Free Your Orgasmic Pregnancy by Yvonne K. Fulbright Danielle Cavallucci Page A

Take the statistics with a grain of salt, and approach the material in this chapter with an open mind. Sex during the second trimester and beyond offers you a lot of choices.
The following incentives should also inspire you. Sexual ac- tivity helps you:
Keep weight off—Sex can help burn fat and calories. Some lovers claim benefits like weight loss and increases in strength, flexibility, muscle tone, and cardiovascular con- ditioning.
Manage pain—Sex does wonders for lower-back pain in particular.
Combat stress—Sex fights your body’s tension by improv- ing your stress response, releasing oxytocin, and stimulat- ing feelings of warmth and relaxation.
Boost intimacy—Sex acts like a relationship glue by send- ing mood-boosting hormones throughout your and your lover’s bodies.
Keep your immune system strong—Sex helps your body ward off ailments.
Sleep better—Sex, including sex with yourself, will help you to sleep more soundly and easily.
Increase your energy and optimism.
Enjoy a shorter labor.
Experience less discomfort during pregnancy and labor.
Decrease fetal stress, resulting in a calmer pregnancy.
Full-Body Blahs
We haven’t forgotten about those of you who aren’t enjoying sex-
ual bliss all the time. If you’re experiencing the opposite—full- body blahs—don’t worry. You’re normal. You may simply require morerest, less stress, oralower-keyapproach to yoursexlifewhile pregnant. Check out the following pointers:
Seek out intimate moments with your partner even when you’re not in the mood for sex. Do not allow the blahs to
How You Can Help Her
Give her loving reassurances that you are there for her and will help her no matter what. Make regular romantic gestures, espe- cially ones involving tender touch. Throughout her pregnancy, her interest in tenderness will stay constant or even increase.
for partners
interfere with your desire for intimate touch with your partner. In fact, there are few quicker fixes for a really hor- rible day than a bit of sensual touch or sex play.
Masturbate. Even a small amount of pleasurable self-touch will likely improve your mood and sense of well-being. Masturbation is also known to improve rest and sleep.
Surroundyourselfwitheroticphotographs, literature, art- work—whatever turns you on. Even when she’s pregnant a woman needs to seduce herself at times.
Tune in to your senses. Everything is enhanced during T2. Food tastes better. Scents are stronger. Music is more in- tense. Your skin is more receptive. Immerse yourself in this sensory surplus.
     
     
Even if some of pregnancy’s “side effects” are impacting your game, the more you and your lover are able to be intimate, the better it will be for your body and relationship now and in the long term. It’s important to stay connected with regular touch,
which is a powerful and important component of closeness dur- ing this time. Often underrated, intimate touch is the driving force behind sensuality in late pregnancy. Touch offers physical and emotional benefits such as a boost to your immune system and mood, and the release of oxytocin to enhance sexual arousal, response, and pleasure. Kissing—the long, wet, slow, deep kiss- ing of your presex days—ups the voltage and maintains your con- nection without requiring the energy of more vigorous sex play.
During any loving touchfest, deciding how far you want to go is entirely up to the two of you, but know that occasionally “taking one for the team” can yield some delightful surprises. You may find yourself feeling caught up in ecstasy when you thought you were ready to roll over and fall asleep. Choose to experience the new sensations and heightened sexual response that are the gifts of pregnancy. Delight yourselves by committing to do the deed as often as you can muster the time and energy. The resulting hap- piness and good memories will be worth the effort. Jay fondly re- calls apostclimacticmomentwhenhiswifewascarryingtheirson: “One time, when