Sex during pregnancy…..You know that it’s safe to have sex but you just don’t feel sexy!

When you become pregnant your body will experience many changes, not only with your body changing shape but your hormones will be fluctuating too!

During your first trimester you may just be feeling too exhausted to think about anything other than sleep, add to this the fact that you could be suffering from morning sickness and it’s not really surprising if you don’t feel very sexual.

The second trimester could have you feeling your best. Any nausea and vomiting you may have experienced should have disappeared and this is the stage where pregnant ladies are told they look glowing! Your hair should be shining and your nails looking their best!     

 The third trimester may have you feeling a little on the large side and your sexual positions will have to accommodate your growing bump!

• Spooning – you can lay on your side with your man behind you.

• Woman on top- if you are feeling up to it?

• On all fours- with your man entering from behind

As your baby bump grows avoid lying on your back during sex, your uterus could compress the veins in your abdomen causing you to feel sick or dizzy!Whatever position you try you must both feel comfortable, just experiment and enjoy each other’s bodies. If you are feeling unattractive, then talk to your partner. Tell you partner that you need more foreplay, or get him to indulge you in a relaxing bath followed by a gentle massage.Remember, although you may not be feeling very sexy, many men find that when their partner becomes pregnant it only enhances their sexual attraction towards them.

Can we still enjoy a normal sex life?   The answer is yes. However, due to a number of factors, you may find that your sexual relationship will change throughout the different stages of your pregnancy.Your fluctuating hormones and your changing body shape can really affect your sex life. The good news is, it can be even better than normal….. 

• Your vagina will be more sensitive due to an increase in blood flow.

• You can make the most of your fuller and more sensitive breasts.

• You will probably find there will be no need for any added lubrication.

• A combination of the increase in blood flow and your hormones could mean you will enjoy more orgasms.

But is having sex safe for the baby?  Yes, it is safe if you have no complications such as bleeding, placenta praevia or have had previous miscarriages. If you have any complications then talk to your G.P who will advise you. However with a normal pregnancy you can enjoy sex right up until your waters break. You may feel your baby moving about a lot after sex which will be caused by the increase in your heart rate not because they know you have just had sex! Having sex will not harm your baby. You have a plug that seals your cervix and protects your baby from infection. Your baby is also safe in their amniotic sac so you can make love even with your partner on top!

Why is Caffeine bad for us?

Caffeine is legally a drug, which stimulates your central nervous system. If drunk in large quantities it can cause your heart rate to speed up and can raise your blood pressure. We all know that it’s not a good idea to drink coffee before bed as it can stop you from getting a good night’s sleep and many of us have experienced the jitter’s after drinking a few too many cups of coffee.

What affects does it have on your unborn child?

Unborn children are not fully developed therefore when the caffeine passes from the mother to her unborn child through the placenta, they cannot break down the chemicals.There are reports that for pregnant ladies who drank excessive amounts of coffee or tea their unborn children had faster heart rates and their breathing rates were increased. If that doesn’t put you off enjoying your daily cups of coffee, this might…….babies born to mums who drank more than 500mg a day spent more time awake after birth and took longer to settle into a good sleeping regime!

How many cups of tea or coffee are too much?

Experts are saying that more than one cup a day is too much!

• Try switching to decaffeinated drinks

• Try to cut down on fizzy drinks and chocolate, many of these also contain caffeine.

Doctors also say though that the human race wouldn’t have succeeded if early pregnancies are so vulnerable, moderation is the ideal. Smoking, Chlamidal infections and choosing to have a baby later in life were still higher risk factors for miscarriage.   

You may think what better excuse than to put your feet up and watch television with a nice big slab of chocolate and no guilt!Although this sounds great but actually staying fit throughout pregnancy will help you cope with the physical demands of labour and of course becoming a mum!

Need some motivation to get off the sofa? During pregnancy you will put on an average of two stones in weight, however

·         Exercise will help your body to cope with this weight gain by maintaining or building your muscle tone.

