Romance During Pregnancy: 5 Tips to Keep It Hot

For the nine months you’re pregnant, you’re thinking about ways you can bond with your baby and researching how to be a good mother. But don’t forget, there’s another relationship you should be concerned about: The one with your partner!

With all the big changes happening, it can be easy to put your relationship on the backburner. However, now is the last chance you have alone with you partner and every bonding experience you have now will help strengthen your relationship in the years to come.

Here are 5 tips to keeping romance during pregnancy.

Weekly Date Night

Before you got pregnant, it may have seemed like you and your partner had all the time in the world to spend together. As you get further into your pregnancy, you see that time dwindling. When your baby arrives, you’ll have even less time, so now is the time to get into the habit of scheduling dates.

Depending on both of your work and commitment schedules, pick a night you can dedicate to just your partner each week. Having a set date will force you to put down the phones, the social media and the baby preparation. It will be a time to nurture your relationship and make your partnership even stronger.

Since your mood and comfort levels will change throughout your pregnancy, it’s best to plan home dates. Going out for every date can be exhausting and could give you a reason to cancel. Creating a list of stay-in dates will ensure that you keep your date schedule every week.

Create a Date Jar

Spending time with your partner will become more romantic when you have a new date planned every week. Instead of discussing each week what you will do that night, you can create a date jar.

Sit down with your partner and write out some pregnancy-friendly at-home date ideas, each on separate pieces of paper. To make it really easy, you may also write out how to prepare for that date or what to have on hand. Place the ideas into a jar. Each week, pull out an idea and enjoy!

Not sure what to put in your date at-home jar? Here are a few ideas:

• Movie night. Depending on your mood and the time available, you can choose one movie, or make it a themed movie marathon. Be sure to have all the essentials ready: Popcorn, snacks, drinks and a warm blanket.

• Mini-vacation. Once you’re pregnant, you realize that a vacation is far, far away. However, you can still recreate your dream vacation at home. Pick you and your partner’s favorite destination and theme your entire date around that country. For example, if you choose France, prepare French food, French dessert, French mocktails and drinks, French movies and any activities that represent the country’s culture.

• Three-course dinner. Cooking can be really romantic if you both do it together. Choose a dish you have been dying to try and base your meal around it.

• Game night. If you don’t have many board games, now is the time to invest. Games are great for bonding — both with children and your partner. Board games often get a bad rap, but there is more than just the never-ending game of Monopoly. Check out your local thrift store and discover the many classic and new types of board games.

• Breakfast for dinner date. If you and your partner enjoy breakfast, why not make it a date!? If you don’t have time for brunch, make it in the evening when both you and your partner have time to wind down. You can even pair your breakfast dinner with some Saturday morning cartoons!

• If you were a fan of wine or beer tastings, you don’t have to give up the activity entirely — you just need to switch the tasting to something non-alcoholic. You and your partner can enjoy a night at home sampling different types of foods: premium meats and cheeses, ice cream, mocktails and more.

• Partner trivia quiz. Create a trivia quiz to see how well you know each other. Not only is this an interesting game, but it’s sure to create tons of laughs and bring you even closer by the night’s end.

Monthly Date Out On the Town

Although most of your dates will likely take place inside your home, it’s a good idea to have a date out on the town once a month. Every relationship needs a little excitement once and a while, and it should be no different when you’re pregnant.

At first, going out while you’re pregnant may seem a little strange: All of your friends are drinking at the bar and that’s just not your scene these days. However, there are many different types of activities you can do with your partner that get you outside of the house and enjoying yourself.

On the nights you feel up to it, trade your at-home date for a night on the town. Your body is changing, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feel sexy. Pamper yourself and get dressed up like you used to. If you don’t already own one, purchase a long flowy dress for your date. Not only will you feel beautiful, but the loose clothing with make your belly feel comfortable, too!

Now that you’re all dressed up, where should you go? Here are a few alcohol-free ideas:

• Check out a new restaurant in town. Perhaps create a bucket list of restaurants you want to try before the baby comes.

• Check out a new area. Choose an area of your city that you haven’t been to or haven’t checked out in awhile. Walk around and discover everything the area has to offer.

• Go to the movies. If you’re having a craving for movie theater popcorn, this is the place to be!

• Check out local events. Many cities have online event calendars that display new activities you may have never thought of, such as plays, exhibits, festivals and more.

• Go out for ice cream. Short and simple dates such as going out for ice cream or a coffee might be the best option if you’re in the later months of your pregnancy.

• Take a class. You and your partner could sign up to learn a new skill together. Classes could include cooking, painting, meditation, chocolate making and more.

• Go for a drive. Pick a place close to, but outside of your city and take a drive there with your partner. You can discover new places or perhaps pack food for a picnic.

• Unlike most sports, bowling doesn’t require a lot of physical activity, but you will both still have some competitive fun!

Understand that Sex is Safe During Pregnancy

When you’re pregnant, you will experience many hormonal changes. When you feel a spike in libido, go for it!

Some expecting mothers worry that sex will hurt their baby. While there are certain precautions you should take, all types of sex are generally considered safe during pregnancy.

Since your belly is growing, the positions you enjoyed before may feel uncomfortable now. Positions such as woman-on-top, spooning and doggie-style are likely to feel the best during pregnancy.

Some couples feel that intercourse during pregnancy is too difficult and instead stick to foreplay.

It’s important to note that certain areas may feel more or less sensitive throughout your pregnancy, and that is normal. You can adjust your sexual activities to how you feel and it’s always best if you communicate those changes to your partner.

Express Your Passion Through Kindness

With morning sickness and fatigue, sometimes sex will be the last thing you’ll want to think about. When this is the case, don’t feel bad about having a low libido. Instead, show your passion and love through kind words to your partner.

Send him nice texts throughout the day to let him know you’re thinking about him. Let him know why you’re thankful for him and why you know he’ll be a great father. Seemingly small acts of kindness can go a big way in keeping the romance alive. When you show this support, he’s likely to send the love right back to you!

Remember that weight gain during pregnancy is nothing to be ashamed of; however, if it’s decreasing your confidence and killing your sex drive, communicate that to your partner. If your sex drive is decreased because of psychological reasons rather than physical reasons, you may be able to change that.

Express your feelings and reach out to your partner saying, “This is how I feel. I need a pep talk!” More than likely, he will shower you with compliments and kind words. Sometimes a little reassurance is all we need to cheer us up and make us feel sexy again.

When sex feels completely off-limits, trade it for other types of physical intimacy. Give each other massages, kisses and cuddles.

Are you trying to keep the romance alive during pregnancy? Comment your date ideas below! Be sure to share this post with your pregnant friends, too!

P.S. For a super romantic bonding experience, use a fetal doppler with your partner. Together, you will be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat at home!