Sex during pregnancy is something most women feel confused about. Pregnancy is exhausting both physically and mentally. With harmones raging , body growing out of proportion and the constant feeling of weariness , sex is the last thing in our mind. But with a little effort and awareness one can bust the issues one confronts.
Read More: 11 Best Sex Positions During Pregnancy
Here in this article we bring you some expert advice on the issues we encounter while having sex during pregnancy and give solutions to deal with them.
11 Uncomfortable Pregnancy Sex Issues and How to Deal With Them
1) Oh! the exhausting morning sickness
Waking up every morning with an urge to puke is loathsome and cry-worthy. Sex would be the last thing in your mind in such a condition. Even if your partner has morning-wood sometimes he would understand the situation. Throwing up is not sexy anyways.
How to deal :
Don’t worry, morning sickness does not last long. As you step into your second trimister ,nausea will wear off gradually. Until then , relax and take rest as much as possible. Sex can definitely wait for some time.
Read More: Is It Safe To Have Sex During Pregnancy?
2) Fatigue
When pregnant , your body is working 24/7 to adjust to the new change and accomodate a tiny life into your body. When your body is working so hard you are bound to feel fatigued. Getting naughty between the sheets is not very inviting to a tired body.
How to deal :
Find a time when you are feeling good, like in the afternoon to have a quikie with your partner. U just have to be little aware about when you are feeling good.
3) The feeling of – “Am so fat and ugly”
This is one thing about us women pregnant or otherwise – Feeling low about our bodies. Uk-based psychosexual therapist and author of Masterclass pregnant sex says, “If you are already sensitive about the size of your bum,pregnancy can make you extra sensitive”.
How to deal :
Accept the change wholeheartedly. It is a normal part of evolution to support a new life. Once the baby is out , you can get rid of all the fat that you accumulated during pregnancy , through a little hardwork. But as of now, enjoy the moment , focus on the positive side. The increase in estrogen harmones during pregnancy has its own perks. Personally, my skin was glowing like never before and my hair was bouncing with volume. So , stop sulking over becoming bigger and enjoy the positive effects. To cut the long story short- feel good about yourself.
And one more good news is that, men do feel attracted to their pregnant partners. Our ancestors found pregnant women so atttactive, they made figures of venus with a baby belly.
4) Soreness of breasts
Your ladies have become bigger in size ,and they look gorgeous too. But they are so tender and sore, that even touching them freak us out.
How to deal
Your partner would love to cuddle your boobs, but this soreness is too painful to let him touch. Gently ask him to keep his hands off. Only ogling is allowed and he can explore other sensual areas of your body. This is the best time to try out new things in your sex routine.
Read More: 11 Benefits of Sex During Pregnancy
5) Leaky breasts
Pregnant ladies in their third trimester start producing pre- milk called coloustrum. During foreplay, the breasts may start leaking which could be really gross to you and your partner.
How to deal
Wear padded bras when rollicking with your hubby and guide him to your other sensual parts while foreplay.
6) Over wetness between your thighs
As the estrogen harmone is in its peak, a lot of discharge is happening in your private parts. Don’t be scared, your body is trying to flush out the harmful bacteria which might harm you and your baby.
How to deal
This constant feeling of wetness is quite irritating. Wear a sanitary pad , take bath regularly to ward off the iky feeling. However, one good thing about this is , you don’t need any lube for the time being and penetration is much easier.
7) Sex positions
With a growing baby bump , resuming to traditional sex positions becomes difficult. With a belly sticking out and screaming- “look at me, tend to me first” sex positions become quite tricky.
Read More: 7 Safe Sex Positions During Pregnancy
How to deal
Trial and error method helps you find out which position suits you and your partner best. Experiences say that, penetrating from the rear or lady on top is quite comfortable with a lot of couples. Wear a sexy maternity lingerie and try out different positions till you bump on the best one. Your partner is going to love this experiment.
8) Posterior Placenta (placenta praevia)
In this case, the placenta is located on the lower side ,near the cervix. So, having sex leads to severe bleeding which is quite dangerous to both mother and baby.
How to deal
Instead of abstaining from sex altogether, couples can forego penetration and try other methods like oral sex, cuddling, kissing etc. Go back to your courtship days and resume the activities you did then.However be very careful.
9) High and low sex drive
With the harmones surging and more blood flow to your lady parts, you can sometimes feel super horny. At the same time, fatigue, nausea and mood swings can lead to low sex drive. You are sure to confuse and freak your partner out.
How to deal
Sometimes go solo and pleasure yourself. Absolutely nothing wrong in it. And when you are feeling low ask your partner to do solo. It is just a matter of adjusting to each others needs. Don’t feel embarassed. Heart to heart conversations can solve many problems.
10) Wierd body odour
Yes, your body starts smelling wierd due to extra estrogen production. Body odour can be a real put off while having sex.
How to deal
Take a luxurious bath with some scented oil. Dab a nice perfume on your self.Rub scented oil in your inner thighs and feel great. Yes,you have to put in some effort but finally all will be worth it.
11)Abdominal cramps after having an orgasm
This is particularly felt in the third trimester. The orgasms start a wave of contractions leading to abdominal cramps. This could be a real put off and really scary.
How to deal
Don’t worry mums-to-be, it will last only a few minutes and with the tightening of your womb the pain will ease.
Fear of hurting the baby
This is a common fear among most couples. Normal sex with a little kink here and there does not hurt the baby, unless you are into some dangerously hurtful fetishes. The strong muscles of the uterus, amniotic fluid and the thick mucus plug keeps the baby safe in your womb. So you can fearlessly and happily play under the sheets. But strictly no fetishes that could harm the mother and Child.
So mammas tame your sex kitten for these nine months and enjoy a stess free pregnancy. A loving partner will understand you,even before you explain your condition to him. So relax,and have a fun filled and sexy pregnancy.
Read More: 21 Facts About Sex During Pregnancy That Will Blow Your Mind
Executive Summary
Pregnancy is a time when we women are quite out of balance both physically and mentally. Ans sex during pregnancy is really tricky. Even the most confident of women are a bit confused at this time. By the way, sex is the reason we are here in the first place(wink , wink).
With harmones working over time, women are most of the time feeling haywire. Sex is the last thing in mind in such a state. The issues that we come across during pregnancy make us all the more floppy in sex. Fatigue, nausea ,soreness of breasts , growing belly , extra vaginal discharge, body odour and the fear of harming the child make us abhor sex.
Coupled with all these, the age old misconceptions and myths like- “sex could lead to preterm labour , premature delivery, break the amniotic sac etc. can scare us. But a little more knowledge about pregnancy, love and care from your partner, relaxed state of mind and body having a heart to heart talk with your doctor can help us glide smoothly through pregnancy.