What are some best practices others have found for mitigating risks, particularly STDs that pose a risk to the baby?

Here's are some of the things we do.

1. Be EXTREMELY picky with potential partners. Find other long-term couples who are parents/pregnant and be upfront about the pregnancy. Explain the risks to them about STDs to the baby and have good communication. Ask them about their other partners.

2. Clean test panels. Easier said than done though. Finding partners who have clean test panels is ideal but not always practical or even available. Even with a clean panel, there is still a risk they were infected after the panel and not showing symptoms. At a minimum, ask them directly as most states require legal disclosure for viral STDs.

3. Use protection. Condoms aren't 100% reliable and don't protect against things like herpes, but it's certainly good practice for lowering risks.

4. Test often and be upfront to your doctor. Swinging while pregnant is medically a high-risk sexual activity. At the very least, just asks for more tests with a creative reason. Bacterial STDs can be treated with antibiotics during pregnancy. Viral STDs pose higher risks to the baby later in the pregnancy and things like herpes can be passed during childbirth with an outbreak.

5. Consider a break during the last several weeks since viral STDs pose the highest risk at the end of pregnancy. https://www.cdc.gov/std/pregnancy/stdfact-pregnancy-detailed.htm