Pregnant Labor Sex

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Pregnant Labor Sex

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Ashley Mateo has over a decade's worth of experience covering fitness, health, travel, and more for publications including the WSJ, Men's Journal, Women's Health, and more.

There are a lot of myths out there about ways to trigger labor including eating spicy foods, dancing, taking a shot of castor oil, and others. The point is, that by the time a woman is 40 weeks pregnant, she's ready to do pretty much anything to get that baby out of her body.


In fact, nearly 30 percent of 2,400 mothers surveyed by maternity care organization Childbirth Connection reported trying to induce labor on their own.


But one of the most persistent myths is whether having sex can actually induce labor. After all, it's what got you into this situation...can it help you out of it?


Not officially. "There have been many studies on sex-inducing labor and most studies have not been able to find that the role of sexual intercourse can be used as a method of induction of labor," said Jessica Shepherd, MD , OB-GYN, and director of minimally invasive gynecology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago.


According to a 2022 study published in American Family Physician , although exercise and nipple stimulation can increase the likelihood of spontaneous labor, sexual intercourse may not be effective.


And a 2019 meta-analysis published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine looked at clinical trials involving 1,483 women. The authors write that sexual intercourse during pregnancy is commonly believed to trigger the onset of contractions and, therefore, labor. However, in low-risk pregnancies, there is neither association with preterm birth, premature rupture of membranes, or low birth weight, nor with spontaneous onset of labor at term.


That said, it's not a totally bogus idea. There are a couple of theories as to why sex could prime the body for labor . For starters, there's the fact that sex causes mechanical irritation of the cervix, said Felice Gersh, MD, OB-GYN, and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine in California.


"During sex, the physical rubbing and touching of the cervix by the penis can potentially affect the cervical mucous and stimulate the release of labor-stimulating substances in people with a history of early labor or of a weak cervix," said Gersh.


Sex also involves two hormones that are crucial to labor, prostaglandins, and oxytocin. "Human semen is the biological source that is presumed to contain the highest prostaglandin concentration," said Shepherd, and unprotected sex is definitely going to introduce that to the cervix. Prostaglandins soften and open the cervix, which could lead to the onset of contractions, according to the American Family Physician study.


"Meanwhile, orgasms trigger a surge of oxytocin release, which is key to the production of labor contractions," said Gersh.


"Studies have found that your body releases oxytocin upon orgasm, a hormone similar to Pitocin—the drug healthcare providers use to start or speed up labor because it causes uterine contractions," said Nita Landry, MD , OB-GYN, and co-host of talk show The Doctors . If you have post-climax contractions, you could theoretically trick your body into thinking it's time for labor contractions, but that hasn't been proven.


A quick Google search will show that there's a lot of debate around the best sex positions to induce labor—but that's a moot point. Labor is brought on by hormonal changes, as explained above, so your sexual position doesn't really matter. What matters (in theory) is that you orgasm.


All of this is hypothetical, so don't freak out about having sex before your due date. An orgasm isn't going to spontaneously send you into labor too early. If you have concerns or have had any issues with your pregnancy, talk to your healthcare provider. Unless they tell you otherwise, though, sex is totally safe throughout the entirety of your pregnancy (except after your water has broken; that can lead to infections).


For people with normal, complication-free pregnancies, sex is only likely to trigger labor if they're full-term or past-term. So if you are at that point and you just can't take another day, go ahead and get it on.


