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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask for more sex...

427 replies

PseudoDad · 07/12/2016 20:45

Now I've got your attention with the thread - I need some advice from ladies/couples.

I've been married to my wife for 6 years. We have a wonderful son who is 18 months old. I am happy in every aspect of life except one...the bedroom.

Since our son was conceived almost 2 1/2 years ago we have had sex just 5 times. Prior to this, we weren't at it like rabbits but I was very happy with twice a week.

We both work hard jobs and as you know it can be exhausting bringing up a child. However, going up to 6 months without sex just isn't enough for me. My wife is a wonderful woman in every way. I think she is beautiful and has kept her looks/figure perfectly after our baby. She is the only woman I want. Its due to this though that I feel so down about the whole thing.

I've tried talking to her about this - but its hard without coming across as the total nob of a husband who is pushing for sex. I understood her concerns when she was pregnant and the fact she needed a break after birth - but when is enough enough?

How should I approach this in a way that respects my wife - but stops this eating away at me?

A x

OP posts:
Crisscrosscranky · 08/12/2016 09:41

OP, YANBU. Sex is a part of an adult relationship/marriage; without it you have a friendship.

I believe Relate offer sex therapy.

Trifleorbust · 08/12/2016 09:43

Crisscrosscranky: Marriage can't be reduced to friendship + sex. I have a commitment to my husband that supersedes friendship. If we couldn't have sex because, for example, one of us became too ill, would that make our marriage a 'friendship'?

GraceNotes · 08/12/2016 09:51

I was in your shoes OP.
Before I had kids (and lost my sex drive) I felt the same about my DH. I never got to the bottom of it (in our conversations), but I think he had confidence issues. He said all of the right things about loving me and wanting sex, but he hardly ever felt like he wanted it and when it did happen, he would often lose interest half way through.

I found it REALLY hard and soul destroying. I never thought I'd feel that way, but it was so hard not to take it personally. Even if my rational head told me it wasn't anything to do with how he felt about me, I couldn't help feeling that way. I felt rejected over and over again. Its so difficult to have a conversation about it as any comments that sound like they could be criticisms or negative just make the problem worse. Having to be positive about it and hide how awful I really felt (FOR YEARS), was really difficult. Even though I wanted to have sex, I started to dread it. I felt like I was waiting for the rejection. The issue completey disappeared after we had children because I now have no sex drive! It's taken the pressure of him.

I know our situaitons are not exactly the same, but sex is an important part of a relationship and affects how you feel about that relationship and your self-esteem. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have more sex in a relationship.

The bit that is worrying are some of the phrases and language you've used, that other posters have commented on. I hope you do not use those phrases to your wife and that it is just 'lad speak' and not a true reflection of how you feel. She needs to feel loved, not that you don't care how you are making her feel in your conquest for sex (which is not loving). Please take heed of the comments people have said about the language you are using and think about how you can express it nicely.

You sound like you are laying the groundwork for justifying why you are going to leave her or have an affair. This is because your language is EMOTIONALLY DETATCHED. Especialy when you talk about 'how long should I give it - 2 years, 5 years?'. I hope that is not the case. You have a child together and need to work at the relationship.

There is no easy answer to this issue you are experiencing. It's hard but you have to be positive, loving, talk to her nicely about how she feels in the relationship, be understanding about how she does not feel like having sex at the moment, give it time, have child-free time together, try to do things you used to do before children, flirt, laugh, talk. Perhaps you could see a counsellor just to discuss how you feel and how you can change your mindset a little and think more positively (there is nothing wrong with you, it's not a criticism, but it might help).

Whatallama · 08/12/2016 09:54

Trifleorbust, unless theres a very good reason to avoid sex (and other sexual activity), then eventually, yes, I think it would turn into a friendship.

When you marry, you commit to only that person for life. You should try to take care of each others sexual needs as well as their emotional needs. Expecting a spouse to long term go without for no reason is forcing them to switch off an important part of themselves.

It's the height of selfishness to say 'you can't have sex with me and you can't have sex anywhere else' unless there's a good reason for it, or both are genuinely happy with the situation.

myoriginal3 · 08/12/2016 10:00

A good enough reason is that she doesn't want it.

OnionKnight · 08/12/2016 10:04

myoriginal3

It's also a good reason for the OP to leave her if he wishes.

Not that he needs a reason of course.

Trifleorbust · 08/12/2016 10:07

Whatallama: I didn't say it's never selfish, but your position was and remains simplistic. It can be as damaging for a person to be constantly 'giving in' to a partner's desire for sex as it can be for a person to repress their own desire for sex. Sometimes a long-term lack of sex will destroy a marriage, but sometimes a marriage will weather that. Marriage without sex isn't just friendship. It is much more complex than that.

Suppermummy02 · 08/12/2016 10:23

Its funny the stereotypes on MN:

Husband wants less sex than wife, he must be having an affair, dump the bastard.
Wife wants less sex than husband, he isn't doing enough housework, lazy bastard.

Why would DP getting on his knees and scrubbing a toilet increase your sex drive? Confused

When I was younger there was nothing more guaranteed to get a woman's interest up than a bit of jealously. Start getting your beach body on and join a club or activity where you make new female friends, your wife will soon make an effort and stop taking you for granted.

myoriginal3 · 08/12/2016 10:27

Could that be more to do with the fact that a fit man with outside interests is somewhat more attractive to a woman than a sex pest is?

Mountainhighchair · 08/12/2016 10:30

I'm a typical man with no control over you know what

Hate this rhetoric that men have no control over their sexual wants. Poor menz.

