Now you’re pregnant everything is new and exciting. There are also many questions that might arise and many of these questions are related to your sex life in the foreseeable future.
Along with your baby’s healthy development, your sexual activity is really important.
Are orgasms during pregnancy safe? Does an orgasm while pregnant feel any different?
Is penetrative sex during pregnancy, okay? Can pregnancy sex have any consequences for the growing baby? Keep reading to find more about sex and orgasm while pregnant.
The woman’s orgasm
Oxytocin is known as the love hormone. It’s what runs through our veins when we’re happy, when we share a meal or a good time with friends, when we laugh and when we’re in love.
The biggest oxytocin rush we experience is during the first hour following birth.
The second biggest is when we reach orgasm.
Oxytocin is responsible for that amazing feeling you experience when you’re immersed in love.
If oxytocin were a superhero, adrenaline would be the villain. This means that when adrenaline rises oxytocin decreases and vice versa.
Adrenaline is the fear hormone and should be secreted as little as possible.
On the other hand, keeping oxytocin flowing through our veins is the way to lead a healthy life – the key to happiness and fulfilment.
Orgasm while pregnant
Oxytocin works to develop the pregnancy and keep it as healthy as possible. The more oxytocin you have, the healthier your body and your baby will be.
Sex and orgasms aren’t just safe during pregnancy; in fact, orgasms during pregnancy are highly beneficial. So, the more the merrier! Orgasms during pregnancy might also feel different. Some women report achieving multiple orgasms for the first time during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away!
What is healthy sexual activity?
A healthy sexual life is one that keeps oxytocin levels high. Pregnant women have higher levels of oxytocin to start with, as a healthy pregnancy will spontaneously trigger its production.
Orgasm during pregnancy brings goodness into your life.
Healthy means ‘good for you’ and what is good for one person might not be enough for another. Healthy sexual activity has many health benefits, whether you are pregnant or not. A healthy sexuality would ideally be one where you experience orgasm frequently.
Sex and orgasms during pregnancy are not only safe but very welcome.
Sexual activity during pregnancy
All pregnant woman are different. However, research is consistent about how sex and orgasm – especially the practice of sexual intercourse – decreases as the pregnancy progresses.
There are many theories as to why this could be.
One says that, as the pregnancy progresses, female sexual organs might be too sensitive and many women find sexual arousal uncomfortable.
In the last few weeks of pregnancy, most women find the size of their bellies too big for sexual intercourse. Although sexual activity doesn’t necessarily mean sexual intercourse, many women don’t feel very sexually adventurous in the last trimester of their pregnancy.
Mutual masturbation or the use of sex toys might be a comfortable sex practice – an alternative to vaginal penetration if a big belly is what’s stopping you from sexual activity.
If your growing belly is the main problem, we recommend you look at our article Pregnancy Sex Positions – 7 Ideas For Pregnant Couples.
No one wants to experience sexually transmitted infections. However, if you’re getting closer to the end of pregnancy and you’re not in a mutually monogamous relationship, it’s very likely that you won’t want to risk your own and your baby’s health in any way. For this reason, your body will send you the right signs to avoid intercourse that could be detrimental to your health.
Does orgasm cause miscarriage in first trimester?
The beginning of pregnancy, especially the first trimester, is when we worry the most about miscarriage or pregnancy complications.
That’s because the placenta isn’t fully developed until week 10-12. During the first few months of pregnancy, there’s an increased blood flow in the pelvic region. This is completely normal.
In low-risk pregnancies – and in almost any pregnancy – high oxytocin levels can only mean good news. In women who are pregnant, orgasms and miscarriage have not been found to be linked.
Orgasms cause uterine contractions but these contractions are meant to be, and are meant to happen during pregnancy.
If you start to bleed after having sex and you end up miscarrying, the sexual activity cannot be blamed; an orgasm does not have the capacity to end a pregnancy.
In unfortunate cases where women have miscarried, sexual activity might trigger labor in a process that was already developing.
