Is it safe to have sex when pregnant is a very common question and topic, especially for first-time Mums. Most women who are experiencing a normal and regular pregnancy can continue to have sex until labour starts or their water breaks.

No, sex will not harm your baby. He is protected by the uterus and its strong muscles, the amniotic sac and the mucus plug that blocks the cervix from the exterior. Physiologically, the penis does not go beyond the vagina during sex.

If you are having a normal pregnancy, having sex will not begin labour or produce a miscarriage. Yes, orgasms, like nipple stimulation or the prostaglandins found in the semen, can cause light, temporary and harmless, uterine contractions. Having said this, sex is recommended by the doctors in pregnancies that have passed their due date to trigger cervix changes and labour.

As long as you are comfortable and the pleasure is mutual, most sexual positions are fine during pregnancy.

In the case of having more than one sexual partner or choosing to have sex with a new one during gestation, you definitely need to use a condom if you want to prevent having a sexually transmitted infection. If your regular partner has one of these infections, also use a condom.

In most cases, yes. But if your partner has an active sexually transmitted infection represented by a lesion in his mouth or had one of these in the past, you should avoid receiving oral sex. Also, keep in mind your partner’s HIV status, due to some evidence that suggests this virus can be orally transmitted.

There are a few medical conditions in which sex (anything that can produce an orgasm, not just intercourse) has to be reduced or avoided altogether. Your doctor may advise you not to perform any sex in case of risk or history of miscarriage and/or preterm labour, vaginal bleeding or discharge, contractions or cramping without a known cause, early dilation of your cervix, placenta previa, multifetal pregnancy, etc.