How to keep intimacy alive when you’re pregnant

5 Ways to Keep Intimacy Alive When You’re Expecting

Let’s start by clarifying something very important. It’s completely normal to experience intimacy issues when you’re expecting a baby.

Many of the symptoms that accompany pregnancy affect mood, energy levels, self-image and sex drive. All of these directly affect how you are likely to interact with your partner. So before you beat yourself up or give in to frustration, keep this in mind.

It’s great to use your pregnancy time to rest instead of reliving your honeymoon!

However, keeping the intimacy alive will do a lot more than rekindle the bedroom heat. It can also promote more relationship closeness, communication and a feeling of mutual support.

Intimacy doesn’t always have to mean sexual intercourse. In fact, it’s mostly about creating a comfortable, loving environment for you and your partner to reconnect and indulge in the time you and they both need.

From stress relief to relationship building, a little intimacy will restore trust and strengthen communication. Plus, it will help you both feel closer to each other during this exciting, special (and sometimes rather crazy) time. Here are five great ways to make it happen.

1. Let your partner massage you

A sensual massage is one of the best ways to reconnect with your partner in an intimate setting. Chances are, you both miss the delicious feeling of skin-to-skin contact. Massage is the perfect way to fulfill that craving while giving mom’s aching muscles some much-needed love.

As you have valuable cargo on board, it is important to use high quality, safe and organic products. You can use belly butter or belly oil enriched with vitamin E to soothe muscles and reduce stretch marks while enjoying a relaxing massage from your partner.

Your shoulders, back, legs, buttocks, belly and feet need relief when you are pregnant. But if you want to step things up a notch, a breast and nipple massage can boost your sex drive and serve as a sensual foreplay session before taking things further.

2. Don’t take sex—or each other—for granted

When many couples first start dating, there’s often this feeling that sex is a given — as if it’s a normal (and sometimes even mutually expected) part of their daily or weekly routine. But when pregnancy comes into the picture, that idea can be somewhat fragmented.

It is important to keep the intimacy alive treating your partner as if he is still sexually desirable. Remember that intimacy is a realistic goal that you both need to take seriously and work towards.

When you’re both in the mood, cherish the moment you share and take the opportunity to fully appreciate how it deepens the bond in your relationship.

3. Bathe together

This is a soothing, relaxing and intimate exercise that almost every couple can enjoy. There are so many opportunities for romance. Rose petals, scented natural essential oils or scented body wash, candlelight, soft music—just about anything that makes you feel relaxed and connected.

Baths are also a great way to relieve stress, reduce nausea and promote deeper sleep. Whether it leads to romance or not, sharing a bathroom with your loved one is a beautiful way to relax together. If you’re heavily pregnant and you can’t both fit comfortably in the tub, let your partner sit on the edge with you and spend time sharing special moments.

4. Discuss your fantasies and fears openly

It will be much easier to keep intimacy alive in your relationship if you are open about why it is necessary in the first place. Ironically, while many women feel decidedly unsexy in their pregnant state, most partners actually say they feel more attracted to them than ever.

But without proper communication, a lot of it can get lost in translation.

Some people are also wary of physical intimacy because they are she is afraid of hurting the baby or make their partner feel uncomfortable. These are natural concerns, but you won’t understand them unless you discuss them openly with your partner.

If you have a fantasy or fear that is holding you back, talk to your loved one about it. See what you can do together to ensure everyone feels safe, supported and fulfilled.

5. Invest in maternity underwear

Investing in quality maternity underwear is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to regain your confidence as a pregnant woman. Your other underwear may not fit you right now. But that’s okay, and there’s a whole world of others slips and underwear styles you can wear to feel sexy and powerful.

Treating yourself to some luxurious lingerie that fits comfortably while still feeling sexy can help restore confidence and inspire desire in both you and your partner.

Why is intimacy a struggle during pregnancy?

Oh my god, where do I begin? Between hormones, body changes, self-esteem fluctuations, morning sickness, stress, extreme fatigue, and sometimes very important medical reasons, it’s no wonder that many pregnant couples struggle to make love like they used to.

At a time when couples need each other’s support more than ever, it’s not uncommon to feel frantic, distant, and insecure about their role or place in the relationship.

But that’s exactly what makes intimacy exercises like these so valuable. Taking time to sit with each other and reconnect on an emotional and physical level can be the tonic you both need to feel restored to your partnership, ready to take on the challenge of parenting together.

Share the journey together

While it should always be understood that sex is a privilege, not a right, in any relationship, it’s also helpful to understand the enormous emotional and physical value that intimacy can have in the midst of a future relationship.

Sharing some beautiful, sensual moments with your partner while you’re pregnant can relieve stress, calm your hormones, and even reduce feelings of nausea and anxiety.

Use intimacy as a tool to strengthen your relationship and make the most of every moment you have alone before your baby arrives. Because when they do, you’ll have a whole new priority to focus on!