Here's What Experts Want Soon-To-Be Moms To Know About Sex At 20 Weeks

Pregnancy affects different women in different ways, and that includes a woman's sex life. For some moms-to-be, gestating makes them feel like sex goddesses who can't get enough. Other expecting moms, however, find that between morning sickness, fatigue, and aching breasts, the last thing they want to do is have pregnancy sex. As you sail into the second trimester, and start feeling better, and puking less, you just might find your libido returning. So, can you have sex when you're 20 weeks pregnant? According to experts, for most pregnant people the answer is absolutely, but you'll want to keep a few things in mind before you hit the sack for a little sexy time.

According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), unless your OB-GYN and/or midwife tells you otherwise, it's safe to have sex at any point during pregnancy. You may have to get creative in order to find positions to accommodate your growing belly, but as long as you and your partner both want to have sex (because, you know, consent is always the name of every sex game, my friends) and feel up to having sex, you should be in the clear to get some.

The American Pregnancy Association (APA) does say, however, that there are some situations where most obstetrics providers will advise pregnant women to abstain from sex. For instance, if you have had premature birth and/or labor in the past, have vaginal bleeding, have placenta previa — a condition where your baby's placenta covers their cervix — or have been diagnosed with an incompetent cervix, the APA suggests you ask your doctor if pregnancy sex is OK before you give it a go.

Just because you're experiencing a healthy, complicated-free pregnancy and sex as 20 weeks is a go, doesn't mean it's gonna be easy. Well, not without at least trying some new between-the-sheets tricks. According to What to Expect, many women prefer to be on top, lying next to their partner, or entered from behind during penetrative pregnancy sex in the second trimester. The aforementioned positions allow pregnant women to feel comfortable, while simultaneously making sure their growing bump doesn't get in the way. If you do enjoy missionary sex, it can be trickier to master. What To Expect recommends trying it on the edge of the bed, with your partner standing or kneeling. If you are craving oral sex, BabyCenter says you can go for it, as long as your partner doesn't blow into your vagina — which can cause an air embolism that can hurt your baby — and doesn't have an outbreak of oral herpes.

If you or your partner are not monogamous or have tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection, BabyCenter recommends that you use latex or polyurethane condoms during pregnancy sex. Some sexually transmitted infections can be harmful to your pregnancy and/or your fetus, and condoms can reduce that risk.

As always, if you have questions about pregnancy sex at any point in your pregnancy, your health care provider is a good place to start asking some necessary questions so you get the answers you need. If they give you the OK, and you are the mood, go ahead and get some.