Pain during sex when pregnant

Please sign in or sign up for a March of Dimes account to proceed. If your pregnancy is healthy, you can have sex. You and your partner can use positions that are safe and comfortable throughout pregnancy. If after having sex you have heavy bleeding, painful cramps or leaking amniotic fluid, call your provider or go to the emergency room. Sex is a healthy part of a loving relationship with your partner.

Pregnant women can experience pelvic and vaginal pain that interferes with a satisfying sex life. This condition, known as pelvic congestion syndrome, is caused by varicose veins in the pelvic area. A growing baby puts pressure on the major blood vessels in the abdomen, aggravating varicose veins in both the legs and the vagina. Not everyone suffers from them and, in many cases after delivery, enlarged veins return to normal. In both pelvic congestion and varicose veins, the valves in the veins that help blood flow toward the heart are either defective or damaged. The valves prevent backflow of blood.

Back to Your pregnancy and baby guide. It's perfectly safe to have sex during pregnancy unless your doctor or midwife has told you not to. Having sex will not hurt your baby. Your partner's penis can't penetrate beyond your vagina, and the baby cannot tell what's going on.

Does pregnancy sex cause more pain than pleasure? Here are five reasons why you might experience discomfort during intercourse, with tips on correcting the underlying issue. Having sex is an entirely different experience when pregnant.