Month 4: Get it on!
Everything you need to know about sex during pregnancy.
As long as you’re having a low-risk pregnancy, you can have sex as often as you’d like to, right up to D-day. That’s the word from experts around the globe, who say the old wives’ tale about sex “hurting the baby” is nonsense. “The baby is very well protected in utero and won’t be injured. There’s no need for worry,” confirms Dr Bronwyn Moore, an obstetrician and gynaecologist practising in Johannesburg.
You don’t have to rein in your love life either: pretty much anything goes, just use your common sense. Or, as Dr Moore puts it, “don’t do anything that causes pain or discomfort”.
WHEN IT’S NOT ON THE TABLE
If you’re having a complicated or high-risk pregnancy, bad news: it’s either limited or no sex until baby is born.
Dr Moore advises against sex altogether if you run the risk of pre-term labour. “This is because the prostaglandins found in semen may increase uterine activity, which can induce early labour,” she explains. “Also, orgasm causes uterine contractions, and this may trigger labour.” For pregnancies with placenta previa, a condition where the placenta is in the wrong place (too close to the cervix), the general rule is no sex after 20 weeks. If you’ve had fertility treatment to get pregnant, a threatened miscarriage, or a history of miscarriages, Dr Moore says it’s best to abstain for the first 12 to 14 weeks, until the pregnancy is established in utero.
IN THE MOOD?
Even if it’s safe for you to have sex throughout your pregnancy, you may not feel like it for one, two or all three of the trimesters. Or your libido may be in overdrive. It differs from woman to woman, according to Dr Marelize Swart, a psychologist and sex therapist practising from Cape Town.
“Sex during pregnancy isn’t enjoyable for all women, especially when they have to deal with the symptoms of fatigue, nausea and vomiting. However, some women develop a heightened need for sex during pregnancy,” Dr Swart says. Whether you can’t get enough or you feel like the Virgin Mary during your pregnancy, remember that it’s all normal – do what you’re comfortable with, and have an open discussion with your partner about your feelings.
Professor Gerhard Theron, head of the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Stellenbosch University (Tygerberg Hospital), and Dr Marelize Swart, psychologist and sex therapist, guide you through the physical and emotional aspects of sex during pregnancy.
Yes, but women with histories of pre-term delivery after sex should avoid it during this trimester. Sex is also off the cards for a multiple pregnancy and a definite no-no for placenta previa pregnancy.
Yes, but not in a sexual way. Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Bronwyn Moore explains, “Movement will be transmitted to the uterine cavity, but this isn’t really any different to the type of movement from, for example, running.”
Maybe, but only if you’re very close to term (in normal pregnancies). “A man’s semen contains prostaglandins, a common group of substances used to induce labour. Orgasm also causes uterine contraction. The combination may trigger labour in a patient who is nearing delivery day,” Dr Moore says. baby. You may be extremely stimulated but unable to have a full-on climax,” Dr Swart explains.
Yes, if there’s any risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from your partner. No if you’re 100 percent sure there’s zero risk of getting an STI. “If you’re not in a mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner, you should abstain from intercourse or at least use latex condoms every time you have sex,” Dr Swart advises. “If latex isn’t a good option for you, use polyurethane male or female condoms. Doing so will decrease the chance of getting infected and the risk of any complications from infection during your pregnancy.”
A rush of all sorts of hormones as well as psychological factors coupled with the increased blood flow to your pelvic area can make some women more easily sexually aroused. This will usually happen during the second trimester, when there are lots of hormones raging, few or no pregnancy symptoms, and a boost of energy levels. Make the most of it while it lasts, as it may change towards the end.