Sexuality in Pregnancy

From Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE,
Your Guide to Pregnancy / Birth.
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The body undergoes so many changes during pregnancy, and your sexuality is no different. Here is a look at the physical and emotional changes that might occur in each trimester:

First Trimester

Emotional Changes:

* You and your partner may find your desire for sex increased because for once you do not have to think about birth control.
* You may find that you are conflicted about sex as your mental images of yourself changes to a more motherly view.
* Some women find themselves preoccupied by the thought of sex, including dreams and strange fantasies.

Physical Changes

* Your breasts may be sensitive, causing your either increased pleasure or pain. The first trimester is when your breast undergo the fastest changes.
* Nausea and fatigue may diminish your sexual appetite.
* Threatened miscarriage may limit the amount of intercourse or orgasms you may have.
* Orgasms may seem to linger, causing a feeling of tension in your vagina and clitoris.

Second Trimester

Emotional Changes:

* Many women feel sexy with their new figures, particularly if they are feeling less sickly than in the first trimester.
* Dads may be fearful of hurting the baby, or of the baby "knowing" what is going on, particularly once the baby has started moving and he can feel the movements.
* Some dads are jealous of the baby's closeness with the mother.

Physical Changes

* The vagina is more lubricated and the clitoris and vagina are more engorged. Many women will become orgasmic or multi-orgasmic for the first time during pregnancy because of this added engorgement.

Third Trimester

Emotional Changes:

* Mom may be concerned that her body is repulsive to her partner, or that her figure may never return.
* To the contrary, most men are actually aroused by their wife's blossoming figure. Communication is essential for a healthy sex life, at all points of life.
* Mother is becoming more fatigued making timing difficult.
* Positioning. Well, all I can say is be creative! Everyone has a different belly, so try different positions until you find one that works for you both. Remember mom shouldn't lay on her back, she needs to be at least tilted to one side. Woman on top positions are great for the end of pregnancy as are spooning or rear entry.

Physical Changes

* Uterus will occasionally have spasms lasting upwards of one minute during orgasms, this is different from contractions.
* Contractions may occur near your due date after sex for about half an hour.
* Because of all the engorgement in the vagina and clitoris, orgasm may not relieve the sexual tension you feel.
* If your baby's head is deep in the pelvis you may have pain or spotting during or after sex, this is normal. Try using shallow penetration (rear entry position offer this benefit).
* Sex will not start labor if your cervix is not ripe, so the average woman does not have to worry about preterm labor.

Remember this special time in your lives, and enjoy yourselves fully during pregnancy. There are very few things a pregnant woman can't do sexually. If you are having problems your practitioner may advise you to limit intercourse or orgasm, but the one thing that should never be done is to blow air into the vagina, it may cause a placental air embolism.

Pregnancy Month by Month

Is it nine months? Ten months? 40 weeks? It's so hard to keep straight and the right answer depends on who you are talking to and on which day. Either way it's a steady progress of growth for your baby (and you!). Take a quick tour of pregnancy's nine months via ultrasound photos and descriptive guides to your baby's growth during pregnancy. This is a great resource for dads, children, grandparents and anyone interested in getting a quick overview of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Complications

While most women have perfectly healthy pregnancies with only minor discomforts, it never hurts to know the warning signs of conditions that can cause serious health problems for you and your baby. There is a range of different symptoms you can experience during and after pregnancy, from minor discomforts like nausea and leg cramps, to more severe problems like bleeding. Every woman and every pregnancy is different though, and some women even have a problem-free experience. But, you should be prepared to notice any changes in your body as your pregnancy blossoms.



Problems Without Symptoms

Some health problems you might have during pregnancy do not have symptoms. One of these is Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection. GBS is a common infection that rarely makes adults sick. The bacterium lives in the gastrointestinal system, along with many other harmless bacteria. Between 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women carry GBS in their vagina and rectums. But, if GBS is passed to the baby during delivery, it can cause serious health problems in your newborn, such as pneumonia, blood infection, or infection of the tissues around the brain.

Because there are no symptoms of GBS, you will be tested by your doctor at 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy. The simple test involves swabbing the vagina and rectum for a sample of cells that are sent to a lab to look for GBS. If you are infected, you will be treated with intravenous (IV) antibiotics during labor and delivery to make sure the baby is protected.

Another problem is anemia, or having below-normal levels of iron in the blood. Iron is needed for hemoglobin (a protein in blood that helps take oxygen to body tissues for energy and growth) for you and your baby. Iron also helps build bones and teeth. Most women do not have symptoms of anemia, but some might have extreme fatigue. Your doctor will check for signs of anemia through the routine blood tests that are taken in different stages of your pregnancy. If you have anemia, you will be given iron supplements to take once or twice a day. Help prevent anemia by eating more iron-rich foods, like potatoes, raisins, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, whole-grain breads and iron-fortified cereals.