Is it possible to have sex during pregnancy?

In the later stages, the belly interferes with lovemaking, and a man’s interest can cool

According to statistics, eight out of ten women lose interest in sexual pleasures, and only two continue to have a habitual or even more active sex life. To this has a riot of hormones, in particular, growing with the onset of pregnancy testosterone. However, no matter how the expectant mother experiences a rise in sexual energy, she definitely needs to see a doctor and consult with him on this important issue. Please note: if the pregnancy is complicated, the specialist may impose a taboo on sex. There are several reasons for this:

• long-term infertility, which finally ended with a successful conception;

· Habitual miscarriage;

· bloody issues;

· Pain in the lower abdomen or in the lumbar region;

· Low location of the chorion (forming placenta).

The second trimester is considered the most favorable time for pregnant women. Nasty toxicosis and drowsiness in most cases recede. The body stops storming, life is getting better again, and the expectant mother notices that she has become more sexy: her breasts have noticeably increased, but the abdomen is still not visible. Usually at this time, couples celebrate an upsurge in sex life. Many women discover new sensations during lovemaking: the rush of blood to the genitals makes them more sensitive, and the orgasm is brighter. However, a consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist will not hurt here either. In addition to abdominal pain, bleeding, miscarriages that happened sometime in the same period, the reason for abstinence is:

Discomfort or pain during or after intercourse;

· Low location of the placenta;

· Leakage of amniotic fluid;

Isthmic-cervical insufficiency (when the cervix cannot cope with the obturator function assigned to it).

Many pregnant women discover new sensations during sex: the rush of blood to the genitals makes them more sensitive, and the orgasm is brighter.

Is it possible to have sex during pregnancy? This question is very often asked both at “Pregnant gatherings” and at “Marathons in maternity hospitals” (by the way, they are held absolutely free of charge). Future moms want to know everything firsthand from specialists, and they willingly inform about everything. So, over the past 100 years, medicine has answered this delicate question in different ways. Doctors advised our great-grandmothers to refrain from intimacy, and in the event of a strong sexual desire, turn to a psychiatrist. Our mothers have been advised by obstetricians-gynecologists to practice reasonable moderation. It was said that in the first three months, when the embryo is most vulnerable, and in the last two, when there is already very little time left before childbirth, it is better to refuse sex. Now experts have revised their views again. Now the restrictions are not so strict and depend primarily on the course of pregnancy and the well-being of the expectant mother.

When to enjoy life and when it is better to abstain, what positions and types of sex to prefer, what to do if you don’t feel like it, and what doctors say about all this.

Sex is an important part of family life, and pregnancy is no exception.

During pregnancy, a woman goes through many internal changes, from physical to emotional. The most important thing that a partner can give her during this period is support and love. During these nine months, future parents will not only have to understand that their family will grow up soon, but be able to maintain the passion that brought them together. Intimacy with a beloved man helps maintain a favorable hormonal background in a woman’s body and family harmony in a couple. Sex during pregnancy is possible, but precautions must be taken. Let us examine in more detail what happens to the attraction of a woman and a man during pregnancy, how to have sex without risking the health of mother and baby, and what is the opinion of doctors on this topic.

No attraction? This is fine

Future parents often face a lack of intimate desire at the beginning of pregnancy. It is important to remember that a man and a woman during this period are in different psychological states. A decrease in a woman’s libido is typical for the first trimester and is explained not only by strong hormonal fluctuations, but also by a suddenly increased burden of responsibility – both for herself and for the unborn baby.

The emotional ups and downs that often overwhelm a woman during pregnancy can cause a mixed reaction in the future dad: many men are lost and do not know how to behave when their beloved pulls away, is naughty or cries for no apparent reason, they are afraid to hurt her or unpleasantly during proximity. It is worth remembering that the future dad deserves attention and respect for his experiences no less than mom. This period is also not easy for him: a man thinks about how to maintain well-being, protect and provide everything necessary for a new life entrusted to his family, while the expectant mother is busy bearing a baby.

Fortunately, in most cases, by the second trimester – when future parents finally get used to their new status – the desire returns, and mutual understanding in the couple is getting better. The key to success in this matter is to trust each other and not be shy to discuss with your closest person everything that excites and worries.

Sex and pregnancy: when is it possible, and when is it better to be careful?

It would seem that in the first trimester there should be no barriers to intimacy: the baby is no larger than a bean, and the stomach is still completely invisible, but no. This period is often accompanied by painful sensations: increased drowsiness, a constant feeling of fatigue, and in some pregnant women – and a nuisance in the form of toxicosis, and often nausea. And that’s not counting mood swings! It is quite natural that in such conditions a woman’s attraction is reduced to almost zero. If you have passed the negative symptoms – enjoy life, but still first consult with the gynecologist who is leading your pregnancy. There are a number of non-obvious factors that should be treated with great caution and give up intimacy for a while, if the doctor insists on it. Such restrictions include, for example:

• low position of the placenta; increased tone of the uterus;
• pain and bleeding .

The second trimester is perhaps the most favorable time in the life of a future mother. The body finally debugged the “settings”, and the state of health returns to normal: morning sickness recedes, the forms are rounded, the skin glows with health, the hair becomes thick. Under the influence of estrogen hormones, emotions become stronger: a woman wants more affection and love, she shows tenderness and desire for her beloved. During this period, the volume of blood in the body increases markedly – in order to provide all the necessary substances to both the expectant mother and the growing baby. Due to increased circulation, tactile sensitivity increases: hugs, massage and touching erogenous zones cause vivid and very pleasant sensations. The tummy is already beginning to appear, but not yet too large, which for the next three months will allow you to maintain a variety of positions in sex.

The upcoming birth is a natural process, but often unpredictable, which can cause a fair amount of anxiety in the expectant mother in the third trimester. Carrying the stomach every day is getting harder, the growing uterus presses on the intestines and bladder. A woman can also worry about gaining weight, feel clumsy and ugly, which also does not contribute to the growth of libido. The task of a man at this time is to be especially delicate and attentive, to be more often interested in the state and mood of his beloved, not to bother with requests for sex if she does not want it, and, if possible, to take control of various matters into his own hands, without bothering his spouse. The months remaining before the birth are the last chance for her to relax at her pleasure and sleep for a long time ahead.

When is sex contraindicated during pregnancy?

There is a general list of indications for sexual rest. The nuances can vary, and the final decision whether it is possible for the expectant mother to have sex is made only by her attending physician – each pregnancy is so individual. Sex should be avoided if pregnancy has the following complications:

• threat of interruption (including hematoma or bleeding);
• amniotic fluid is leaking;
• the placenta is located dangerously close to the cervix;
• too short or too early opening of the cervix;
• infectious diseases in father or mother.

Sex and pregnancy: what doctors think

During pregnancy, many couples are afraid to make love, so as not to provoke contractions and premature birth. Modern medicine considers this a delusion: during sex, the uterus and placenta experience vibration no more than during normal walking, and the birth process will not start until both organisms – both mother and baby – are ready for it themselves.

In general, the position of doctors is as follows: it is possible and necessary to have sex, provided that the pregnancy proceeds without complications ¹ .

There is an opinion that sex in the first trimester on the days of menstruation (corresponding to the cycle before pregnancy) can increase the risk of miscarriage. Statistics show the opposite: most cases of spontaneously interrupted pregnancies are due to congenital malformations, when the wise mother’s body itself decides that the fetus is not viable ^2,3 .