What are safe alternatives to intercourse during pregnancy?

If you’re not up for intercourse, that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in other types of sexual intimacy. For the most part, if you enjoyed these activities before your pregnancy, you can continue to enjoy them now:

•  Oral sex: Kissing, licking, sucking, and all that good stuff is still on the menu when you’re expecting. One precaution: He shouldn’t blow into your vagina. Doing so can cause an air embolism, a bubble of air that blocks a blood vessel and can be life-threatening for mother and baby.

•  Touching: Sensual massages, manual stimulation, and mutual masturbation are your obvious options. Try a water- or silicone-based lubricant for increased sensitivity and pleasure. But why stick with the well-traveled erogenous zones? Explore new sensations by touching, tickling, or rubbing other spots, like each other’s ears, wrists, inside of the knee, collarbone… you get the picture. K-Y Brand’s Touch Massage 2-in-1 Warming Liquid in the right location can add an exciting new sensation. As for breasts: They may feel super-sensitive and tender, especially during the first trimester. Some women find it a turn-on, while others can’t stand to be touched. Let your partner know what feels good to you.

•  Vibrators: Yes, vibrators are safe during pregnancy. The vibrations of an electric vibrator may be too intense, however, so start with a battery-powered clitoral massager. Do not place a vibrator inside your vagina after the second trimester. And do add a water-based lubricant to protect your delicate tissues and increase pleasure.

•  Mutual masturbation: Lie side by side and gaze into each other’s eyes for a while. Then begin to gently caress your clitoris or firmly stroke your penis. Do it the way you always do it. It may seem odd to be doing something that’s typically a private pleasure in front of someone else, but, if you allow yourself to relax under your partner’s gaze, you may find yourself enjoying the spotlight. After the two of you have been doing this for a while, move closer, and take turns touching each other down there. Try guid­ing each other, your hand resting lightly on top of your partner’s, allowing your partner to feel, through you, the best ways to get you off.