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Home › Articles › Dads-to-Be › A Dads-to-be's Sensual Side

A Dads-to-be's Sensual Side

How to Maintain Intimacy with Baby on the Way

By Mark Stackpole

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Other Factors
As a pregnancy progresses, the obstacles to intimacy change as well. The first trimester is often marked by morning sickness, fatigue and weight gain without necessarily looking pregnant. Old clothes don't fit and maternity clothes are still too big. It is not hard to see why women might not be feeling too sexy during this time.

"Since desirability and self-esteem are very related to how one feels physically and emotionally, early pregnancy may be a low point for many women who are feeling these symptoms," says Dr. Wendy Wilcox, an OB/GYN at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y.

The second trimester, however, is a much different story. "She may have a renewed burst of libido, and the extra weight is usually overshadowed by the beauty of the belly," Dr. Wilcox says. "Her confidence may have returned and she may have that pregnancy glow." Wilcox runs support sessions for pregnant women, and she reports that they often report that their partners are intrigued and aroused by their "new" bodies. Hormones increase physical sensitivity and her feelings of desirability reach their peak.

What goes up must come down, and the third trimester is marked by increasing discomfort and areturn of fatigue. Most women are carrying an average of 25 to 30 extra pounds, the baby may be moving around and increased pressure on the stomach increases heartburn and gas. Some women even experience difficulty breathing. "Sex may become more difficult as the growing abdomen may present some positional difficulties," Dr. Wilcox says. "Still, many couples enjoy sex right up until the very end."


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