Is It Ok To Have Sex While Pregnant? – Know The Details

While your sex life may change when you conceive, there is no reason why you should refrain from having sex while pregnant.

Pregnancy is a tough time for women; for Lord’s sake, our bodies and minds go through so much, so pardon us for wanting a little taste of sex while we grow the whole human inside of us.

I get it; with so much information on the internet and so many people coming up with different opinions, it might get confusing who to believe.

So, I am here to the rescue.

In this article, we shall go through all the details, dos, and don’ts of having sex while pregnant.

Is It Okay To Have Sex While Pregnant?

If you are concerned about the growing baby in your womb, let me just clear it out by saying that having sex at any stage will not harm the baby as long as the pregnancy is normal and not complicated.

The strong muscles of the uterus, amniotic fluid, and the muscle plug that builds around the cervix protect the baby under all circumstances.

Some people choose to believe that engaging in any sexual activities at the time of pregnancy or even having an orgasm may damage the fetus or damage the baby, increase the chances of a miscarriage, or may induce early labor.

However, all of these are myths if the pregnancy is healthy.

Sex While Pregnant In The First Trimester

Research has actually proved that there is a gradual decline in sex, mainly penetrative from pre-pregnancy to early pregnancy, that continues to till late pregnancy. While having sex during the first trimester is absolutely okay, here is a list of reasons why you may find a drop in your sex drive that starts from the very early stages of pregnancy:

• Nausea
• Fear of miscarriage or of harming the unborn baby
• Tiredness
• Discomfort
• Lack of interest
• Fear of infection
• Physical awkwardness
• Fear of membrane rupture

It is no news that pregnancy drastically affects your sex life, and why not? There has been a lot going on, after all.

Having Sex While Pregnant In The Second Trimester

The sexual desires and habits in a woman’s body fluctuate in the second semester too. At this stage, couples may think about rekindling their sex lives. While some women may find an increase in their libido because of how they have accepted their bodies, for some, it may decrease.

According to studies, some couples have shared how they have felt more intimate while having sex during pregnancy. Some even go to the extent of isolating themselves to focus more on building their relationship.

“I’m 29 weeks and my husband and I still have sex (though it has gotten a bit tricky lol) he hasn’t complained about anything different to me at least. He was scared to have sex at first cuz he didn’t want to hurt anything lol. He’s so sweet. But in my last trimester, especially my libido has really picked up and apparently, I’m very attractive while pregnant haha.”

• Reddit user.

However, the very same study has suggested that 1/5th of the couples have reported facing a “five-month crisis,” a situation where women tend to isolate themselves, which may make their partners feel abandoned during sex.

However, it was once again the same study that claimed that ⅕ of the women had experienced an orgasm for the first time during sex while pregnant. Many couples take advantage of the higher sex drive of women to try out their different sexual fantasies, like different positions, fantasies, fetishes, games, and other pleasures.

Although, many couples do not feel comfortable having sex while pregnant and therefore refrain from doing so. While they may avoid intercourse, they may still use other ways to have sexual satisfaction in their relationship.

Having Sex While Pregnant In The Third Trimester

Engagement in sexual activities during the third trimester may decrease while a woman reaches the third trimester. Orgasms result in uterine muscle contraction, which most women worry may hurt the baby.

Most women feel quite unattractive with their bodies, hence may choose not to engage in any sexual activities. And, of course, there is always discomfort in sexual positions.

Benefits Of Having Sex While Pregnant

Having sex while pregnant has multiple benefits. Some of which may include:

• Pregnancy helps you discover new sex positions which you would not have tried otherwise. Because your body changes, you tend to give up on the old positions to try out the new ones that feel more comfortable.

• Sex in pregnancy feels even better. The blood flow in your pubic area heightens during pregnancy, and hence you tend to get more and more sensitive while having sex.

• Orgasms are no more just mere climaxes. Orgasms are major stress relievers and help calm your body and release a lot of pain.

• Sex while pregnant helps you improve your mental health and cure a lot of intrusive thoughts that flood your head while you are pregnant.

• Sex releases a lot of endorphins, which help you sleep better at night.

Risks Of Having Sex While Pregnant

It can literally not be possible that having sex while pregnant will not have any risks. There are quite a few potential risks of having sex during pregnancy, some of which may include:

• Medium to extremely heavy bleeding.
• It may cause Placenta Previa.
• This may result in the breaking of water as the risk of infections heightens.
• If you have any issues with the cervix, there is a higher risk of early labor or even a miscarriage.
• Sex may not be the best option if you have conceived twins and are in the later pregnancy stages.
• Sex is also not suggested if you have you have gone into early labor in the past or if you are late into the pregnancy.

