4 reasons why a pregnant woman should make love regularly

Now that you’re pregnant, has your sex life gone into a deep freeze? If so, consider thawing it out.

In most cases, not only is a roll in the hay perfectly safe through your final trimester, it’s good for your mental health and your relationship. Here, our top four reasons to get down while you’re knocked up.

Many women become intensely focused on their pregnancies, which can make their partners feel left out, says Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., professor of sociology at the University of Washington in Seattle. “It’s important to share physical affection as a way of sustaining what is, after all, the core building block of your new family,” Schwartz says.

The missionary position goes out the window pretty quickly (man-on-top puts too much pressure on your belly). Try sitting at the edge of your bed while your partner kneels or stands and enters you from the front, or the spoon position, with both of you lying on your sides as he enters you from behind.

Pregnancy increases blood flow to your pubic area, which heightens sensitivity, so some women experience enhanced orgasms, says Claire Jones, M.D., an OB-GYN at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Your vagina is also more lubricated because of your increased estrogen, and your breasts can be more sensitive.

Orgasms flood your body with oxytocin, a hormone that produces endorphins, which leave you feeling calm and happy. When you find yourself stressed out consider that sex releases endorphins that can make you feel more secure and even alleviate pain, Schwartz says.