Sex While You’re Expecting — Pregnant Sex Positions

Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you should put your sex life on hold. In fact, connecting with your partner in this way during your pregnancy benefits your relationship. It’s also great for both you and the baby, because the endorphins you release during sex and especially orgasm, travel to the fetus and generate positive feelings there as well (although not sexual ones). Finding the right sex positions during pregnancy depends on which trimester you’re in, as I’ll discuss below.

Assuming that your doctor says it’s okay for you to have sex, which may not necessarily be true in a high-risk pregnancy, you can participate in intercourse anytime during your three trimesters. Because you may feel nauseated and tired during the first trimester, however, you might have difficulty even wanting to participate. Fortunately, for most women, things get a lot better during the second trimester, when increased blood flow to the genitals causes you to become easily aroused, even more so than before you were pregnant.

As you get into your third trimester, the size of the baby and your big belly make your usual sex positions impossible. This is where good communication between you and your partner really helps, along with the willingness to experiment with pregnancy sex positions. Having your partner enter you from behind might work at this stage, in either a spoon position, doggie style, or while you’re standing up. If you’re lying down, using some pillows to support your belly can help you feel more comfortable.

If pregnancy makes it impossible to get in the mood for sex, especially during the first and third trimesters, it’s important to find other ways to physically connect with your partner. Sharing closeness and intimacy will strengthen your bond and help you to remember to work together when the baby is crying at 3 a.m. and you’re deciding whose turn it is to get up!

Dr. Laura Berman has been working as a sex educator, researcher and therapist for over 20 years. She is an author, host of the podcast 'Uncovered with Dr. Laura Berman' and an assistant clinical professor of OBGYN and Psychiatry at the Feinber School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Dr. Berman has designed of a number of sex toys geared to helping women get comfortable with and enjoy the natural pleasure arising from their sexuality.