Pregnancy is the most beautiful phase of a woman's life, but that doesn't mean putting a lid on one's sexual desires. Yet, sex during pregnancy remains a big taboo.
A study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests that sex may actually be beneficial in encouraging pregnancies to go full-term.
"During the first trimester we avoided having intercourse as it was a strict no no from my gynecologist. But yes, intimate the sensations seemed heightened, despite the initial, 'Oh my gosh, are we going to hurt the baby?'
Now in the second trimester, it's becoming a little more awkward, especially now that I'm showing. We've had to adjust a little bit, position-wise, but the intimacy hasn't changed," says Renuka Roy (name changed), a marketing executive with a MNC.
Change is quite evident, both physically and emotionally during pregnancy. There is also a change in one's innate beliefs. Women may feel large and uncomfortable, whereas men generally find the pregnant body very erotic and desirable.
Dr. Rajan B Bhonsle, Hon. Prof & HOD Dept of Sexual Medicine KEM Hospital explains, "The first three months are very delicate and we advise no sex. Intercourse and intimacy are two very different things. Getting intimate is advised, but definitely not intercourse.
Moreover, one should try and understand the emotional changes a woman undergoes. The desire to be a mother is very high in her. At this stage, there is also an increase in vaginal lubrication."
"Due to some medical problem, my doctor advised me to abstain from intercourse. Even having an orgasm was banned at week 15. Now I am in my second trimester and I think the lack of sex has created a distance between me and my husband. I am afraid we won't get the magic back when there's a newborn baby in the house" affirms Nishta Chopra, a teacher.
"The hormonal fluctuations in a woman during pregnancy also play an important part in her reactions to making love, as do the trimesters.
Many women are too fatigued and nauseated to be interested in sex during the first trimester, while the second trimester brings on a new sense of delight as her abdomen grows, and again later in the third trimester the desire may wane," explains Dr. Bhonsle.
One should clearly understand that sex and sexuality are very different entities and a woman can express her sexuality even without having actual sexual intercourse. A couple may choose to give each other sexual and sensual pleasures like kissing, cuddling and caressing to bring each other closer.
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