The spoons position or spooning is both a

sexual position A sex position is a position of the body that people use for sexual intercourse or other sexual activities. Sexual acts are generally described by the positions the participants adopt in order to perform those acts. Though sexual intercourse g ...

and a cuddling technique. The name derives from the way that two

spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily f ...

s may be positioned side by side, with bowls aligned. The sexual spoons position is a form of a rear-entry position, another form being the doggy style position. The spoons sex position has been called one of the "basic four" sex positions.

Practice

In the spoons cuddling position, one partner lies on one side with knees bent while the other partner lies with his or her front pressed against their back. The spoons cuddling position is not limited to two people. In the sex position, the receiving partner would be in the inner spoon position and the penetrator is in the outer spoon in preparation for rear-entry penetration. For penetration, the partners may separate their upper bodies, with just the pelvises connecting, and their legs can also rest on top of each other. The receiving partner may lift the upper knee to allow for easier penetration.Locker, Sari.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amazing Sex
' (Penguin, 2005), pp. 194-195. During heterosexual sexual activity, the penetrating partner can caress the woman's

stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...

and stimulate her

breast The breast is one of two prominences located on the upper ventral region of a primate's torso. Both females and males develop breasts from the same embryological tissues. In females, it serves as the mammary gland, which produces and sec ...

s, the back of the neck and ears, and

clitoris The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the op ...

. The woman can stimulate her own clitoris or her partner's

scrotum The scrotum or scrotal sac is an anatomical male reproductive structure located at the base of the penis that consists of a suspended dual-chambered sac of skin and smooth muscle. It is present in most terrestrial male mammals. The scrotum co ...

.Sallie Foley, Sally A. Kope, Dennis P. Sugrue.
Sex Matters for Women: A Complete Guide to Taking Care of Your Sexual Self
' (Guilford Press, 2001), pp. 238-239. In addition, the

penis A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males d ...

stimulates the front of the

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

, and may stimulate an area that is commonly termed ''the

G-spot The G-spot, also called the Gräfenberg spot (for German gynecologist Ernst Gräfenberg), is characterized as an erogenous area of the vagina that, when stimulated, may lead to strong sexual arousal, powerful orgasms and potential female ejacu ...

''.Rosenau, Douglas E.
A Celebration of Sex
' (Thomas Nelson Inc, 2002), p. 147. Along with the doggy style position, this may be the best position from which to stimulate this area. Variations on this position include the partners lying on their sides face-to-face or in the scissors position.Kalish, Nancy.
The Nice Girl's Guide to Sensational Sex
' (iUniverse, 2003), p. 182.

Anal sex Anal sex or anal intercourse is generally the insertion and thrusting of the erect penis into a person's anus, or anus and rectum, for sexual pleasure.Sepages 270–271for anal sex information, anpage 118for information about the clitoris. ...

is also possible in this position, along with use of a vibrator.

Advantages and disadvantages

The spoons position allows for a great deal of

physical intimacy Physical intimacy is sensual proximity or touching. It is an act or reaction, such as an expression of feelings (including close friendship, platonic love, romantic love or sexual attraction), between people. Examples of physical intimacy i ...

, as there is full-body contact which allows for cuddling.Julia Heiman, Joseph Lopiccolo, David Palladini.
Becoming Orgasmic: A Sexual and Personal Growth Program for Women
' (Simon and Schuster, 1987), p. 203. Both partners have control of the angle and depth of penetration, and slow, low-intensity sex can last for a long time because it usually takes longer for the man to reach

orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling") or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region chara ...

. However, there is little visual stimulation for either partner, as they are not facing one another and cannot see each other's bodies fully. The penis can also slip out easily. The spoons position may be preferred by couples who have just woken up or are very tired. It may be used if the woman is

pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...

, even during the last trimester, because it does not put any pressure on the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...

. It is also good for those recovering from illness or surgery, or the elderly, because it puts less strain on muscles.

History

Most Roman

erotic art Erotic art is a broad field of the visual arts that includes any artistic work intended to evoke erotic arousal. It usually depicts human nudity or sexual activity, and has included works in various visual mediums, including drawings, engr ...

depicted couples in the spoons position.Younger, John Grimes.
Sex in the Ancient World from A to Z
' (Psychology Press, 2005), p. 124.

References

External links

* {{Sex positions Sex positions

Practice

Advantages and disadvantages

History

References

Further reading

External links