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In the initial stage of a properly developing pregnancy, there is no reason to stop sexual intercourse – if the woman wants to do so, of course.
Sometimes ailments related to the physiological development of pregnancy – in the form of nausea, vomiting, and a general feeling of fatigue and sleepiness, exclude the desire to have sexual intercourse. However, when these ailments disappear, the desire for sexual intercourse also returns. During this time, there is also no reason to change your favorite positions during intercourse. The missionary position, or “face to face” position, is a safe position and does not endanger the fetus developing in the womb in any way.
The situation is different in the case of any disorders that threaten the further development of pregnancy. If a woman has symptoms indicating a risk of miscarriage, such as lower abdominal pain, spotting or bleeding, then sexual intercourse is prohibited during this time. This prohibition is justified due to the possibility of a mechanical “injury” related to the penetration of the penis, and due to the presence of prostaglandins in the male semen which cause the relaxation of the cervical muscle, accelerate the opening of the cervical canal and thus facilitate the miscarriage.
Sexual intercourse should also not be undertaken during the infection of the lower genital tract, i.e. the vulva and vagina. Having sex in such a state increases the risk of spreading the infection in the reproductive tract of the pregnant woman, and also creates the possibility of infecting the partner, who may become an asymptomatic carrier and later – when the woman is cured – re-infect her.
It is imperative that you contact your doctor if you experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, bleeding or seeping watery fluid (these may be amniotic fluid) during or immediately after intercourse. If nothing like that happens, then intercourse during pregnancy is not forbidden, because pregnancy is not a disease, but a physiological state in which a woman should feel satisfied and happy!
Text: lek. med. Ewa Zarudzka