By Amy Henry Say goodbye to the nausea and exhaustion that dimmed your desire during the first trimester—you’re heading into a time of renewed sexual energy. Research shows that expecting couples make love an average of 1.2 times per week in the second trimester. Your hormonal changes make arousal easier now, and excitement over the new life inside you lends an irresistible glow. Here’s how to rediscover your drive and reconnect with your partner. Embrace Your New Body Those extra pounds a growing baby brings can tempt you to hide your figure under a big shirt, but a big attitude fix works even better. Women experience greater sexual satisfaction when they feel positive about pregnancy and find their pregnant bodies attractive, studies say. “You really want to change the framework of how you think about yourself,” says Allana Pratt, radio and television’s Sexy Mom Expert. “You’re going to give birth—a miracle—and that’s powerful and sexy.” Dawn Metcalf of Suffield, CT, found that whether she felt voluptuous or flabby depended on her mood. But she also noticed a change in other people’s attitudes toward her weight gain. “What before was looked down upon as ‘fat’ or ‘heavy’ was now worth praise for how ‘big’ I’d gotten, how ‘healthy’ I looked,” she says. Many men delight in the rounded belly and larger breasts of pregnancy, says Ruth Westheimer, Ph.D., renowned psychosexual therapist and co-author of Dr. Ruth’s Pregnancy Guide for Couples. Metcalf’s husband loved it when she began to show, and her belly became a magnet for his hands. The bottom line: Flaunt what you’ve got. As Pratt says, “Men respond to what we think about ourselves. A woman who knows she’s sexy is sexy to a man.” Don’t Fight Those Feelings Your blossoming belly speaks the truth: You’re going to be a mom. And that shift in roles can leave you both buoyant and blue. Vikki Kelleher of Los Angeles found herself crying a lot as her pregnancy progressed. “I think I was grieving the life I was about to let go of,” she says. “I’d tell my husband, ‘I’m crying. I don’t know why. I feel crazy.’” Pregnancy hormones certainly intensify your emotions. But Westheimer cautions against blaming every emotional hiccup on your pregnancy—at least directly.