Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want to leave my partner over a chocolate cake

665 replies

AreliabfMite · 11/01/2026 17:12

Been with my partner 3 years. The relationship has been fine and we have been genuinely in love. Lived together 2 years.

I’m unexpectedly pregnant, 7 weeks. Partner was terrified at first but has come round to it and says he is looking forward to parenthood but there have been repeated instances of unpleasant and lazy behaviour from him.

I work Monday to Friday 9-6. It’s been shit as I’m exhausted with this pregnancy but life doesn’t stop when you’re pregnant so I’m pushing through it even though it is shit. His work is having a quiet spell at the moment which means he’s only working around 20 hours a week but getting full pay (he’s on a 45 hour contract.) Cooking is all left to me as it “stresses him out” and occasions where I’ve begged him to cook as I’m exhausted and feel sick I have been met with weaponised incompetence, magically forgetting how to make meals he used to make all the time before I moved in. Even household stuff such as folding clothes after they’ve been washed, he will fold them in such a ridiculous manner that I genuinely wonder how the fuck he’s managed to fold it in that shape and then I have to do it all again myself.

I have snapped today. On Saturday I visited my parents who live in another city 2 train rides away. In the city where I changed trains I had an hour to kill. There is a viral slice of chocolate cake (I know…) on Instagram that has been my pregnancy craving, and they had a store in this particular city. They do online orders too but I can never get one as they sell out. I decided to go and treat myself to one. Keep in mind this is a HUGE slice of cake and is essentially a full-size cake just in the shape of a slice.

I had a tiny bit of it (literally one spoon worth) at my parents Saturday evening but it made me feel sick so I put it away. Partner picked me up in the evening and I went straight to bed as I was knackered, cake was left in the fridge.

I was in bed until 1pm today due the pregnancy fatigue, woke up craving the cake. I go down to find he’s eaten the entire thing.

I snapped a bit and stated he knew I’d been craving it. I explained I didn’t mind him having some as it’s huge but to eat all of it was horrible of him. He’s telling me I’m hormonal and need to get over myself but it feels malicious. His excuse was that he was hungry because I didn’t cook last night and didn’t make breakfast this morning. I’m so fucking annoyed at him

OP posts:
Zucker · 11/01/2026 17:34

He will get worse. Baby crying will be too stressful, he won't manage to change a nappy. Making bottles?, far too complicated. 7 weeks into the pregnancy and he's this pathetic already? Why bother, you'll have enough baby to look after when the 9 months are up, so why burden yourself with a man shaped baby too.

monicagellerbing · 11/01/2026 17:34

Do not have a baby with this utter incompetent twat. Your life will be a misery

Lafawnda · 11/01/2026 17:34

It was absolutely a punishment.

OP imagine in 8 months, having given birth, possible stitches, trying to establish breastfeeding, no sleep ....and this pathetic creature expects you to cook for HIM??

Cherrytree86 · 11/01/2026 17:34

EatYourDamnPie · 11/01/2026 17:32

Did you skip comprehension classes in school?

I’m joking! I understand perfectly well. This man is a prick and OP should dump him

Keroppi · 11/01/2026 17:33

Literally why would you tie yourself to this man he will get worse and worse
Cooking breakfast for him? Are you taking the piss or just happy to be a mug

Especially since he's working 20 hours only a week....

hepsitemiz · 11/01/2026 17:33

Yeah, he’s no good.

Whatwouldnanado · 11/01/2026 17:33

Run. You deserve so much better than this. You will be better off on your own.

NotTerfNorCis · 11/01/2026 17:33

You didn't make breakfast? Is he incapable of putting some cornflakes and milk in a bowl? Can he make a cup of tea?

SparklyGlitterballs · 11/01/2026 17:33

OMG, he's showing you who he really is OP, a lazy misogynist pig who expects you to do all the cooking and housework because you're the woman. He has no empathy for your sickness and fatigue either. It won't get any better. Consider carefully if you want to stay with this twat, and also whether you want to co-parent with him. You'll be the one doing all the work in the home and for the baby. I doubt if he'll step up.

BoxingHare · 11/01/2026 17:32

His excuse was that he was hungry because I didn’t cook last night and didn’t make breakfast this morning.

