Pregnancy no reason to put a stop to sex

Pregnancy no reason to put a stop to sex

Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

For some parents-to-be, pregnancy can lead to the interruption
of sexual activity, which for most people is linked to the fear
of harming the womb.

"I'm reluctant to have sex with my wife, not because she is no
longer pretty or anything like that. I'm just afraid something
might happen to my baby," said "Adolf", an employee of a travel
agent.

His wife was three-months pregnant and did not show any
resentment over her husband's unwillingness for sex.

"I once read an article that said it's okay to have sex during
pregnancy but I have also heard from many people who say that
it's not supposed to be done because our tradition and culture
prohibits it," Adolf added.

So far, however, there has been no evidence to suggest that
sexual intercourse can damage the womb, noted sex consultant
Boyke Dian Nugraha in a recent interview.

Boyke even suggested that sexual activity -- in whatever form
-- should be continued right up until the last months of
pregnancy.

"Sex is an expression of love, and pregnant women, with all
the changes they have to go through, will be able to carry on
their pregnancy more smoothly and enjoyably if they feel that
they are still physically wanted by their husbands," Boyke
remarked.

He said that couples should discuss anything that curb's the
man's regular sexual activity, which was not caused by a decrease
in sexual desire. He added that a husband's openness can help his
wife to accept the fact.

"Many women are often left to themselves to figure out what
happened to their husbands. They must know that it is not because
of them, it is men's natural psychological response. However, men
should fight that and start to see it in a new perspective,"
Boyke stressed.

Pregnancy often creates an increased need for physical
affection by women -- a craving that may be greater than the
desire for sexual satisfaction.

For that reason, Boyke said, sex during pregnancy should be
encouraged as long as there is nothing wrong with the pregnancy.

"If the woman has had a miscarriage before, fetal membrane
fraction, infected womb, or a history of yeast infection, she has
to be careful during sexual intercourse," he said, adding that
there were recommended sexual positions for a couple expecting a
child.

"The most favorable positions are when the woman is on top, an
elevated position and when the man takes the woman from behind."

Boyke explained that toward the end of pregnancy, progesterone
levels in the blood begin to fall, which is believed to allow the
uterus to begin more extensive contractions.

Coinciding with the fall of progesterone, there is also an
increase in estrogen and a rise in the level of the hormone from
the posterior part of the mother's pituitary gland.

This hormone is known as oxytocin and, in the presence of
estrogen, it stimulates uterine contractions so effectively that
it may be used by a doctor to induce birth, if the uterus itself
is slow to react at the end of pregnancy.

At www.lamaze.com, it is written that pregnancy is also a
wonderful time to explore different aspects of love-making such
as cuddling, holding each other and discovering new positions and
ways of giving, receiving pleasure.

The website also reports that each couple's experience is
unique. A woman's reactions to sexual activity tends to be
closely tied to her stage of pregnancy, while a man's reactions
tend to be consistent throughout the wife's pregnancy.

Many women experience improved sensitivity during pregnancy
and find orgasms last longer.

Studies also show that sexual intercourse until the final
three months of pregnancy does not cause premature labor, a
difference in weight of a newborn baby, length of pregnancy or
the health of the fetus.

The website even said that the hormone, prostaglandins, which
is sometimes used to induce labor, was present in semen, but not
in amounts sufficient enough to induce an abortion.

For that theory, Boyke confirmed and shared his experience
with a mother who still hadn't given birth a week after the
predicted delivery time.

"The doctor told her to go home and have sex with her husband,
which she did. It worked. The next morning she had strong
contractions and gave birth that same day," he recalled.

As that example shows, there is no reason to stop having sex
during pregnancy.

Men's possible reactions to sex during pregnancy

* Anxieties:
decreased desire for sex
-- physical awkwardness
-- fear of harming fetus
-- worry that doctor may call for abstinence from sex

* Joys:
being turned on by increased breast size
-- love of extra weight and roundness of partner's belly
-- freedom from contraception concerns
-- new ways of giving, receiving pleasure
-- the fun of finding new positions