Life

How Sex In The First Trimester Affects Your Baby

by Cat Bowen

Life would be much less complicated if all babies came from clay and lightning like Wonder Woman. Alas, they must be made like buns in ovens. But after you have your own baby in your oven, you may want to practice the making of said bun. Is sex during the first three months of pregnancy safe for your baby? By Thor's hammer, you need to know.

Sex may be the last thing on your mind, or it might be on your mind all the time during pregnancy. Either way, it is one of those things during pregnancy that seems fraught. Is it dangerous, or is it as natural as the baby making itself? It's especially scary if you had a hard time becoming pregnant, or you have a history of miscarriage. Or if, like me, you just worry about absolutely everything all the time.

When I was much younger, I remember thinking that sex during pregnancy was either pointless — the deed is done — or dangerous, because OMG, what if my husband's penis hit the baby? I would've assumed all sex was definitely off limits when I eventually became pregnant, and apparently, I was still worried about this 15 years later when I got pregnant, because I found myself wondering, "is sex during the first three months of pregnancy safe for my baby?"

It turns out that all that worry was for naught. According to a study published by The British Journal of General Practice, sex during the first trimester is perfectly safe if your provider says it's OK. The baby is living in their own little cocoon of amniotic fluid in the womb, tucked away, happy and safe, noted the American Pregnancy Association. Sure, your morning sickness may mean that you won't be doing too much rollicking, and you might be too tired for the more acrobatic moves, but you're not going to injure your baby. It's worth noting, though, that you may experience some cramping after sex, and that's totally normal, according to Parents magazine, but that if it continues or becomes intense, you should call your doctor.

The Mayo Clinic does warn that if you plan on engaging in anal sex, you should definitely not go from the back to the front without cleaning up first, as the bacteria in the anus is not good for the vagina — at any time, really. The article also cautioned against your partner blowing directly onto or into your vagina during pregnancy due to the very small risk of an air embolism, which is a bubble of air that can stop your heart. Other than that, it's just a matter of picking your saddle for your ride so to speak.

You're going to have to work with the changes in your body, like increased lubrication, increased sensitivity, increased sense of smell, and just being really shattered at the end of the day, but it's totally do-able. As long as your provider gives you the go ahead, sex during pregnancy is safe for your baby, no matter how far along you are.