When can I have sex while pregnant?

Having Sex While Pregnant

Sex during pregnancy is perfectly normal. You and your partner do not have to give up on intimacy for almost a year of your lives. Sexual desire will vary during the first, second, and third trimester, but that is just natural. Many men may have reservations about engaging in intercourse for fear of hurting either you or the fetus, but there is really no foundation to such fears.

During the first trimester, some women will experience a diminished sex drive. Bouts of morning sickness, preoccupations over the thought of motherhood, and all the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body may leave her too nauseated or exhausted to even think about sex. Sore breasts may further inhibit sex while pregnant. After the first trimester, a woman’s interest in sex may pick up when hormonal activity begins to level off.

Sex During Pregnancy Can Be Fulfilling

For many women, having sex while pregnant during the second trimester is the best time of their pregnancies for sexual intimacy. After the fatigue and nausea have subsided, during the second trimester the clitoris and vagina are more engorged with blood. This may increase pleasure and some women have even experienced multiple orgasms for the first time during this period. Usually towards the end of the second trimester, sexual activity diminishes once again. The expanding girth of a third trimester woman makes sex during pregnancy quite difficult, but sexual activity during the final trimester of pregnancy normally poses no risk to the fetus if it is not a high risk pregnancy. A recent study conducted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has determined that intercourse after the 29 week milestone does not increase the risk of preterm labor or harm the fetus. Make the most of the alone time with your partner and enjoy a healthy sexual relationship for as long as you like during your pregnancy.

7/19/2007 11:24:48 AM