Ashley Graham Talks Sex While Pregnant: 'This Has to Be a Normal Conversation Among Mothers'

Ashley Graham is opening up about all the details of her pregnancy journey.

In a recent interview with Vogue as one of their four January 2020 cover stars, the model and first time mom-to-be got real about sex while pregnant.

“I feel like every relationship goes in waves of sex,” she told the magazine. “You’re like, ‘Hey, do we need to plan this?’ And now, with pregnancy, things have been really different.”

“Because there’s this huge bulge that can be sensitive if you lay on it or go into a new position,” Graham, 32, continued. “I’ve been literally asking every single one of my friends who have had babies or who’re pregnant, like, ‘What positions do you guys do?’ This has to be a normal conversation among mothers.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories

Ashley Graham for Vogue | Annie Leibovitz
Ashley Graham for Vogue | Annie Leibovitz

RELATED: Ashley Graham Reveals She Gets Dozens of Acupuncture Needles in Her Face to Help with Pregnancy

Elsewhere in the interview, Graham explained how she’s been relying on female friends — including Amy Schumer and Serena Williams, both mothers of one — throughout her pregnancy.

“There’s just this camaraderie,” the model said of being friends with other pregnant women. “It’s a secret society that I didn’t know about.”

“I was hiding my pregnancy for the first four months,” Graham continued. “I’ve always had control over my body … but I had this life inside of me saying, ‘It’s not yours anymore, it’s mine.’ And you have to just succumb. And I felt like I didn’t have anyone to talk to.”

She added: “I was gaining weight rapidly. And I felt alone. And the one piece of advice that my stylist, Jordan Foster, gave me was, ‘Make pregnant friends.’ None of my friends were in relationships, let alone pregnant. And now I have nine pregnant friends.”

Ashley Graham and Amy Schumer | Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Ashley Graham and Amy Schumer | Jamie McCarthy/Getty

RELATED: Ashley Graham Cries While Opening Up About Why She Posted Pregnancy Photo of Her Stretch Marks

One of Graham’s new friends was Schumer, 38, who welcomed her first child, son Gene, in May and recently gave Graham a tour of her nursery.

“I was like, ‘Come over and I’ll just tell you what I have learned and what I wish I knew,’ ” Schumer told Vogue. ” ‘Cause it’s a lot. People are so in your face when you’re pregnant because they’re so f—ing excited for you. And you don’t get it. You can’t possibly get it. And then after you’ve had a baby you’re like, ‘Oh, I get it!’ “

Williams, too, says she has stayed in touch with Graham throughout her pregnancy. (The tennis star, 38, is mom to 2-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia.)

“I text her anything that rolls off my mind,” Williams told the magazine. “I was one of those people who wanted to know every ugly detail of what happens … down there … what happens everywhere. Like, why are my nipples so big a week into being pregnant? This makes no sense; the baby doesn’t need to eat yet. I wanted to know every single thing, and I still love talking about it.”

Ashley Graham and husband Justin Ervin at their baby shower | Kelly Taub/BFA
Ashley Graham and husband Justin Ervin at their baby shower | Kelly Taub/BFA

RELATED: Pregnant Ashley Graham Crushes Lindsey Vonn ‘TWICE!’ on an Indoor Skiing Machine

Graham, who is expecting a baby boy with her husband Justin Ervin, celebrated their son on the way during a baby shower in New York City in November.

“In addition to celebrating our baby at our shower, it was important that we showed love to the new moms too!” Graham told PEOPLE exclusively of the event, which was attended by 100 loved ones, including Gayle King.

“One of the greatest parts of this pregnancy journey has been making friends with and bonding with other moms,” she added at the time.