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Sex During Pregnancy
If you have a history of miscarriages, premature labour or bleeding in pregnancy, it may be advisable not to have sex, so check with your midwife or doctor first. It is also advisable not to have sex if you have a condition called placenta praevia, in which the placenta is lying close to the cervix. However, for the majority of women, it is perfectly safe to have sex throughout the pregnancy.
Sex drive
It is normal to fee! more sensual at certain times in your pregnancy than others and most women have a sexual peak during mid-pregnancy. This is partly the result of hormones and not having to worry about contraception, and partly because their bodies are more voluptuous. Continuing to have sex during pregnancy is healthy: it helps to exercise your pelvic floor, relaxes you and, if you orgasm, exercises the muscles of the womb. Your baby is safe in the bag of fluid and neither you nor your partner can hurt her.
Because orgasm can make your uterus contract, you may feel slight pain, but this will not harm your baby. Also increased discharge may make your vagina slippery so your partner may find it harder to reach orgasm. In early pregnancy, your breasts may be tender so tell your partner about this so that he can avoid touching them when you are having sex.
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Is it normal to go off sex during pregnancy?
Ans: We are all different and, for every woman who goes off sex while she is expecting a baby, there will be another one who feels particularly sensual. Your feelings might change at different stages of your pregnancy, too. In the early stages, women sometimes feel too tired and nauseous to enjoy sex and then, later on, when they are feeling better, they find that their bump becomes uncomfortable and not conducive to an active sex life. There are other ways for the two of you to make love apart from sex. Give each other a massage or a cuddle. You will both want to feel loved and give love, so find other ways of being intimate together.
Positions
As you get bigger, you will probably need to experiment with positions because you will not want your partner resting on your bump or breasts. Pregnancy is the perfect opportunity to become more adventurous. It is important to keep a sense of humour because your baby may become active at the most inappropriate moment!
Is it true that sex can trigger the start of labour?
Ans: Sex can help to get you into labour towards the end of your pregnancy, but only if your body is ready to do so. Sperm contains the hormone prostaglandin, which is the same as the synthetic hormone used to induce labour. Also, when you are aroused, your body releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps to stimulate your uterus and can start contractions.