Can I have sex during pregnancy?

This is one question which I am sure plagues the mind of most pregnant women. And the answer is yes you can, provided you consult your doctor on it. This question is mostly on the minds of couples, expecting their first child. The fact that nobody can give them information about it and the proper dos and don’ts coupled with lack of knowledge makes people stay away fro their better halves. Their lack of knowledge regarding the correct method, timing and frequency cause a total withdrawal from sex. This attitude often backfires, as the woman, due to her psychological state of mind and emotional needs, fails to understand these sudden behavioural changes in her partner. Here’s what to expect.

Emotions on high

Can I have sex during pregnancy?

As the pregnancy advances your body will undergo a major change. Don’t be alarmed if you are no longer your shapely self. You may also experience a dramatic change in your mental and emotional side. You may become very sensitive too and can easily mistake a casual remark for a scathing comment. Exercise immense caution lest you hurt your near and dear ones. Be happy and let your unborn child be happy too. Your emotional upheaval causes a lot of chemical changes in you. This directly or indirectly affects the child for sure. If you want the best for your child then be in the best of your moods.

Keep the love alive

Because of your pregnancy, your partner may be afraid to even touch you, let alone have sex with you. Understand him. Pregnancy makes you undergo a lot of biological changes, but there is no such change in a man. He unlike you cannot feel anything inside him. He is just watching you. Reassure him that if he is uncomfortable having sex with you it is ok. For you it is his presence and warm hug that is important. He needs to make himself aware of the emotional demands of fatherhood. This alone will not take place until the later stages of pregnancy when your partner can actually feel the child.

For intercourse

If you are aroused and willing, they you can have intercourse too. However avoid the missionary (man-superior) position. Woman on top position is advisable, or both could be in a sitting position, so that there is no pressure on your abdomen and that movement is gentle. Do not rock. Also recommended is the position where the couple lies on their sides, their legs bent upwards, both facing in the same direction, with the man behind the woman. It is called the ‘spoon’ position because it is like two spoons, one nestling inside the other. This is a very ‘gentle’ position as neither partner is putting any weight on the other, and it is particularly good for making love to a pregnant woman.

A word of caution

During pregnancy both oral and anal sex should be avoided. Do not allow your partner to insert any foreign objects inside you. It may break into pieces or get stuck somewhere and not come out.