The Best Positions for Pregnancy Sex

Because your body doesn't change that much in the first trimester, sex can pretty much continue as it has in the past. Later, as the uterus grows, some positions may become more difficult to perform. Sex expert Pepper Schwartz, PhD, offers these suggestions on the best sexual positions during pregnancy:

Spoon: The spoon position can be very cozy and intimate. In this case you should lie on your side curled in a C, with your partner facing your back and curled around you. He then enters your vagina from behind while both of you are lying on your sides.

Side by side: Another good choice for late pregnancy, this position will control thrust and keep weight off your belly. You and your husband lie side by side, facing each other. He slips his leg over yours (your leg can be either straight and to the side or bent at the knee) and enters you from an angle. In a variation of this, you lie on your back and he on his side. Put your leg that's closest to him over his legs. He can enter you from the back and side, and still have his face next to yours.

Woman on top: This can be a satisfying position during late pregnancy, allowing you to control pacing and be more comfortable. Make sure, however, that he doesn't enter you too deeply.

Edge of the bed: Try lying down face-up on the edge of the bed, with your legs spread and the soles of your feet on the floor. Your partner can stand or bend over you. This position, however, does allow him to thrust more deeply, so you'll have to tell him how gentle and slow you want him to be.

If you find that intercourse is too uncomfortable as your belly grows, explore other types of sexual gratification, such as oral sex (don't blow air into the vagina) or mutual masturbation.

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.