PHOTO BY @nd3000/iStockYour intimacy with your wife doesn't have to stop during pregnancy — in fact, expect the opposite. Many now realize that pregnant sex can be hot. And as long as there are no complications and your doctor gives your wife a thumbs-up sign, you can have sex as many times as you both desire. But before you get carried away, here are some very important things to keep in mind:
1. Lovemaking won't hurt the baby.
It's natural to think that a man's penis might poke the baby in his wife's womb during penetration. However, that is anatomically impossible (despite you, men, might like to think), and the baby is protected by several layers: the water in the amniotic sac; the strong muscles of the uterus; the placenta, which serves as a barrier against internal threats present in the mother's bloodstream; and the mucous plug, which protects it from external contaminants. Rest assured your baby won't feel a thing during sexual intercourse.
2. Your wife's sex drive will be at an all-time high.
Hormonal changes will vary, but many women note their libido increases around the second trimester (lucky you, dad). Pregnancy will also cause the blood flow to increase, which may result to increased sensitivity in your wife's breasts and the vulva. Sex may thus feel more pleasurable around this time.
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3. Your wife may experience dryness.
While there's a heightened interest in the sex, fluctuating hormones may cause vaginal dryness and possibly vaginal irritation during sex. If this is the case, your wife may not be producing enough progesterone, and this could be a red flag in the pregnancy as it might be a symptom for an ectopic pregnancy. You should both bring it up with her doctor.
4. Your baby is susceptible to STDs.
Sexually transmitted diseases affects not just you and your wife, but your unborn baby, too. These could threaten the pregnancy and result in premature birth, miscarriage, fetal death, or hepatitis and other infections of the fetus. Take appropriate precautions at all times.
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5. You should wear a condom.
We know it sounds ridiculous. It's advisable for you to wear a condom, but not for the reasons you might think. Sperm contains prostaglandins, which cause the cervix to open, inducing labor. So unless your wife is full term and ready to go into labor, you should take precautions, especially if your doctor advises that she is at risk for pre-term labor.
6. Your wife will pass gas a bit more.
Okay, fine, make that a lot. Though not directly related to sex, we just had to include it here in case you start to wonder why she's been farting during lovemaking. An average person passes wind about 15 times a day, and during pregnancy this could increase. This is due to the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the muscles responsible for digestion, resulting in flatulence.
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