“Can I have sex during my pregnancy?”  It is the question lingering in the back of every woman’s mind (or most anyway!) while they sit on the examine table in their doctor’s office, but few get up the nerve to ask.  Remember you aren’t the first to ask this question and you certainly won’t be the last.

So is sex OK during pregnancy?  In most cases yes.  If your pregnancy is proceeding normally and you haven’t had any problems or complications, and your doctor hasn’t advised you that you should abstain from sex, you are probably fine.  You should ask your doctor during one of your early prenatal visits and again if anything comes up that you think may change his/her response.

The other side of the question, of course, is do you want to have sex during pregnancy.  That is only something you can answer.  For some woman their sexual relationship with their husband will remain pretty much the same during pregnancy as it was pre-pregnancy.  For others it will either increase or decrease.  It all depends on how you feel physically and emotionally, and how your husband feels about sex during pregnancy.

During the first trimester you may find that the nausea, fatigue, and the ever changing hormone levels may decrease your sex drive.  A nap suddenly sounds much better than anything else, especially sex!  Most woman do feel pretty good during their second trimester (often called the honeymoon trimester) and an increase in blood flow to your vaginal area will likely bring that sex drive back.  The third trimester, with all the weight gain and the return of fatigue, often means your sex drive will decrease again.

Remember that every woman is different, and every couple is different.  Listen to your own body.  If you just don’t feel like it that’s OK.  If you do, well that’s OK too.  Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or are concerned that it might not be OK for you to have sex during your pregnancy.

Your doctor may recommend that you avoid sex if:

  • You are at risk of preterm labor or are currently experiencing preterm labor.
  • You have any unexplained vaginal bleeding.
  • You are leaking amniotic fluid.
  • You have cervical incompetence (premature opening or weakening of the cervix).
  • You have placenta previa (placenta is partially or completely covering the cervix).
  • Any other complications where sexual intercourse may cause further complications.

(source: Mayo Clinic, Fit Pregnancy)

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