Sex During Pregnancy: Vaginal Changes and Intimacy
Vaginal Changes During Pregnancy: During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through a lot of changes and different body parts are affected, the vagina included. Your boyfriend is likely to feel the difference and may want to get more intimate with you or shy away.
This is very normal and should not scare you off. He will likely feel the changes from the second trimester. It is essential to be armed with enough knowledge to handle sex during pregnancy.
My Boyfriend Says I Feel Different Inside During Pregnancy: What Causes Changes?
A woman’s body experiences lots of hormonal changes during pregnancy, marked by spiking hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and HCG. These changes lead to physical and emotional changes such as mood swings, nausea, swollen and tender breasts and nipples ,which could affect her desire for sex or lack of it.
First Trimester
During this trimester, a woman will experience more emotional than physical changes. You may feel sickish, fatigued, nauseated, and experience mood swings. This could cause you to lose the desire to be intimate with your boyfriend.
Your nipples and breasts become tender and the last thing in your mind is someone touching them at that time. If your boyfriend does not understand these changes, he might interpret it as a push-off.
Second Trimester
By this time, the hormones have balanced and your body has become accustomed to the new changes. Sex may resume back to normal but your boyfriend or husband will start noticing physical changes to the vagina such as popping veins, the vulva turning bluish, might get an odor, and getting more itchy. These changes occur as the body prepares itself for birth. The pressure mounted on the vagina by the expanding uterus and the weight of the baby will put a toll on the nether areas.
Third Trimester
This is the most challenging trimester for a couple to have sex. The tummy has by this time bulged and the man may be afraid of harming the baby. The vagina becomes loose and longer which may be uncomfortable for the man. The big tummy will also limit the sex positions you can engage in as you become more uncomfortable with some. Your man may feel the vagina being more supple and softer.
Changes In Your Vagina During Pregnancy
Infections
Your vagina’s PH levels change during pregnancy, increasing the risks of bacterial and fungal infections. These infections cause itchiness which can be quite embarrassing for a mother. This does not mean you have done anything wrong but you should observe proper hygiene and treatment which could save you from complications and birth disorders to the unborn baby.
Vaginal Discharges And Odor
You will experience more discharge during pregnancy which is normal for most women. The discharge may have an unpleasant odor which may feel uncomfortable for your partner during sex. Try and keep yourself dry by using organic cotton panty liners and taking regular baths to reduce the odor or else the pungent smell will turn off your boyfriend.
Swollen Vagina
The size of your uterus grows from the size of an apple to that of a watermelon. This expansion. coupled with the additional weight of the fetus and amniotic fluid puts pressure on the vagina causing it to swell.
Elongated Vagina
Your body has nine months to prepare for birth and needs to be fully ready. The vagina lengthens and the opening increases in size in preparation for the birth and your boyfriend will notice the change and may be afraid of hurting the baby.
Popping Veins
If your partner looks at your vulva, he will see popping veins which can make you afraid of hurting yourself. This is due to increased blood flow into your vagina.
Blue-ish Vulva
Hormonal changes cause your vulva, and general skin, to turn darker and take a blue tint. For a premiere parent, it may be scary but is normal in most women.
Weaker Bladder
A weak bladder can be a turn-off to your boyfriend during sex and if he is not conversant with changes in your body, he may be turned off. This weakness occurs due to pressure from the weight of the pregnancy.
How To Handle Vaginal Changes
The Vaginal Changes During Pregnancy can be overwhelming for a mother and when the partner does not understand changes in the vagina and sexual behavior, it could make it worse for her. To help you handle the changes, the following tips could be helpful;
- Have an open discussion with your boyfriend about what you are feeling and going through. It could also be helpful to read more materials on pregnancy together, and where possible seek counseling for an expert or a more experienced couple.
- Keep yourself clean. As noted above, you will experience increased vaginal discharge and infections. Hygiene is essential in keeping yourself fresh and smelling nice.
- Consult your doctor in case of an infection or any other abnormality such as bleeding through some women who experience light spotting during pregnancy.
- Having sex during pregnancy will not harm your unborn baby, and neither will they know what is happening. The cervix and amniotic water between the vagina and the baby is enough protection. The only time your child may experience some disturbances is during your orgasm as the waves go through the fluid.
- Engage in a comfortable sex position for you and your partner which could make the two of you more relaxed.
- Relax and enjoy, the changes are not abnormal. They are common to the majority of pregnant women.
Vaginal Changes During Pregnancy your boyfriend will feel different inside you during pregnancy. This is due to hormonal changes that cause physical and hormonal changes in preparation for the anticipated birth.
You will likely experience more vaginal discharges which could have an odor, increased infections, elongated and swollen vagina, enlarged and bluish vulva, popping veins, more supple, and softer vagina that makes your partner feel different inside of you.