Once you become pregnant, sex might be the last thing on your mind. So, is it safe to have sex during pregnancy? Relaxโstress will do nothing to enhance the mood. However, Shepherd points out, your growing belly might make certain sex positions uncomfortable near the end of your third trimester, so you may need to experiment with pregnancy sex positions to see which ones you feel the most comfortable with.
Instead, try spooning your partner enters you from behind as you both lie on your sides , you on top or rear entry having your partner enter you from behind while you support yourself on all fours. Oral sex is during pregnancy is generally safe as long as partners are free from sexually transmitted infections STIs , experts say. Anal sex while pregnant is also generally considered safe. However, if you have hemorrhoids โa fairly common pregnancy afflictionโyou should avoid it, advises Alejandra Lucatero , LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in sexual health at the Hawaii Center for Sexual and Relationship Health in Honolulu.
Lucatero suggests using a water-based lubricant during anal sex to decrease discomfort and increase pleasure. Oxytocin, often called the love hormone, is released when you orgasm , and that may have a positive effect on you and baby, says licensed marriage and sex therapist Kat Van Kirk , PhD.
Still not convinced? As it turns out, there are even more benefits of sex during pregnancy. Obviously every person and every pregnancy is different. If you have morning sickness during the first trimester, you just might not feel like having sex as much as you did pre-pregnancy. But your libido typically rebounds by the second trimester as morning sickness tapers off, Shepherd says.
Lucatero adds that many pregnant people experience another decrease in their sex drive toward the third trimester. Hang in thereโthis is all completely normal! Shepherd says that because you have a higher blood volume in your body during your pregnancy, the blood flow increases to your genitals as well as other parts of your body.
