Q: I just found out that I’m pregnant. While it was kind of unexpected, my fiancé and I are really, really happy-- except we don’t know what it’s going to do to our sex life?

Is it alright to have sex when I’m pregnant? Will I even want to? I can already feel so many weird things happening inside my body.

A: Congratulations on your up-and-coming little one! This is a very exciting time for you and your fiance-- and that doesn’t mean that your excitement in the bedroom has to die down.

The answer is, if you’re having a normal pregnancy, you can keep having sex up until your water breaks. The baby is encased in the amniotic sac, and it’s also up in the uterus, so your partner's penis is not going to have any interaction with it.

A more important question is whether or not you will want to have sex. During the first trimester particularly, you may feel moody, ill, and tired. The stress and nerves of parenthood may also affect you. Your breasts may be particularly sore and sexy touching may be the very last thing you desire. Don’t worry though-- by many reports, this will go away in your second trimester.

Remember, if you don’t know your partner’s STD status, it’s still very important to wear a condom during pregnancy sex. Being pregnant doesn’t make you invulnerable to STDs, and some can even be passed along to your baby. It’s also still safe to use a female condom during pregnancy sex.

Oral sex is also still safe during pregnancy, although the further along you get, the more different things down there may look to your partner. Just be sure that he doesn’t have any cold sores (as you would even when you aren’t pregnant) before taking the trip downtown. A dental dam is a great option in case he does.

Also make sure he isn’t blowing air into your vagina. This is another one of those even-if-you-aren't-pregnant precautions. Air getting trapped in the vagina can cause an embolism, which can be fatal to you or your baby.

As you get larger, you may find that your favorite sexual positions aren't really an option anymore. Brainstorm with your partner and test out positions that won't put too much stress on your abdomen. Cowgirl and reverse cowgirl will put your weight on your hips instead of your belly, and many laying-on-your-side positions, like Saucy Spoons, will also help you get comfortable while you're getting down.

There are even some reports that a certain type of sex can ward off morning sickness. According to Dr. Gordon Gallup, giving your fiance a blow job (and swallowing) can make your body more accepting of his cells, present in your little one-- a factor in morning sickness. We’ll take Dr. Gallup’s finding with a grain of salt-- and wonder if he had a pregnant wife at home when he released those findings! But seriously, it could be worth a shot-- if your partner is STD-free and you aren’t feeling too nauseous, of course.

If there are any complications, your doctor will let you know if it’s important to stop having sex of any kind. Additionally, if you experience any pain or weird feelings during sex, it's important to contact your doctor right away.

[Sources: Slate.com, Baby Center.]