It wouldn't surprise me if he threw it away as a punishment.

So many 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 OP!

He is a prick and things will be much harder if you have this baby.

EatYourDamnPie · 11/01/2026 17:32

Cherrytree86 · 11/01/2026 17:30

its just food OP, its there to be eaten

Did you skip comprehension classes in school?

Iamnotalemming · 11/01/2026 17:32

OMFG what a selfish prick. Id be raging.

Merryoldgoat · 11/01/2026 17:32

Cherrytree86 · 11/01/2026 17:30

its just food OP, its there to be eaten

What a way to miss the point.

3luckystars · 11/01/2026 17:31

Cherrytree86 · 11/01/2026 17:30

its just food OP, its there to be eaten

All, by him.

Without even asking.

If he wants to eat all the babies food, that’s for him too of course.

mondaytosunday · 11/01/2026 17:31

Bloody hell the cake is just the final straw! He is showing you that he will be completely handing over ALL childcare duties to you and will also not lift a finger with household stuff. If you want to raise two babies go ahead. I’d be sitting him down and TELLING him he has to man up and be an adult. I’m afraid though that he will not stick around (or will if you are happy to mother him too).

Fiftyandme · 11/01/2026 17:30

I think you’re being MASSIVELY unreasonable painting this in the way a typical selfish man would. This isn’t over a piece of chocolate cake.

He’s selfish, he’s thoughtless, he’s lazy, he sees unpaid shitwork as your job. He chronically under functions.

AND he’s a gaslighting cunt.

Get a termination (because getting him to step up in any way is going to be more bad there that you won’t need) l, leave him and go be happy.

you have one precious life -and I say that as a 50 year old woman who’s had more than her fill of gaslighting, chronically under functioning, emotionally toxic, cunts.

Cherrytree86 · 11/01/2026 17:30

its just food OP, its there to be eaten

MapleOakPine · 11/01/2026 17:30

I would be really upset about this @AreliabfMite. Firstly refusing to cook even though you feel sick and are working longer hours than him at the moment. And then the cake thing would really feel like the last straw Sad

HermioneWeasley · 11/01/2026 17:29

I would urge you to leave him and have a termination.

if you leave him but have the baby, you will never get a penny of maintenance from him. If he ever has the baby you’ll be worried about him being incompetent/neglectful. Worst case scenario he will deliberately be neglectful and abusive to your child knowing it’s a way to abuse and control you, and the family courts WILL give him access.

please cut your ties with this awful man.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 11/01/2026 17:29

He was forced to eat a giant slidlce of chocolate cake that his pregnant partner bought, because she was mean and didn't cook him dinner or breakfast? That's absolutely pathetic and would make me lose all respect for him.

It's quite common for people to revert to the roles their parents had, or become abusive, in pregnancy. And it doesn't normally get better.

I'd be seriously considering whether I wanted to continue with this pregnancy and relationship

Overtheatlantic · 11/01/2026 17:29

Leave him or marry him but don’t move forward without some financial security in place.

smallsilvercloud · 11/01/2026 17:29

He’s mean and selfish, I can’t imagine for a moment he’ll do his share of parenting.

GardenCovent · 11/01/2026 17:29

YWBU to leave him if it was just over chocolate cake but this isn’t.
He is showing you no respect and I think this may be down to the fact you said he “came round to the idea” of the baby.
It doesn’t sound like he has and YWNBU to leave him over this and the way he has treated you.
Id think very hard about having a child with someone as incompetent as him.
He sounds awful

NigellaWannabe1 · 11/01/2026 17:28

The cake thing is symptomatic of his whole personality and attitude to your relationship. I’d go nuclear.

Tresd · 11/01/2026 17:28

He's useless and he's going to remain useless. Worse, when you try to pick him up on it, he will flip it to being your fault (hormonal etc) or be defensive or consider it to be nagging. I would consider getting rid of him and consider whether you want to be tied to such a selfish useless twat for the next 2 decades with a baby.

He is a self centered man child. Unless he can offset his uselessness by being willing to learn and/or earning a lot of money so that his shortcomings can be fixed with help from people like cleaners/similar, you are condemned to a lifetime of idiocy.