may also be worried that he may hurt the baby, or that the baby may “overhear” the sexual activity.
Sex in the Third Trimester
Safe Sex Position:
When in your last trimester, spooning is a comfortable position as the penetration is shallow. If you are in your third trimester and find it uncomfortable to have sex, you can explore other ways to satisfy your sexual desire like mutual masturbation.
Sex Drive:
During this trimester, many couples witness reduced sexual activity. The woman’s belly makes it difficult for some couples to make love. Even so, there are some “creative” positions that make sex enjoyable for couples in the last trimester.
Watch this video for more information about safe sex during pregnancy: