Email your question for our experts to: [email protected]
Please note that experts unfortunately cannot respond to each question personally. The answers provided on these pages should not replace the advice of your doctor.
DISTURBED BABY?
Q I am 22 weeks pregnant with my first child. When I am in the shower or even after intimacy, my womb feels as if it tenses up into a tight ball. Could my baby be disturbed by this?
What you are describing sounds like the slight contractions of the uterus known as Braxton Hicks contractions. Your uterus contracts continuously during pregnancy, but you are not usually able to feel this until the second half of your pregnancy. The release of oxytocin during lovemaking can cause these gentle contractions and, in some cases, when you become dehydrated or you overwork or are distressed emotionally, they may be more intense due
