Pregnancy

Intimacy during pregnancy: what’s safe, what changes

4 min read · MyBloomingBelly editorial

Let’s answer the big one first: in a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy, sex is safe in every trimester — right up to the end. Your baby is guarded by the amniotic sac, the muscular wall of the uterus, and a sealed cervix; intimacy cannot poke, squash or disturb them. Some babies wriggle afterwards — that is a response to your heartbeat and hormones, not awareness.

The exceptions where your doctor will advise pausing: placenta previa (a low-lying placenta), any unexplained bleeding, leaking waters, a history of preterm labour or a cervical stitch, or if you have simply been told so for your specific situation. If none of these apply and no one has told you otherwise, you have a green light.