Risks of Sex During Pregnancy

Emma Howard: Hello! I'm Emma Howard and I'm joined by Dr. Jonty Heaversedge, he is an expert on men's health problems. Hello Jonty. Dr. Jonty Heaversedge: Hi Emma. Emma Howard: I have a question here from a father to be. My wife is pregnant and wants to have sex with me. Is this safe for the baby, he wants to know? Dr. Jonty Heaversedge: Absolutely! Yes, it is safe for the baby. The baby is protected by a sack, filled with fluid, filled with amniotic fluid. So actually it's really quite well-cushioned within the womb. So from that point of view, it's quite safe. There are a couple of conditions that you need to be a little bit aware of in pregnancy. If there's a history of premature labor then you do need to be potentially a bit more careful. Emma Howard: But that's further down the line, isn't it? So what about eight months, you need to be careful. Dr. Jonty Heaversedge: Yeah, that's further down the line. Well, premature labor can happen earlier. So I think that's something to -- absolutely, so I think that's something to talk to your doctor about and also occasionally, the placenta lies quite low in the womb and that'll be picked up on the scan quite earlier on in pregnancy. If that's the case again, you just need to be a little bit more careful. So if there's been any bleeding in pregnancy or any concerns about the pregnancy, talk to your doctor. But in general, the answer is yes, it's absolutely safe to have sex during pregnancy. Emma Howard: And there's always been a misconception that the baby's lying much lower and man maybe thinking that penis is much bigger, that let him to think the two things will kind of meet, and that is just not case, is it? Dr. Jonty Heaversedge: Well, it's not the case. I think later on in pregnancy, deep penetration can be a bit uncomfortable but again, it's about experimenting. I mean there's also the issue of the bump that's getting larger and larger and actually finding a position that feels comfortable is important but experiment, there's certainly no harm in trying. Emma Howard: And for women, they can have different experiences during pregnancy in the sense that in some pregnancies, their sex drives will be lower and in some pregnancies, their sex drives will be higher. So again, the communication would you say between the two people about what's really going on? Dr. Jonty Heaversedge: Well, it's absolutely crucial throughout the pregnancy really because it might change during the pregnancy as well. This depends and I think that's what I mean about kind of talking to one another and it sounds as though his wife is keen, but it's not always the case. Emma Howard: Thank you Jonty, good advice and we hope that if you have a similar problem then we might have given you some help. But remember, it's always best to go and see your own doctor for medical advice. Thanks for watching, we'll be back with more health questions and answers.