(In the short term, that is.)
From an Ohio State University Medical Center press release:
Women who were sexually active in the final three weeks of their pregnancies carried their babies an average of 39.9 weeks, compared to average delivery at 39.3 weeks among women who abstained from sexual activity at term.
“Patients may continue to hear the ‘old wives’ tale’ that intercourse will hasten labor, but according to this data, they should not hear it from the medical community,” concludes Dr. Jonathan Schaffir, an obstetrician at OSU Medical Center and author of the study published in the June issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Well, what do you know. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard it said that sex at the end of pregnancy encourages labor to start.
Question: Does this now spell the end of the recommendation that women at risk for preterm labor avoid intercourse?
bearing blog 