Sex in pregnancy, can there be a risk of causing harm to the baby?
In this article dear mom, you will have all the answers on making love in pregnancy, the benefits and risks for the fetus, when to abstain, the positions and when sex helps the start of labor.
Sex during pregnancy
Can you have sex during pregnancy?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions of future parents because the doubts and fears that accompany sexual intercourse during pregnancy are so many. I tell you right away that making love during pregnancy is good for the couple and there is no risk for the fetus except in special cases, however it is essential that sexual intercourse during pregnancy does not involve discomfort, breathlessness or pain for the pregnant woman. Pregnancy is a physiological condition, and if there are no particular obstetric contraindications, there is no reason to give up sexuality with your partner. Making love in the nine months has been shown to cause joy and fulfillment in parents and also decreases the risk of developing postpartum depression. Sexual intercourse during pregnancy is not contraindicated unless there is a proven risk of miscarriage or preterm birth. Even during the last trimester, making love during pregnancy is not strictly contraindicated, as was believed in the past, on the contrary, at the end of pregnancy, sex can be useful to stimulate contractions because the seminal fluid is made up of prostaglandins, which stimulate the onset of labor. Sexual intercourse at term of pregnancy is a natural method of induction to childbirth Couples who prefer to abstain from intercourse may consider forms of sexuality that do not include coitus. Many of the sexual needs of pregnant women can be satisfied with caressing kisses and nurturing. The warm and pleasant sensations that accompany these gestures may be enough.
Is it safe to have sex during pregnancy
Sex in pregnancy is not dangerous for the baby, so you can make love in pregnancy. The fetus is well protected by the shell of the membranes and the cervix is ​​well sealed to avoid contact with bacteria and external agents that could rise from the vagina. It has also been shown that sexual intercourse during pregnancy even has a beneficial effect on the fetus, in fact, during pleasure the blood supply of the maternal pelvic muscles increases, so the fetus will receive a greater amount of oxygen because the placenta, an organ that nourishes and protects the fetus, it is better supplied by the vascular bed. However, it should be noted that having sex during pregnancy must have a gentle rhythm that does not mechanically stimulate the uterus and that both partners do not feel uncomfortable having intercourse during pregnancy.
Sexual desire in pregnancy
During the first trimester of pregnancy, the woman generally has less desire to make love. The decrease in desire is caused by the increase in the hormone progesterone which has an inhibitory action on desire. In the second trimester of pregnancy, the female genital area is supplied with a greater quantity of blood which favors sexual response, vaginal lubrication and orgasm so there is an increase in desire. During the third trimester of pregnancy there is a sharp increase in progesterone levels to allow the maternal muscle fibers to relax to allow the uterus to grow freely without encountering muscle obstacles. The increase in the hormone progesterone again causes the female desire to decrease. Except for physical speech, the psychological condition also has a great influence on female sexual desire in pregnancy. Factors such as: how long the baby was wanted or sought, the time elapsed between the search for pregnancy and conception play a very important role in the parents' desire. Women and couples who have conceived a child quickly generally have a more lively sexuality, while couples who have had difficulty conceiving or who have resorted to assisted fertilization tend to have greater sexual inhibition for fear that the pregnancy could be interrupted.
In the future dad, the desire to make love decreases significantly during the nine months of pregnancy. The collapse of desire depends on the fact that paternity solicits new feelings such as the impulse to look after the partner and the instinct to protect the child that push the future father to have affectionate attention towards the pregnant woman instead of sexual advances.
Sex during third trimester of pregnancy
In the third trimester of pregnancy there is a decrease in female desire mainly due to the action of progesterone, in fact the statistics showed that about 80% of women in the third trimester are no longer attracted to sex both because they are focused on birth of the child is because he perceives his body as undesirable. If the woman feels awkward and unattractive, she automatically stops being attracted to sex. So dear mothers do not worry if you do not want sexual intimacy, it is only a transitory phase, as soon as everything returns to the pre-pregnancy condition, the desire for the partner will also resume.
Sexual positions in pregnancy
I immediately tell mothers-to-be not to feel guilty about having pregnant sex. It is physiological for sexual activity to continue both to maintain a strong emotional bond with the spouse, and for a purely hormonal discourse that in the gestational period leads to very intense and pleasant orgasms. Orgasm leads to a rush of endorphins which are good for mother and baby. It is important quarter after quarter to adopt comfortable sexual positions for the pregnant woman. Each couple instinctively knows which position to choose to make love comfortably, however, positions in which both future parents are comfortable are always to be preferred. Positions for sex in pregnancy month by month
Lateral position: throughout pregnancy;
Position her on: throughout pregnancy;
Missionary position: up to the 4th month in fact it is not very comfortable for the woman especially when the uterus increases in volume.
The pace of sexual intercourse in pregnancy should be slow and gentle.
Orgasm in pregnancy
Are the uterine contractions experienced during orgasm a worrying sign? No, if the pregnancy has a normal course and there are no particular pathologies, the contractions during orgasm are absolutely normal and are related to the orgasm itself and not to the threat of abortion or premature birth. It should be noted that orgasmic contractions are present only during the peak of arousal and never during the day. If the contractions occur frequently during the day, it is worth having an obstetric check-up. A different situation is the threat of abortion or premature birth, in which case the orgasmic contractions could lead to a worsening of the clinical situation, which is why which is why sex is forbidden.
Reports in pregnancy and risk of infections.
During sexual activity during pregnancy there is no risk of contracting infections, certainly it should be noted that this is true if preconceptional tests have ruled out sexually transmitted diseases and if both partners are faithful. In fact, sexually transmitted diseases are generally contracted in cases of unprotected casual sex with an infected sexual partner.
Having sex during pregnancy is a natural method of inducing childbirth
Full-term intercourse is one of the most effective natural methods of stimulating labor. Sexual pleasure and orgasm stimulate the natural production of oxytocin and therefore uterine contraction, penetration exerts a mechanical stimulation on the cervix. The stimulation of the nipples and breasts, which is often part of the love relationship, causes the production of endogenous oxytocin which in turn stimulates the uterus to contract. Sperm, which contains natural prostaglandins, helps soften and mature the cervix and initiate labor. Having full intercourse during pregnancy is a natural way to induce childbirth. After sex it is advisable not to stand up straight away but to remain stretched out with the legs raised so that the seminal fluid reaches the cervix. Obviously both partners must agree to have sex as many future dads feel uncomfortable having sex with a pregnant woman.
Sex in pregnancy, when it is contraindicated to have intercourse.
Abstention from sex during pregnancy becomes an obligation in particular pathological situations that could put the baby and pregnancy at risk. Sexual intercourse during pregnancy is prohibited in case of:
Threat of abortion;
Threat of preterm labor
Bleeding from the genitals;
Contractions before the term of pregnancy;
When there is an early cervical dilation (before 36 weeks of pregnancy);
In case of premature rupture of the membranes;
Infections of the male and female sexual apparatus;
Placenta previa,
Growth failure of the newborn.
Abstention fro intercourse in the days preceding and following the CVS and amniocentesis is recommended
Always remember if in doubt your midwife will be able to dissolve them. Mammamather pocket obstetrics and gynecology
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