Can an orgasm cause miscarriage in second trimester?
Let’s make this clear. Orgasm while pregnant is safe.
In the second trimester, the placenta is already functioning on its own and orgasms are perfectly safe.
So an orgasm while pregnant won’t make you miscarry – especially in a low-risk pregnancy.
In the case of an occlusive placenta previa, your healthcare provider might advise you about sexual activity specific to your individual case. Many women continue to experience orgasms throughout their high-risk pregnancies without any complications; others might need to refrain from any sexual activity until the pregnancy has finished.
If you have a high-risk pregnancy the medical experts that accompany you will be able to provide individualized advice. In the book Sex and Pregnancy there’s a chapter on ‘Sex with Bleeding in the Second and Third Trimesters‘.
Is it safe to have an orgasm in third trimester?
Yes. It is safe to have an orgasm at any stage of a normal pregnancy.
During the third trimester, you might feel big and heavier and not really up to much sexual activity at all.
If you feel aroused and the only thing keeping you away from sex is the fear of post orgasm contractions causing you going into preterm labor, then don’t worry. Orgasm won’t make you go into premature labor.
Spontaneous labor happens when a certain number of circumstances coincide. The risk of orgasms leading to preterm birth is very low.
Benefits of orgasm while pregnant
A developing baby thrives in the presence of oxytocin.
The pregnant woman’s body is fully invested into developing a baby as healthy and as perfect as possible.
During pregnancy, the release of oxytocin is much higher than when a woman is not pregnant. Oxytocin is released into a pregnant woman’s blood flow to keep everything involved with the developing baby functioning at its best.
The more oxytocin present in your body, the less adrenaline. This means less stress. Cells working in very comfortable circumstances will work much better and their work will produce better results.
Oxytocin also has an amnesic property, which helps the pregnant woman lead a more tranquil life.
For me, the most amazing part of pregnancy has been exactly this. My body doesn’t want to fight or argue.
Battles that I’d definitely get into when not pregnant are totally ignored and I let them go. My pregnant body is protecting me from unnecessary stress.
Orgasming frequently during pregnancy will help keep your blood flow full of the love hormone. This creates the ambience in which you will live and your baby’s development and growth will happen . The amount of oxytocin running through your veins determines the difference between surviving (very little oxytocin), living (mid range) and thriving (high levels).
Imagine your baby’s development happening in a place where an oxytocin ‘high’ comes as part of the ‘mothering service’ you provide.
Are you pregnant? Is orgasm a possibility right now and you feel like you could do with one? Is your partner pregnant? Go ahead and make the environment your baby is developing in a pool full of oxytocin.
Are you an individual who can have sex right now?
Stop reading, then, and enjoy.
You’re welcome.
Is foreplaying safe during pregnancy?
Yes, it is. In most pregnancies, it’s safe to have an active sexual life with lots of orgasms.
If it’s safe to have sex, then everything related to sex is also safe to do: foreplay, vaginal intercourse, sex toys masturbation … you name it.
Go on and enjoy! You could say it’s a midwife’s prescription.
Can having an orgasm cause bleeding while pregnant?
An orgasm while pregnant shouldn’t cause any bleeding at all.
If bleeding has happened and it’s retained somewhere in your reproductive tract, an orgasm can trigger its release through your vagina.
If you have placenta previa, it’s possible that an orgasm could break a few small vessels between your placenta and your lower uterus. If this were the case, the bleeding would be bright red. You should call your healthcare provider if you bleed during pregnancy.
Read more in Placenta Previa | Symptoms And Bleeding and Bleeding After Sex While Pregnant.
Difficulty reaching climax during early pregnancy
When you’re pregnant, the greatest thing of all is happening inside your uterus. Sometimes it might feel as though everything in your reproductive system is focused on the pregnancy and reaching climax might be difficult to achieve.
Try masturbation or ask your partner for a treat. If this doesn’t work, it’s likely that your pelvic floor is a little inflamed. It should improve in a few days; if it doesn’t, your health care provider should be able to help.
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