Health Photos
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Pregnancy is the time when most women experience a change in their hormonal profile to such a degree that they may have to alter a lot of their regular activities to suit their mood at that time. Sex is one of those activities which might be the most affected. Many women do not enjoy sex at all during their pregnancy while others obtain maximum pleasure.
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Sex during pregnancy is totally safe if not otherwise advised by the doctor. Most women can have sex right until the last month of their pregnancy if they do not feel uncomfortable.
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Some of the medical reasons which require abstaining from sex are:
- Recent vaginal bleeding
- Preterm labour
- Ruptured membranes (broken water bag)
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Sex during pregnancy is also contradicted in case of placenta praevia and infection with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
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Sexual urge may increase or decrease when a woman is pregnant. Most women however, feel a decreased urge to have sexual intercourse, which may be more due to the presence of other symptoms during pregnancy like nausea and abdominal heaviness than due to actual decrease in sexual desire. Increased sexual desire may be due to increased blood flow to the pelvic area during pregnancy.
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The first trimester is usually the worst time for a woman to think about sex since most women experience breast tenderness and morning sickness during the first three months.
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By the second trimester the situation eases considerably and couples are more likely to resume their normal sexual relations. However, these preferences are purely individual and may vary from one couple to another.
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By the third trimester, physical discomfort is usually increased to a large extent. This may prompt couples to adopt alternate sexual positions so that the discomfort is alleviated.
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Oral sex, especially during the later months can be a very feasible alternative to intercourse. It may satisfy both partners without any potential discomfort. However, care should be taken that the male partner does not blow air into the vagina since it may cause blockage of a blood vessel which could be potentially dangerous. Oral sex should also be avoided if either of the partners has a sexually transmitted disease.
