The second trimester of pregnancy is generally considered the sweet spot. You're likely done with morning sickness and way less exhausted. Your hormones are still wrecking havoc on the body, but not as intensely as in the first trimester. Your sex drive might be low, or you could be in sexual overdrive. Thanks to hormones that are all over the map, it could go either way. If you've dabbled with doing it or are at least thinking about it, you may be wondering about the things that happen to your vagina during second trimester sex.
When I was pregnant with my first child this was the only trimester I wanted to get it on. I was plagued with morning sickness and fell asleep by 7 p.m. in the first trimester, and by the time the third trimester rolled around I was huge and uncomfortable. But right in the middle of my pregnancy I had the perfect boost in hormones to get me in the mood and I could still see my lady parts to do all of the grooming I wanted before getting intimate.
Every woman has a different pregnancy experience and their own feelings about the changes occurring in their bodies. Within our varying experiences, there are some universal changes that we all experience to some degree which include transitions in our vaginas. Here are five things that you can expect to happen to your vagina during second trimester sex.
1You Will Have Extra Vaginal Discharge
It's probably a total slip and slide down there thanks to some (read: a lot) of vaginal discharge, also know as leukorrhea. According to the American Pregnancy Association, leukorrhea is thin, white, milky discharge that many women experience during pregnancy and is caused by high levels of estrogen. It's like Niagra Falls relocated in your vagina, which some women feel is a total pregnancy bonus. Being drenched down there can bode well for anyone that desires super lubricated sex in their second trimester.
2Your Vagina Will Be Super Sensitive
The surge in estrogen not only makes your vagina nice and saturated, it makes it very sensitive. Estrogen during pregnancy causes an increase in blood flow to the pelvis and uterus, and according to the Baby Center, it can cause engorgement of your lady parts. This could result in an increased libido and intense (sometimes multiple) orgasms in your second trimester, and possibly all the way until the end of your pregnancy.
3You Might Not Want It To Be Touched
Having a super sensitive vagina and engorged lady parts can go one of two ways. It can make you in the mood constantly as noted above, or it can send your libido packing for Antartica. Your vagina might be so sensitive and even in pain from being swollen that you don't want it to be rubbed, touched, or penetrated. The Mayo Clinic noted that fluctuations in hormones can damper libido in women throughout their pregnancies. What feels good to one pregnant woman down there, might feel awful for another.
4You May Experience Some Irritation During Sex
The increase in vaginal discharge, or leukorrhea, can actually cause irritation in the vulva, according to The Bump. Irritation or itchiness while having sex can cause chaffing and be really uncomfortable. The same site also noted that if the discharge has an odor or it persists you might want to talk to your doctor about finding another cause for your irritation because it could be a yeast infection, or sexually transmitted disease (STD).
5You May Deal With Yeast Infections
It's not entirely clear why women during their second trimester rack up more yeast infections, but doctors claim pregnancy hormones, particularly estrogen, change the pH of the vagina, according to What To Expect. The change in pH allows yeast to grow more easily. This doesn't mean you can't have sex in your second trimester or that you need to somehow stop your pregnancy hormones from doing what they're supposed to be doing (wouldn't that be nice sometimes). But you should be extra careful to practice good hygiene while pregnant. If you're really worried about yeast infections, or experience reoccurring infections you could use condoms with your partner, as yeast infections can be passed between sexual partners according to the Women's Health website.
Your body and vagina are going through so many changes during the full course of pregnancy. How you feel about sex and how sex feels will change a lot too all depending on how your hormones are acting. Sometimes they'll be balanced, other times they'll be haywire. The important thing to do is listen to your body and make necessary adjustments, especially when it comes to sex, and don't do anything you (or your vagina) don't want to do.
