New research by TheBabyWebsite.com has revealed that couples have HALF the amount of sex when they are expecting a baby – slipping between the sheets less than twice a week.
And by the end of the first trimester 20 per cent of people abstain from nookie altogether.
Just under half of expectant mums feel like a beached whale when pregnant, rather than the sex siren they were when they met their partner.
And the poll of 3,000 mums revealed that sex gets worse as pregnancy goes on.
One in 10 women say they didn’t have sex for the whole nine months of pregnancy, 12 per cent didn’t show an interest in the bedroom after three months, and 20 per cent gave up trying after six months.
More than four in 10 women found it impossible to feel sexy and ‘in the mood’ for sex, preferring not to bother at all. And a fifth were convinced their partner completely went off them when they were pregnant.
Editor of TheBabyWebsite, Kathryn Crawford, said: "It’s an awkward situation for any couple because the woman is going through huge hormonal changes and physical discomfort, while the man experiences no change whatsoever. This immediately creates a new imbalance in the relationship”.
The poll also revealed that men become increasingly concerned about having sex with their partner – with 26 per cent wanting to stop altogether. A staggering 58 per cent of men were terrified of hurting their partner as she struggled to find a comfortable position in bed.
A quarter of men were worried about hitting the baby’s head and 23 per cent said thinking about the baby was a bit of a turn off.
And despite 33 per cent of couples trying new and interesting positions to try and keep their sex life exciting, 12 per cent of women say their partner felt they were too delicate to be experimental.
Kathryn continues: “Pregnancy can be a strain on any relationship, particularly if the woman has had miscarriages or scares in the past.
It’s important for couples to maintain a level of intimacy throughout – and many people forget that you can be intimate without having sex.”
The average couple has sex six weeks after the baby is born, but even then 30 per cent of women say their partner felt they waited too long.
And after birth couples rarely have as much sex as they used to – sticking with a couple of times a week if sleep deprivation and a crying baby allows it.
More than half of mums said sex was different after having a baby, and 57 per cent say their sex life drastically needs spicing up.
Two thirds of unfortunate mums say that with a newly saggy tummy, stretch marks and varicose veins, they just don’t feel sexy any more.
November 2008 | 
Measles On The Up
