Sexual Aspects of Getting Pregnant (Conception and Preconception)

Abstract

AbstractWhereas the start of trying to become pregnant tends to be pleasurable for many couples, that pleasure easily can get lost when it takes longer than the couple had expected. One of the explanations for that is a higher age when starting this process, combined with the idea of the malleability of life that gradually developed in many high-income countries. ‘Still not being pregnant’ can be a real blow to a couple’s identity, one of the reasons behind decreased sexual desire and ‘conception inefficiency’. Usually, that has nothing to do with infertility but with poor logistics in the area between sexual pleasure, couple pleasure, couple expectations and ‘good conception sex’. This chapter will explain the road to such conception inefficiency and offer relevant elements of ‘good conception sex’ and information for the HCP towards preventing the couple from getting into this downward inefficiency.From the principle of ‘chain care’, the focus of good care should also be on the future. After all, most couples plan a pregnancy more or less to reach happy parenthood and happy couplehood. So this chapter includes sexuality in pre-conception care, a completely new approach with ideas on preventing sexual disturbances in the conception phase but also already in the last stage of pregnancy and post-partum.This chapter is part of ‘Midwifery and Sexuality’, a Springer Nature open-access textbook for midwives and related healthcare professionals.