Sex During Pregnancy: What’s Safe and What’s Not?

Posted by Prapti Chauhan on September 21st, 2021

You must have had sex to become pregnant. But, have you ever thought about having sex while you’re pregnant?

No, right?

The reason being, you think that sexual activity during pregnancy might trigger early labour and there is a significant chance of damaging the baby, growing inside you.

But, that is far from truth! How?

Get your queries answered through this article

Is Having Sex During Pregnancy Harmful for the Baby Growing Inside Your Womb?

Usually, in “normal” pregnancy, that is a pregnancy that is considered uncomplicated for miscarriage, having sex will not harm the baby. The baby remains protected by strong uterine muscles, and amniotic sac (a thin-walled bag that holds the fetus and surrounding fluid). There’s also a thick mucus plug, which covers the cervix and saves it from infection, while you’re having sex. Moreover, the penis of your partner will not come into contact with the foetus, during the time of sexual intercourse.

Can Sexual Intercourse or Orgasm Result in a Miscarriage or Bring About Contractions

Well! The contractions that you feel, after the orgasm, is not similar to the normal labour contractions you feel before delivering your baby. However, follow your healthcare practitioner’s advice thoroughly and very carefully. He or she will suggest you not to have sex, especially during the final few weeks of your pregnancy. Mostly, because the semen that gets produced during that time, has chemicals that might trigger contractions, thus harming the baby.

Is It Normal to Have an Increased or Decreased Sex Drive During Pregnancy?

During the nine-months of your pregnancy journey, both increased and decreased sex drive might be possible.

• In the first trimester, you might feel extremely tired, nauseous, a tenderness in your and an increased need to pee, thus making sex less enjoyable.

• However, there might be a boost in the hormones, during the second trimester. In fact, an increased blood flow to the genitals might increase the sex drive in some of you. You will notice that you might want to feel close to your partner, thus making love more fulfilling.

• Fluctuating hormones, feeling less comfortable, decrease in energy levels or pain in the body, might prove decrease in the sex drive in some of you. And this desire is generally lower during the third trimester.

These symptoms are not just common to you, your partner is also likely to feel an increase or decrease in the sex drive. The reason might be anything. He might enjoy the changes in your body or he might also be concerned about your health as well as the health of the unborn baby, during such times.

Are There Any Benefits of Having Sex During Pregnancy?

The possible benefits include:

• Better orgasms: More blood flow to the genitals would result in powerful orgasms, during your pregnancy

• Burns calories: And keeps both you and your partner fit 

• Boosts immunity: A study in 2004 has it that, having sex, during pregnancy increases IgA antibodies, thus keeping cold and infections at bay.

• Makes you feel relaxed and happy: Having sex during pregnancy produces endorphin hormones, thus making the mother and the unborn baby feel happy and relaxed.

• Improves the bonding between you and your partner: And that is the best thing you have in a relationship.

To Conclude

Above all, you have to remember that you are going through a wonderful time of your life. It may be full of challenges, but you still enjoy having sex during your pregnancy. Just be very careful of the positions you take  while having sex during pregnancy. After all, putting pressure on your belly, would be a problem for your baby, inside your womb. So, you can be on the top of your partner, you can take the side-by-side spooning position or sitting on the edge of the bed position .

Author Bio: Prapti Chauhan is a professor of Genetics in Bangalore. She has contributed to several online research papers. However, she passionately develops contents on pregnancy, childbirth, childcare baby stem cell storage, umbilical cord lining and more.