Pregnancy has ruined his sex drive

[Louise0808]

Did anyone else's partners stop having sex with them when they were pregnant? Intimacy all together actually.
He hasn't wanted sex much at all during the pregnancy. I'm in the 3rd trimester now. We've now gone 6 weeks without anything, no sex, no kissing, no cuddling. Nothing.
I have no complaints with anything else in our relationship but this part is really upsetting me. I feel fat, ugly and unattractive. I've tried to initiate it a few times but I get knocked back because he's tired. I know I shouldn't but I'm starting to resent him. We have spoke about it and had rows and he says its just work, he's tired, we will get back to it soon. And we rarely do. I'm struggling with feeling rejected all the time, I know that sounds silly.
I cant force him. If he doesn't fancy me like this then I get it. But I'd rather he was honest so I could stop looking an idiot by trying it on with him.

Some men will avoid sex during pregnancy, for various reasons it could be that they fear hurting the baby or you or torn between lover / mother or are thinking about up coming fatherhood or a million other reasons

Which I understand to a degree but given I've had children previously and that man cheated constantly during my pregnancies ( I found out later on), I do not want to be viewed as just a mother again. Me and my partner have had discussions about this. How we are still us, not just mum and dad, we still need to make time for each other and be intimate, which he is fully on board with when we talk about it. But the reality is different.
I could probably be okay with the lack of sex if there were other forms of affection and intimacy, but there isn't. He keeps me at arms length or at least thats how it feels.

Mine refused after about 16 weeks when I started to show. We had an incident of bleeding after sex at 12/13 weeks and it freaked him out a bit. It was an IVF pregnancy and I think there were all sorts of emotions going on.

Some men are happy to, some aren’t. Mine wouldn’t even talk to me about it at the time. I only found out recently the reasons why and our child is 8 now.

Try not to worry and enjoy being pregnant.

I am enjoying my pregnancy. I just want some type of affection or intimacy from my partner. Which doesn't feel possible.

Happened to me too, during both my pregnancies.
DH explained that to be aroused, be atrracted to me that way and have sex with me, he had to see me in a certain way.
But during pregnancy, all he could see was a precious woman carrying his child, and he felt an intense need to protect me and the unborn baby. It just didn't add up in his mind to also have sex.
We always had a good sex life before and after pregnancy.

However, it would worry me that your husband has stopped giving you any kind of affection. Could be that he fears it would lead to sex and doesn't want to lead you on?
I'd discuss it with him, maybe even accept that there won't be any sex until after the baby's born but you do insist on affection and intimacy being part of your life.

Was never an issue for me with wife during her two pregnancies but in this case I wonder if he's being overcautious and worrying unnecessarily about causing harm, maybe he needs some reassurance. Does he usually initiate or is he happy for you to make first move too? Maybe worth a conversation telling him how much you need some affection too.

My husband and I carried on as normal throughout my last pregnancy ( older kids were with an ex who also didn't have a problem).I was a lot more orgasmic due to heightened sense of sensitivity all over my body. However, I think some men are afraid of hurting their pregnant partner and the huge change to their body can be a shock, especially if it's their first. I think maybe some are anxious about the change to their lives that is coming and so " check out" in a way.
I don't think it's any reason to not expect some kind of intimacy, though. He should be cuddling and massaging you even more, as you're carrying his child. Have you asked him about it?