Our 9 Months

There are no specifics causes on feeling nausea during pregnancy, but it’s probably some combination of the many physical changes taking place in your body. Some possible causes include:

•  Rising levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) during early pregnancy. No one knows how hCG contributes to nausea, but the timing is right: Nausea tends to peak around the same time as levels of hCG.

Estrogen, another hormone that rises rapidly in early pregnancy, is also considered a prime suspect, and it’s possible that other hormones play a role as well.

•  Enhanced sense of smell and sensitivity to odors. It’s not uncommon for a newly pregnant woman to feel overwhelmed by the smell of a bologna sandwich from four cubicles away, for example, and that certain aromas instantly trigger her gag reflex. This may be a result of higher levels of estrogen.

•  A tricky stomach. Some women’s gastrointestinal tracts are simply more sensitive to the changes of early pregnancy.

“Morning sickness” doesn’t reflect its meaning. Technical medical term is “nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.” For some pregnant women, the symptoms are worst in the morning and ease up over the course of the day, but they can strike at any time and last all day long.

However,about half of the women who get it feel complete relief by about 14 weeks. For most of the rest, it takes another month or so for the queasiness to ease up, though it may return later and come and go throughout pregnancy.

Be creative! While many people tend to prefer the missionary position for sex during pregnancy, it becomes a very difficult maneuver to perform as the abdomen gets larger. Try some of these positions:

• Woman on top. This allows you to control the depth of penetration, and the majority of the movement. You can go as fast or as slow as you’d like, while controlling the depth of the penis. This position works really well throughout pregnancy and at the very end of pregnancy.
• Spooning. This position gets it’s name from the way spoons fit together in the silver ware drawer. Usually it’s best if the man is behind allowing his penis to go between your thighs and enter you from behind. This creates no pressure on the abdomen, and allows for a shallow penetration. Many women find this a very relaxing position for sex during pregnancy, and it can be used throughout.
• Hands & Knees. This is a very good position for pregnant women again because of the lack of direct pressure on the abdomen, although as your get larger your belly may actually rest on the bed. Some women find this difficult at the very end of pregnancy, depending on how high they are able to hold their belly off the bed and still allow for penetration.
• Side lying. This can be kind of tricky, but it can be done! Lay on your side with your partner facing you, try pulling one leg up to allow room for your partner. This may get tiring after awhile, and may not be easy for the last part of pregnancy.

All of the above mentioned positions also allow for manual stimulation of the clitoris either by yourself or your partner. This can greatly increase your chances of becoming multi-orgasmic, not to mention it’s a lot of fun. They also prevent the mother from laying on her back, which is not recommended after the fourth month of pregnancy (16 weeks gestation).

When you’re trying to think of a good position, try it, if it doesn’t work stop. Creativity will be a lot of fun during pregnancy, and it will probably carry over into your postpartum sex life as well, when creativity becomes important in a different way.

When not to have sex and/or orgasms during pregnancy:

• Your practitioner has advised against it
• You have a history of premature birth or labor
• Placenta previa (Where part of the placenta is covering the cervix)
• Your water has broken
• Your are currently experiencing bleeding
• You or your partner has an active sexually transmitted disease