Originally Published: Feb. 10, 2016
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Plus, how to make sure you’re doing it safely.
I totally understand the allure of a pregnant person’s curvaceous figure and fertility-driven pheromones. I know first-hand how a mom-to-be’s libido can rev up well into week 40. And while having sex might naturally induce labor as the big day nears — my midwife called it “due date insurance” as semen softens the cervix, and having an orgasm can cause uterine contractions — apparently some people have sex during labor, too. Which led me to wondering, can you really have sex while in labor? Is that even possible? Comfortable? Safe?
Speaking as someone who vividly remembers the body-rocking contractions and intense nausea during labor — not to mention the constant in-flow of nurses and visitors checking vitals and chatting — I truly can’t fathom thinking, “You know what sounds good right about now? Some sex.”
And yet not everyone would agree. Sometimes getting it on when you’re about to have a baby makes for a bit of an unconventional solution to getting the ball rolling. “It’s well-known that the ejaculate of sperm contains prostaglandins that help soften the cervix and help bring on contractions,” board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Sherry Ross, M.D. tells Romper. “During sex, the natural hormone oxytocin is produced, [which] can also help bring on uterine contractions.” While this may not sound like the most comfortable thing in the world, it’s an effective method to induce labor for some.
Plus, sex might be just the thing to help you relax in an intense and strenuous situation. “Mentally, sex and orgasms can reduce stress and anxiety, and bring a closeness to you and your partner during an otherwise stressful time,” Ross explains. Whatever your reason may be, there are a few safety measures to keep in mind if you’re considering getting intimate that close to delivering.
First of all, what does “labor” mean, exactly? “Defining labor can be different for every woman,” Ross tells Romper. “Medically speaking, labor can mean having regular uterine contractions that cause cervical changes [or] dilation ,” she says. According to John Hopkins Medicine , labor is defined as a series of continuous and progressing contractions, and it usually starts within two weeks before or after the due date.
When it comes to having sex during labor, “the concerns are always related to infection,” Ross says. “Having sex can push harmful bacteria from the vagina into the protective space of the baby. Infections inside the uterus where the baby is located can cause fetal distress and increase the risk of an infection affecting the baby.”
Having sex during early labor, she says, is probably safe, but sex is not recommended after your water breaks because of increased risk of infection. “These harmful bacteria can lead to fever and fetal distress in some circumstances, increasing the risk of needing a C-section. It's not recommended to have sex once your water breaks,” she explains. “The truth is there are very limited numbers on [how many] couples are having sex after the water breaks, so hard to say how common it actually happens,” Ross tells Romper. “The recommendation for a woman who has broken her bag of water is not to take a bath, swim in a pool, take a jacuzzi, or have sexual intercourse.”
As your cervix prepares for labor, you will lose your mucus plug. This will generally happen around 37 weeks of pregnancy, but it does not mean you’re in labor. “It does mean that this protective ‘plug’ is gone, so there could potentially mean an increased risk of infection … [this] doesn’t necessarily mean you cannot have sex,” Ross explains, adding that in general, couples can have sex after the mucus plug is lost as long as the doctor has given the green light. “Discussing these issues with your healthcare provider is always recommended so that you don’t increase your risk of infection.”
Whether a pregnant person can safely have sex after losing the mucus plug may also depend on which week of pregnancy they are in. Board-certified OB/GYN Paula Anderson previously told Romper that if you lose your mucus plug before 36 weeks, you should see your doctor for an evaluation before having sex, because you could be totally fine continuing to get it on during this period. And if you’re after 37 weeks, it depends if you have other “symptoms of delivery,” she said. So, when you lose your mucus plug, you’ll need to have your doctor “evaluate whether the cervix has been softened and dilated at that stage,” Anderson told Romper. From there, they’ll tell you if having sex would create any increased risk of infection.
Knowing the risks of vaginal penetration during labor, Michelle R., a 25-year-old mom, tells Romper how she got some unconventional action before delivering. “I had to be admitted to the hospital after my water partially broke because I had Group B strep,” she says. “My contractions weren’t strong, and we were getting really impatient, so our nurse suggested nipple stimulation . My husband volunteered to help with the stimulation, so we went into the bathroom, I took off my bra, and he immediately got turned on.” Michelle briefly considered having sex before remembering that her water broke a few hours earlier. But that didn’t stop her and her husband from getting it on. “I blew him, right in the hospital bathroom,” she recalls. “We never told anyone about it; sometimes I wonder if I’m the only person in history to give her husband a blow job while she’s in labor.”
“Nipple stimulation can definitely bring on contractions,” Ross tells Romper. “Sometimes nipple stimulation can bring on a burst of uterine contractions for hours, and then they can stop depending on [whether] your body is ready to go into labor.” She also gives the go-ahead for couples to make like Michelle and try oral sex during labor: “Giving oral sex is not contraindicated while in labor if that is something you want to do for your partner.”
While Michelle probably isn’t the only one, it’s still impressive nonetheless. And yet for some pregnant couples, getting down during labor isn’t a matter of sky-high libido or unexpected arousal.
For some — like Anne O., a 30-year-old mom of three, it’s done out of sheer necessity. “I was in early labor and super duper uncomfortable,” Anne recalls. “[The baby] was already late, well over 40 weeks, and I was growing bigger by the minute. My contractions would start up and then die down a few hours later. So the night before my scheduled induction, we had sex as soon as my contractions started up. It was really uncomfortable and not fun for anyone. But within 24 hours, I had the baby. No induction needed.”
But before you try sex as the end-all to induce labor, know that Ross says it’s not actually proven to work in every situation. “It’s true that a man’s ejaculate contains prostaglandins, which can help soften the cervix, but it doesn’t [necessarily] bring on labor,” she tells Romper. “In Anne's case, she is already in early labor, so having sex certainly can't hurt, especially if her water is not broken. Sex may have helped continued the process of labor, but [it’s] hard to say if it prevented a scheduled induction.”
Moral of the story, folks: Sex during labor can be uncomfortable, but it’s not necessarily always a bad idea, as long as you get it on before your water breaks. Just be sure you’re doing it safely, and remember that it’s always best to chat with your healthcare provider a good bit in advance.
Dr. Sherry Ross, M.D. , OB/GYN, women’s health expert, author of She-ology, and co-founder of URJA Intimates skin care
Paula Anderson , board-certified OB/GYN
This article was originally published on Feb. 10, 2016

