Sex During and After Pregnancy

Sex is a natural, normal part of pregnancy -- if you're having a normal pregnancy. Penetration and intercourse’s movement won't harm the baby, who is protected by your abdomen and the uterus’ muscular walls. Your baby is also cushioned by the amniotic sac’s fluid. The contractions of orgasm aren't the same as labor contractions. Still, as a general safety precaution, some doctors advise avoiding sex in the final weeks of pregnancy, believing that hormones in semen called prostaglandins can stimulate contractions. One exception may be for women who are overdue and want to induce labor. Some doctors believe that prostaglandins in semen actually induce labor in a full-term or past-due pregnancy, since the gel used to "ripen" the cervix and induce labor also contains prostaglandins. But other doctors think that this semen/labor connection is only a theory and that having sex doesn't trigger labor.


When Not to Have Sex During Pregnancy

Talk with your doctor about whether it’s safe to have sex while you’re pregnant. They may advise you not to have sex if you have any of the following types of high-risk pregnancy:

You're at risk for miscarriage or history of past miscarriages
You're at risk for preterm labor (contractions before 37 weeks of pregnancy)
You're having vaginal bleeding, discharge, or cramping without a known cause
Your amniotic sac is leaking fluid or has ruptured membranes
Your cervix has opened too early in pregnancy
Your placenta is too low in the uterus (placenta previa)
You're expecting twins, triplets, or other "multiples"