Women Anonymously Open Up About Having Sex While Pregnant! Yaay!

While I may sound pretty unconvincing, that is okay. But fear not.

I did what a girl needed to do and came up with some of the most authentic reviews about having sex while pregnant. [anonymous, obviously!]

Anonymous:

"Everything with me was heightened while I was pregnant. My sex drive was so much higher than normal and my husband did not mind. Typically we would have sex three times a week and it changed to three times a day. I was a little scared to have sex initially because I had no idea what effect it would have on the baby. My husband quickly assured me we'd be fine. As the pregnancy continued, around six and seven months, we did have to be more careful and particular on what position we did just for my own personal comfort. Me on top or my partner entering me from behind worked the best, while the missionary was super uncomfortable."

See, you can still have fun if you are a little careful!

Anonymous:

"Sex while pregnant was okay at first, but after I started to show it got kinda weird! Everyone said that my sex drive was going to go up and be so much more intense, but unfortunately that wasn't the case for me. I was showing really early, so my stomach was really big [for most of my pregnancy]. I also swelled up like a balloon in my legs and ankles, and was just uncomfortable most of the time. And my son moved a lot! Having sex with a giant belly that's hard to move around was super awkward. My husband was much more careful with me than before I was pregnant. I don't think he wanted to do anything to risk any type of injury or trauma to me or the baby. Plus, since the baby moved so much, he'd often feel a foot or elbow popping out at him during intercourse. It was just too weird for him and he would take it as a sign to stop. We finally ended up just waiting until after the baby was born to get our sex lives back!"

Isn’t that…..sad?

Let us move on to the next one, then.

Anonymous:

"In the first and third trimester my sex drive was lower than normal, but there was a sweet spot in the middle where it was all I wanted. [Sex was] pain-relieving, exciting, and felt almost new. My husband found me so attractive throughout my pregnancy. He was more cautious at the end of the pregnancy, but with some reassurance he was more excited about it!"

See, it isn’t a bad experience for everyone after all!

Anonymous:

"I was extremely pleased to discover that a big bonus of being pregnant were the pregnancy orgasms with a capital O. I experienced having multiple orgasms before being pregnant, but it was never the norm. When I was pregnant, multiple orgasms became regular and rather expected. My sex drive was in high gear and my body response was intense. Your body feels radiant and beautiful which adds to your confidence. I also think that the connection is intensified between you and your partner. My husband was definitely more careful at first (checking that I was okay and if the position suited me as I got further along in the pregnancy), but soon realized I was very okay and enjoying things a lot. "

Well, this is the confidence that I pray every woman gets while she is growing a little human inside of them!

Anonymous:

"Sex does differ when you're pregnant. Once you initially find out you're expecting the gut reaction is to pull back a bit to be 'careful,' despite whether there is actually anything to be concerned about. By the second trimester, I got my energy back and my sex drive was five times as strong. I was producing more discharge around the 12 week mark, which made sex more enjoyable and messy. I was ready all the time. My partner tried to be very aware of positions and how they might feel to me. He could feel me tense up and would ask if I was in pain and if I wanted to change positions. During the second trimester, being on top was the most comfortable, and in the third trimester, doggy style was the most comfortable. What feels good one day may change a week later, so it's important to be very open and honest with your partner to ensure it's comfortable and pleasant for both."

Pregnant or not, communication is the key to good sex. The more you communicate about what gives you comfort and what makes you uncomfortable, you are good to go.

Anonymous:

"For me, sex during pregnancy is absolutely fantastic — like mind-blowing fun and excitement. I feel like a true life-giving, orgasm-having, divinely feminine sex goddess! I had no idea pregnant sex and masturbation were so great until I experienced it. The enhanced orgasms and heightened sensations of pregnant sex are a serious consolation prize for the common discomforts that women experience in pregnancy, like nausea, extreme fatigue, breast tenderness, etc. So to all the mamas out there feeling silly or shocked by their bodies' desire to get down while they gestate: "If there is no medical reason for holding back, then do yourself (and your partner) a favor and get freaky."

Let’s Wrap Up!

Well, hopefully, by now, you know that having sex while pregnant is completely a choice, and to do it or not totally depends on the couple. It is something very intimate and must never be forced upon someone. It depends on the comfort of the couple and how easily they can connect with each other. Pregnant or not, sex is after all everything about connection and bonds.

While there are multiple benefits of having sex while pregnant, the risks are there too. So, if you choose to do it, just be careful enough and check with your dynamic if it is safe or not.

Rest assured; you are all good. If there is anything else that you want to ask, please feel free to drop a comment below!

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