Despite all the sex that may have occurred to get pregnant, once they are expecting, half of pregnant women have less nookie than before. The biggest reason? Reduced sexual desire.
According to a WiserPregnancy survey, 50% of women have less sex while pregnant, 38% have the same amount of sex and a small 12% have more sex.
Of the pregnant women who report having less sex, 54% blame a decreased sex drive for the change.
That’s not much of a surprise, considering the hormonal changes, weight gain, lower energy, exhaustion and nausea that often come in the first trimester. The second trimester can bring mood-killers of stress, fatigue, back pain and a growing abdomen. And by the third trimester, constant discomfort can make any woman opt for a warm bath instead.
But lack of desire isn’t the only cause of diminished sex. Women surveyed also cite these reasons:
- 17% are too busy
- 15% are concerned about the baby’s health
- 14% are on doctor’s orders not to have sex (Cervical insufficiency, a risk of miscarriage, unexplained vaginal bleeding, leaking amniotic fluid or placenta previa are among the reasons a doctor might recommend abstinence.)
- 10% say their partner’s sex drive decreased
