If you feel very unattractive during pregnancy due to size / clumsiness / lack of energy, lack of closeness with hubby / partner, what are the coping strategies?
My hubby has "gone off" intimacy, it was very similar with my first pregnancy if not even worse (if it can get any worse!) this time with number 2. I think I trust the fact that he is not looking elsewhere (although never 100% certain), no evidence of this even if doubts during hormone influenced moments (which I don't suffer from that frequently).
I think he misses closeness as I do but he always initiates so I don't think being pro active is a possibility. He is not much of a talker so I don't really push big conversations like this, we are both very busy looking after baby 1, paying the bills, keeping things going etc.
Closeness did "revive" after baby number 1, and the lack of during my first pregnancy resulted in a very passionate but quick conception of baby number 2, which in some ways was good (we both wanted 2) but in some ways has made me feel "out of bounds" and unattractive for a very long time now (2 pregnancies in close succession) and I know it will go on till after I stop breastfeeding number 2 (ages away).
Other independent strategies such as buying myself some new clothes / new hairdo etc cannot be a regular thing due to lack of cash. Has anyone else found any successful strategies of self esteem etc when faced with a similar type of situation.