The Reason You Have A High Sex Drive During Pregnancy

Pregnant and horny aren’t normally two words you think of simultaneously, especially in the first few months. The first trimester of pregnancy is often filled with extreme fatigue and nausea, not lust and lovemaking. But during the second trimester, these once vomit-inducing hormones can do something else — make your horny. Although there isn’t a ‘normal’ experience when it comes to pregnancy sex, it’s not uncommon for women to experience a higher sex drive during pregnancy.

First, there’s the emotional factor. During these nine months, a woman can feel more bonded to her significant other, and this intimacy can spark a heightened sexual desire. Then there’s the scientific rationale. Live Science notes that oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, is abundant throughout a woman’s pregnancy and can increase a woman’s need for intimacy. Not to mention research has found that oxytocin increases muscle contractions during orgams, resulting in a more pleasurable O.

A woman may also experience heightened estrogen levels throughout her pregnancy, which leads to increased blood flow and secretions in the vagina. This is called Chadwick’s Sign. The swelling of your vaginal canal and clitoris, combined with increased lubrication, can really intensify your orgasms. How can a woman say no to that?

So what does this mean for you? Well, it depends. Some women will happily throw down in the sheets (or with the help of a battery-operated friend) to satisfy their news sexual desires. But other may be be a bit more hesitant, worrying that pregnancy sex will harm their baby. Normally, sex during pregnancy does not harm your baby, but some women are at higher-risk for complications such as bleeding and miscarriage. In that case, an OB-GYN will give specific advice such as to limit or omit sex all together.

Sex during pregnancy is generally safe, however, and is ideal for satisfying your libido. It can increase intimacy with your significant other before entering the world of parenthood. In her essay, ‘The Pregnant Housewife,” Rachel Kramer Bussel recalled how her higher sex drive helped her connect to her SO.

“Finally home. Run a bubble bath. It's amazing we can both still fit in the tub facing each other. I'm tired, but horny pregnancy hormones begin to surge through me and increase as I see his erection surface through the water. I love that turning me on turns him on.”

So if you’re pregnant, more turned on than ever, and have no complications, then you should enjoy this time of sexual healing.