These threads always go the same way anyway. Posters coming on to say "POOR MEN! IF IT WAS A WOMAN POSTING YOU'D ALL BE NICE"

Mountainhighchair · 08/12/2016 10:31

Start getting your beach body on and join a club or activity where you make new female friends, your wife will soon make an effort and stop taking you for granted.

I don't have any words for the fucking idiocy of this statement.

Jesus, has feminism achieved nothing?

Mountainhighchair · 08/12/2016 10:31

And I'll just point out there was a very similar post last week with a very similar tone.

TenaciousOne · 08/12/2016 10:57

Pseudo dad you aren't listening. Touched out isn't a line. Have a week where you do all the childcare apart from bedtime, come back and tell us how sexy you feel.

Do you do things because you are asked to or off your own back? I know that having a small child made me appreciate the big child (DH) even less. Having to explain every step to an adult is irrationally annoying when you've spent all day talking to a small child.

Trifleorbust · 08/12/2016 11:03

Before contraception I imagine many marriages ended up sexless by the early 30s. If a woman was still fertile but further childbirth could kill her/seriously affect her health, or the family couldn't afford more children, people went without sex. I would guess it's only in the last 50 years that people expect couples to still be having very regular sex after a couple of decades of marriage.

Can anyone think why I might be wrong? I think it's quite interesting so don't mind being told if I am out there with this.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 08/12/2016 11:06

A few practical ideas - can you reduce the pressure of childcare - could DC do a morning or two at nursery?

If you haven't already got one, and can afford it, get a cleaner - having a clean and tidy house is mentally liberating.

Do the two of you look after yourselves physically and stay active? This one is really about making sure you both get enough time for yourselves, and being fit and healthy is a good practical way of feeling better about yourselves - boost your self-esteem, both of you. This covers exercise, diet, haircuts, clothes, whatever each of you like to do.

Could you go away for a weekend without the baby? Would you both want to? I long for a peaceful weekend in a hotel with crisp clean sheets and no one constantly whining for more juice/another biscuit/fighting over the remote/being able to eat a meal in a restaurant without having to be on high alert to stop a toddler doing something silly. Knowing you'll be able to sleep all night and have a lie-in without interruption.

None of these ideas are about getting more sex, specifically - they're all about lifting some of the crashing exhaustion and burnt-out feeling that comes from having small children while working and trying to keep the house under control. I think that's the nicest thing anyone could do for me right about now. It may have a knock-on effect on your sex life, who knows? But I know it would help mine.

RB68 · 08/12/2016 11:07

I haven't read ALL of the thread but for me its about the build up - so you need to warm back up to things and at the same time repect boundaries. So I would suggest carving out date nights where you try to talk about stuff that is not house or baby or work. Do you have someone who can sit for say a couple of hours and just go to a local pub or coffee place and be together. Open the communication, be clear that you would like say hugs and hand holding but that at the moment you want nothing more, bring back some closeness that isn't just about the end game of having sex. Be nice to each other, I say each other as it should be both of you, compliments, bring a cuppa without being asked, notice she is out of candles/bubble bath/whatever and get a little something for her, deliver with a kiss and a thankyou. Nothing to stop her doing the same I agree but it all has to start somewhere and you will be suprised how the dynamics change when you are just nice and treat each other with respect and forget the tit for tatting - you shouldn't have to be adding up who does what and is it equal - try to do more than your share and she will too

bestofboth · 08/12/2016 11:13

I have an 18 month old son. I went back to work full time a few months after he was born. I then got an offer to go part time (three days a week).
I am 10x more exhausted working part time and having DS then I was working full time. Some people just don't realise how hard having a baby is.
She's probably exhausted, I know I am and me and your DP work similar hours (according to your op). Like a PP said, it's so low down on her list of priorities at the moment and unfortunately you're going to have to respect her for that.

Whatallama · 08/12/2016 11:16

Trifle, your post makes perfect sense, but I'm not sure it matters much.

A long sex life may have been unusual, but men were tolerated having affairs, it was accepted for them to beat their wives, childhood didn't exist as we'd recognise it new.

Many things we want out of life now, we wouldn't have had 150 years ago, I don't see the relevance to now.

Btw, on a side note, if you are interested in victorian views on sex look up the orgins of corn flakes!!

myoriginal3 · 08/12/2016 11:18

Trifle. Men used to lawfully be entitled to rape a woman if they were married. It's only recently that we're no longer possessions of our husbands.

myoriginal3 · 08/12/2016 11:18

Except some men didn't get that memo.

Onthecouchagain · 08/12/2016 11:20

This thread is all over the place. The hypocrisy and double standards in some of this advice is mind blowing.

Trifleorbust · 08/12/2016 11:20

Whatallama: Obviously there were many oddities about the past - I am not making value judgements about them. My interest is in whether there is a chance that a declining sex drive post-childbirth is more of a biological norm than it is a medical problem.

Trifleorbust · 08/12/2016 11:20

myoriginal3: not sure what that has to do with what I said tbh.

strugglingstepdad · 08/12/2016 11:22

After reading through this thread I think most of you are being completely dreadful!!!

If this scenario was the other way round you'd all be telling the woman to ditch the man as he's obviously doing something else! I know this as I read it daily!!!

My advice is to talk to her, maybe seek professional help together to get things going again!

Good luck with it :)

myoriginal3 · 08/12/2016 11:23

The question never arose for men as to what our sex drive was in days of yore. So it was never an issue for them.