Ok, so I’ll admit to being a bit naive about having sex while pregnant. I even consulted a friend of mine who is six years younger than me, but also already has a child, as to just how safe sex is during pregnancy. And then after I spoke with her, I decided to talk with my OB about it while my husband was in the room. Don’t worry he’s used to being embarrassed by me and now no longer blushes or flinches with the words that come out of my mouth.

Today I received an email from TheBump.com with the topic: 5 Pregnancy Sex Myths and much like a moth to a flame, I was drawn into the article. It took only a few moments to read the article before I quickly realized that, yep, these are some of the same questions that I’ve asked myself, my girlfriends, and my doctor. So, to spare any of you mothers to be the need to ask any of these questions yourself, I figured I would go ahead and address these right here and now. Of course, I’m probably the only person who has genuinely thought one of these myths could be true.

1. Deep penetration can harm the fetus: FALSE. Your baby is protected in an amniotic sac that is kept in place by a mucus plug (ewww, I know), so regardless as to how uh-hum large your husband/partner may be, he can not penetrate the protective cocoon you baby is encased in.
2. Contractions from an orgasm can cause a miscarriage: FALSE. Not to worry. Orgasms are A-Ok! Orgasms are indeed contractions, but they are contractions of the uterine muscles. So, nothing to really worry about there.
3. Sex can induce labor: FALSE. And to think I have to use the acronym WTF?!?! After all, the first time I heard that was when Rachel was pregnant with Ross’ child on Friends and she wanted to have sex to get the baby out. Yes, I know, relying on a television show for education was a poor choice on my side, but it did provide for good entertainment. You can;however, have a contraction after sex as there is a hormone present in semen which can cause these contractions.
4. Post-sex bleeding is a sign of damage: FALSE. During sex, the cervix can get very soft and pliable which can in turn lead to the occasional spotting. Don’t be concerned unless it becomes a more substantial amount.
5. The baby will know: FALSE. Ok, so I must admit that this thought has crossed my mind especially now when I read that my child can hear me. Do I really want to traumatize him with the fact that his parents are having sex while he’s still in the womb? It just seems a little taboo to me, plus going back to myth #1, my husband and I worried about our son possibly getting a little semen in his eye. Crazy, I know, but we do have ridiculous imaginations, that’s why I’m a writer. While my son can hear me and can feel me moving, he doesn’t know what I’m saying or what I’m doing. His brain has been developing, but not to the point where he will be able to store mommy and daddy knocking the boots in his long term memory. WHEW!

So, just a few myths that I’m hoping at least one or two of you have thought about and considered, but that can now be debunked.