PREGNANCY

Second trimester: You go, girl!

After the first trimester, many moms-to-be are past any nausea or sickness, have gained back some energy and are feeling pretty great. Pregnancy hormones can ramp up a woman’s sex drive, according to Lennox, which can be a huge turn-on for their partners. A woman may also find increased sensitivity, which allows her to reach orgasm more easily and more often than before. They don’t call the second trimester the “golden stage” of pregnancy for nothing!

Of course, not every woman is so lucky. Just as hormones can increase libido, the opposite can be true; some women notice a decreasing desire for sex as the pregnancy progresses. Especially for couples who already have children, sex can seem like another task on the to-do list of a very busy day. Another issue that may crop up is body image. While many women feel confident and sexy with their baby bump, others have a tough time embracing their new figure — especially without clothes on. Combined with the emotional highs and lows caused by surging hormones, this self-consciousness can create misunderstandings in the bedroom.

“Sometimes I felt like my husband wasn’t initiating sex as much as he used to, and I wondered if it was about the baby or about me looking different,” Diana says. “We tried to address issues like this right away. I found out that he was overly concerned about how I was feeling and not wanting to overtire me.”

“It’s important for the woman to get her partner familiar with her body and how it’s changing from the very beginning,” says McKenzie, suggesting that your partner will feel more comfortable and involved if you encourage him to rub lotion on your belly, feel the baby kick or put his hands on your growing breasts. “A couple has to work hard to make sure that no one is feeling unattractive, unloved or left out. This helps both partners come to a place of celebrating the new life and the beautiful changes in her body.”

Originally published in Today's Parent Pregnancy, Spring 2009