Pregnancy

The Woman During Pregnancy

Sexual Intercourse During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, some women like to have more sexual intercourse while some others would prefer less. Generally speaking, it seems that many women experience an increase in sexual desire during the second trimester of their pregnancy. This desire may then very well diminish during the last trimester.
Whether a woman should have sexual intercourse at any stage of the pregnancy depends, of course, very much ongner personal feelings. From a purely medical point of view, there is no reason why sexual intercourse should not take place at any time except when explicitly discouraged by a doctor.
Usually, he will advise against it only under the following circumstances:

1. if it causes vaginal or abdominal pain, 2. if there is any uterine bleeding, 3. when the membranes have ruptured (for details, see "Birth"), and 4. if there is a danger of miscarriage or premature birth due to uterine contractions during orgasm. (In this latter case, it does not make any difference how the orgasm is reached. In other words, masturbation must also be avoided.)

It has also been suggested that air blown into the vagina during pregnancy may cause serious damage to both the fetus and the woman. For this reason, a certain kind of oral intercourse (cunnilinctus) may also be inadvisable during this time. In each of the above cases, the doctor's advice should be based on the individual situation, and it should be explained to both sexual partners.
As the pregnancy progresses, the woman's protruding abdomen makes sexual intercourse in certain positions uncomfortable and even impossible. Coitus with the man lying on top of the woman may thus have to be ruled out. A side position for both partners, and positions with the man behind the woman, or the woman sitting on top of the man may be more appropriate and enjoyable. It may also be useful to remember that coitus is only one among many possible forms of sexual intercourse, and that, at least for awhile, other kinds of lovemaking can be adequate substitutes.