·         Exercise will also help you cope with constipation which most pregnant women suffer with at some stage of their pregnancy.

·         Women who are physically fit are also known to have shorter labours without as much medical intervention.

·      Exercise will also help with fatigue, stress and insomnia.

What exercise is best? Classes specially designed for pregnancy are always a good choice and a great way to meet other mums-to-be.

·         Pre-natal yoga classes, breathing techniques will help you during labour.

·         Swimming, some leisure centres have swimming classes such as mums and tums!

·         Walking, a brisk mile walk will get your heart pumping without putting too much strain on your body.

What to avoid?

·         If you are not already fit then it’s not a good idea to take up running, or any really strenuous activity that will put strain on joints and ligaments due to your body producing the hormone Relaxin. (This is a hormone that loosens your joints ready for childbirth but can make injury more likely)

·         Avoid any contact sports, such as hockey or netball.

·         Horse riding, jumping on a trampoline and gymnastics are also best avoided!

·         Don’t do any exercises which involve you lying flat on your back as this can restrict the flow of blood to the uterus.

·         Avoid getting over heated and drink lots of water to stop dehydration.

Are you pregnant and feeling sick? Don’t worry this is quite common. The degree of nausea you feel varies from person to person and if you suffer from morning sickness with one pregnancy it doesn’t necessarily mean all future pregnancies will have you reaching for the sick bucket. The good news is that normally the nausea stops after the first three months, however if you are one of the unlucky ones it can however go on until five months.Why do you feel sick?  The actual causes are still not actually known, however,

• It is thought however that morning sickness is caused by the hormonal changes taking place in your body.

• Or possibly by an imbalance of your blood sugar levels.

• Some doctors have the theory that women carrying twins or triplets are more susceptible to feeling nausea. 

What can I do to feel better? There are many theories, old wives tales and well meaning friends ready to give advice…..here are a few of our own!

• Eating little and often may help and will stop your blood sugar levels dropping.

• Drink lots of liquids to avoid dehydration, especially if you are being physically sick. Preferably water and fruit juice rather than tea or coffee.

• Try to avoid heavy meals or meals with a high fat content.

• Some people say the magic cure is ginger….try some ginger biscuits or ginger tea.

• Get plenty of rest, and try to sit down to eat your meals slowly to aid digestion.

• Finally avoid anything that triggers your nausea ( could be a good excuse of getting out of  filling the car up with petrol. A bit naughty but being pregnant has to have some advantages!)

If you do find that you are vomiting excessively, loosing weight or feeling dehydrated, then don’t hesitate to consult your doctor.

You have missed a period and think you may be pregnant, what now?

Probably the easiest thing to do would be to get a home pregnancy test, available from most Pharmacy’s and supermarkets but that’s where the fun begins……so many to choose from, which one is best? 

A home pregnancy test will measure the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in your urine. A pregnancy test of 20 IU/L will be more sensitive than one with 50 IU/L, you can check this information on the box. Normally a more sensitive testing kit will be more expensive, some are so sensitive they can detect this hormone up to 4 days prior to your expected period! 

How do I use the test?

How to test can vary depending on which brand you use so it is important to read the instructions very carefully. You can test anytime of the day, however, urine is more concentrated first thing in the morning! 

Now for the fun bit……testing your wee!

Some will tell you to wee directly onto a stick (such fun!) and others will ask you to pee into a pot and then place a sample strip into the urine. Basically they will all measure the amount of hCG in your body and then give you the result. Some will spell it out for you by writing ‘pregnant’ or ‘not pregnant’ in a window( nice and simple) others will tell you to look for a coloured line usually blue or pink. 

How long do I wait?

You can usually check the results within a few minutes, however, these minutes will seem like hours! 

Missed your period but have a negative test result? 

If this has happened but you think you still may be pregnant, wait a few days and test again. The levels of hCG in your urine may not have reached a level where they can be detected. Drinking large quantities before testing could also dilute the hormone.