Is It Safe To Have Oral Sex During Pregnancy? 5 Reasons Your Partner Should Go Down On You During Pregnancy

Knowing that sex is safe while pregnant doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready to go for it. With all of the pregnancy related symptoms like swelling, back pain, and headaches, the thought of climbing on top of your partner or finding a place to rest your legs during sex may seem like the worst thing ever. If your hormones are raging and you’re looking for a way to get it on without fully getting it on, oral sex may be an option. But is it safe to have oral sex during pregnancy?

For the most part, yes. Receiving oral sex is not a problem while pregnant, as long as your partner doesn’t blow air directly into your vagina. “Oral sex with active blowing of air into the vagina has had complications of air embolism,” Dr. Stephen Weiss, assistant OB-GYN professor at Emory University, tells me. The Mayo Clinic also noted that this act has the potential to block a blood vessel, which can be a life threatening condition for you and your baby.

Giving oral sex is also totally safe, and The Bump notes that it is also safe to swallow semen during pregnancy. In fact, the biggest concern with oral sex while pregnant, aside from having air blown directly into your vagina, is the risk of an STD. “Trusting in monogamy and condom use is important since any transmission of STDs is potentially more harmful during pregnancy,” Weiss says. If your partner has an STD, you’ll want to use protection while giving oral sex, but you may also want to wear a dental dam when receiving. OB-GYN Gina Brown told Baby Center that some STDs can be transmitted through tiny cuts on your genitalia.

But once you’re protected and ready to go, enjoy all of the oral sex you can! There are three great reasons why you should totally be having all of the oral, but your partner probably won’t need much convincing.