In regards to sexual intimacy during pregnancy, I assure my patients that having sex during pregnancy is safe and healthy.
Just know that it’s quite common for a woman to have a little bit of spotting after intercourse. This is not something to be concerned about as long as there is no significant pain, and no significant bleeding
Can Sex During Pregnancy Cause Contractions?
It also should be noted that sexual intimacy itself can cause some degree of uterine contractions.
If a woman notices a degree of contraction after intimacy, this too is considered to be normal.
As long as its self-limiting and goes away within an hour or so,there’s really noting to be concerned about.
When To Avoid Sexual Intercourse During Pregnancy
There are certain times where I do suggest pelvic rest and avoidance of sexual activity.
This is especially true in first trimester if a woman has experienced significant bleeding, or seems to be at a risk of miscarriage,
In those cases, it is my recommendation to avoid sexual intimacy.
Can Sex During Pregnancy Cause A Miscarriage?
Now I want to be clear that we don’t have any evidence that sexual intimacy or intercourse causes miscarriage.
So when I advise patients to avoid intercourse during pregnancy, it is not a cause-and-effect reason. It’s rather that we know that sexual intimacy can cause bleeding. If a woman has already experienced bleeding, and a the threat of a miscarriage is there, I just don’t want to further confuse the situation by adding a known cause for additional bleeding.
Is Have Sex Ok During Pre-Term Labor?
Another situation to avoid sexual intercourse during pregnancy is if a woman is having issues with pre-term labor and is being monitored for that.
This is due to the fact that sexual intimacy can cause contractions as I mentioned above. In this case, it’s best to abstain.
