In this article you will learn the following
It is also during pregnancy It's perfectly normal for you and your partner to want to have sex and get a little closer physically.
However, many couples shy away from pregnancy sex because they've heard different stories about the risks.
But what about sex during pregnancy? Can you indulge in lovemaking, or is it not recommended?
Sex during pregnancy – Changing sensations of pleasure
During pregnancy, the female body is subject to major changes. These changes often have an effect on the woman's sense of desire.
In the first trimester, the desire for sex occasionally decreases.
Changes such as the unusual growth of the abdomen and breasts in connection are usually the main reason for this. In addition, the breasts are very sensitive, especially in the first few weeks of pregnancy, and even a light touch can hurt.
But side effects such as nausea, frequent tiredness or painful cramps do not really make you want to have sex during pregnancy.
In the second trimester, on the other hand, pregnant women often notice an increase in their own desire.
This is due to the fact that the symptoms from the first trimester, such as the regular nausea, often subside significantly. In addition, the blood supply to women's genitals is significantly increased, so that they become more aroused and often experience an orgasm more intensely.
For many women, this phase of pleasure lasts from the 13th week to the 28th week.
When the pregnancy enters the third trimester, the desire to have sex usually decreases again. The belly of the pregnant woman interferes with movements and side effects such as back pain also reduce desire.
But there are also some pregnant women who would like to have sex in their third trimester. In such cases, positions that relieve the stomach and back are ideal so that sex can also be enjoyed during pregnancy.
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Is pregnancy sex dangerous for the baby?
Parents-to-be claim that sex during pregnancy harms the unborn child could.
In fact, that is not the case. The man's penis never reaches the baby no matter what trimester the woman is in. The closed cervix may be touched. But neither the amniotic sac nor the rest of the tissue of the uterus is reached at all.
The physical movements during sexual intercourse are also not dangerous for the unborn child. The bubble made of amniotic fluid in which it swims protects it from too rough movements and at most it rocks back and forth a little. But the same thing happens when a pregnant woman walks up or down a flight of stairs, for example.
How does sex during pregnancy affect labor?
Some pregnant women worry that pregnancy sex can induce premature labor and even lead to a miscarriage. After all, hormones are released during sex that also trigger contractions.
These hormones are oxytocin and prostaglandins. The female body produces oxytocin during high states of arousal. It is considered a love and bonding hormone and conveys a feeling of physical closeness and a connection to the partner.
In fact, oxytocin is also partly responsible for triggering labor at the end of labor. However, other circumstances such as the woman's physical condition and the release of other hormones also play a role. So oxytocin by itself does not induce preterm labor.
Prostaglandins are a little different. The hormones are contained in the man's sperm. They are given to pregnant women in the hospital when they want to induce labor artificially. Because prostaglandins ensure, among other things, a maturation of the cervix so that it prepares for the coming birth. However, the levels of prostaglandins contained in male semen are far too low to induce preterm labour.
It gets really exciting at the end of pregnancy, when the woman is about to start normal contractions. If the time is chosen exactly right here, pregnancy sex and the associated release of oxytocin in combination with prostaglandins and the contractions of an orgasm can initiate labor.
How does pregnancy affect a man's desire ?
Pregnant women are not the only ones who struggle with reduced sexual desire during pregnancy. Some men also lose their desire for sex.
But this is not due to the fact that they find their partner unattractive. In fact, men usually find their pregnant wives just as attractive as they did before. Some men find the baby bump even more attractive. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily increase the desire for sex during pregnancy.
Just like women, men are afraid that they could harm the unborn baby through sexual intercourse. But there is also the fact that many men prepare themselves mentally for their upcoming task as father-to-be. This is sometimes so stressful, especially for young men, that they simply don't feel like having sex.
However, if it is not the first birth, then the fears and concerns are usually lower, so that the man then also wants to be intimate with his partner during pregnancy.
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When should you stop having sex?
< p>There are also situations or health histories in which doctors advise against sexual intercourse during pregnancy. If a woman has already experienced several miscarriages, she should not have sex to avoid the risk of preterm labor. The same applies if a doctor should determine a so-called high-risk pregnancy.
If the placenta is wrong for the woman, there could be injuries during sex. In so-called placenta previa, the placenta lies near the cervix and partially or completely covers the cervical opening.
During sex, the placenta could be bumped in such a way that bleeding occurs, which could endanger both the pregnant woman and the unborn baby. However, this clinical picture is comparatively rare and is only diagnosed in 0.5% of pregnancies.
Couples should be cautious about sex during pregnancy if there is a multiple pregnancy. Since there is not just one child in the woman's belly, but two or more, the positions of the children and the placenta shift. An injury similar to placenta previa is possible, which can be hazardous to your health.
You should also avoid sex if your partner suffers from a genital infection. There is a risk that viruses or bacteria may get into the cervix and possibly cause inflammation that could affect the baby's health. That's why it's better not to have sexual intercourse until the infection has completely healed.
Apart from that, there's nothing wrong with experiencing intimate moments during pregnancy if both you and your partner are having the Feel like it!
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