If you're full term, chances are you're pretty eager for baby to come—and may be wondering if you can have sex to induce labor. Here’s what to know.
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By the time the end of the third trimester rolls around, many moms-to-be are eager to put pregnancy behind them and meet their baby. We get it: After nine+ months of aches, pains and discomforts, it’s no wonder you’re ready to move on. As you approach your due date, you may be wondering when labor will start—and whether there’s anything you can do to induce labor naturally . So it begs the question: Does sex induce labor? Keep reading to get the lowdown from experts on whether or not you can use sex to induce labor, plus what you need to know about this method before giving it a try.
Before trying to have sex to induce labor—or using any at-home induction methods, for that matter—check in with your doctor or midwife to get the green light. To allow for critical fetal development, it’s important to let the pregnancy come to full term whenever possible. Experts define “term” as 37 through 40 weeks and “full term” as 39 to 40 weeks. “Babies tend to do best when born during weeks 39 and 40, with babies born before 39 weeks having a higher risk of breathing problems, developing infections and spending time in the NICU,” says Jessica Shepherd, MD, an ob-gyn at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and chief medical officer at VeryWell Health. “A baby’s lungs, liver and brain continue to develop during those last weeks of pregnancy. It also reduces the likelihood of vision and hearing problems, gives the baby time to gain sufficient weight and promotes being able to suck, swallow and stay awake after birth long enough to eat.”
Once you’re 39 weeks pregnant, it’s generally safe to deliver, according to Rebekah Mustaleski, a certified professional midwife and compression director with Motif Medical . At this point, as long as you have your provider’s approval, “you can start doing natural things to get labor started,” she says. So can sex induce labor?
The short answer is no. “Unless your body is ready to go into labor, having sex won’t prompt the onset of labor in a healthy pregnancy, even if you’re full term,” Mustaleski says. But while it won’t send you into labor, sex could potentially help things along. Here’s the deal:
Sex in late pregnancy has long been touted as an at-home method for bringing on labor contractions—and there’s some sound logic behind it. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances found in semen and released by a woman’s body during sex. These prostaglandins help ripen the cervix, Shepherd says, which is the softening of the cervix that has to happen in order for dilation to begin and labor to progress. In fact, doctors use synthetic prostaglandins to ripen the cervix when inducing labor.
“It’s true that semen can help start preparing your cervix to open and dilate, but it won’t put you into labor,” Mustaleski says. “It might make your cervix more responsive to your contractions once you are in labor, though, so sex at the end of pregnancy is usually a good thing!”
During orgasm (and when her nipples are stimulated), a woman’s body also releases oxytocin—the same hormone that drives labor contractions. “It’s what causes all of those wonderful feelings during climax. It’s also why some women feel crampy after they have sex, because the oxytocin is also causing the uterus to contract,” Mustaleski explains. “But unless your body is already prepared for labor, the oxytocin released during orgasm isn’t going to put you into labor. There are several other hormones required to complete the ‘labor cocktail,’ and without all of them, you’ll just have a good time with your partner.”
According to Casey Selzer, certified nurse midwife and director of education at Oula , there isn’t enough research to support the claim that you can use sex to induce labor.
A 2012 study looked at 1,100 pregnant women and found no direct relationship between having sex late in pregnancy and inducing labor. A smaller 2014 study looked at whether vaginal intercourse could induce labor at term and similarly found no direct relationship. More recently, a larger 2019 study , using data sets from three trials and close to 1,500 women, also found that vaginal intercourse didn’t help induce labor at term.
Still, the research on using sex to induce labor isn’t entirely black and white. A 2005 study found that breast stimulation appeared to help induce labor, but further research was needed. A small 2006 study concluded that sex at term was associated with a reduced requirement of induction at 41 weeks, and a 2015 study concluded that sex in the last week of pregnancy might be associated with the onset of labor. The key takeaway from all three? While there was some indication that sex might help bring on labor, there is no definitive cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
If you’re concerned that having sex may push you into preterm labor , experts say that unless your provider has advised against sex due to a medical condition, you have nothing to worry about. “There is no evidence to support that sex during pregnancy causes preterm labor when no other medical risk factors for preterm labor are present,” Selzer says. “Because there is no evidence that sex actually induces labor, unless there is a medical complication such as placenta previa or a high risk of preterm labor, sex has been proven to be completely safe in pregnancy, regardless of the number of weeks you are.”
You may notice a tightening of your uterus after sex due to Braxton Hicks contractions , she adds, but these aren’t labor contractions and will go away after a while. If you’re experiencing regular uterine cramping after sex that doesn’t resolve or any vaginal bleeding or fluid leakage, contact your provider.
When it comes to having sex late in pregnancy, you should always listen to your body. If you’re anxious about having sex, then don’t, Mustaleski says. After all, if you’re worried about its effects on your pregnancy, you won’t be able to enjoy it. (Plus, there are plenty of other ways for you and your partner to be intimate.) “To help put your mind at ease, though, I will remind you that unless your body is already prepared to go into labor, having sex won’t make you have a baby,” Mustaleski adds. “If only it were that simple—we wouldn’t need all of the labor-inducing medications and methods we’ve developed.”
While sex isn’t guaranteed to help you meet baby sooner, as long as you have
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