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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to include them in his life or leave them out?

67 replies

Soconfusedandlost · 06/07/2019 23:27

Ok long story so apologies in advance

I (33, DD2) met ex (43, DS25, DS23, DD18) in October 2017 and he said he had been split with his wife for 6 months. We dated November till New Years Day when he pushed for us to be a couple. In March I found out that I was pregnant. I was on the the pill, he had told me he had a vasectomy and we had already had sexual health checks.

The night I told him I was pregnant, he told me he had cheated with his ex wife ONS. I said to him to go back to her if that made him happy as we had always said that we were not serious, was just a bit of fun that was "exclusive". He swore blind he didnt want her and cried as he begged me to stay.

I wanted an abortion originally and he get saying how great a baby would be as his kids were grown up and his DD was pregnant at time. I then went on a family holiday that was booked before I met him. Whilst away, he alternated between saying how much he missed me and was counting the time till I was home, then saying he was struggling with the idea of the baby.

When I came home, we agreed to get an abortion and then he messaged saying that he wasn't ready for a relationship and then cut contact. I went to the clinic and found out I was further along than thought, 10 weeks instead of 4 weeks. This made it a medical procedure than just taking a pill.

I panicked and got advice from close family members and we decided to keep the baby. Told him and he said he didn;t want us to be together but would stand by the baby which we agreed. In between, I was told that he was back with his ex-wife. He kept denying this until she messaged me, saying I got pregnant to trap him (FYI a semi-alcoholic who works cash in hand to get around the system is not my idea of a commitment guy) and saying they never split up, I was just being used by him and he never loved me etc. She also said that she pitied my daughter and the baby to be for being my children as I was obviously a shit mother.

During the pregnancy, she kicked off and sent me abuse whenever I put anything on SM about the baby despite me not having a public profile or acknowledging them in any way so obviously someone was reporting back to her what I put on mine. All i put on there was the scans and when my daughter was sweet about the baby to be.

Towards the end of the pregnancy, he then began messaging me stating he wanted 50% contact and he wanted the baby to have his surname and he wants a DNA test.

I agreed to the DNA test but refused the surname as I dont think you can demand that if you want reassurance that its your baby. This went on the last 10 weeks of the pregnancy, having the same arguments over and over again despite me saying that we had polyhydramnia as the pregnancy was difficult. Throughout the pregnancy Id asked to meet to discuss and sort out arrangements but he had refused until I was ill and then he wanted to meet sp I refused. He was insisting on the 50% contact from birth inclding taking the baby while a couple of days old to meet his family etc.

My son was born following a week in hospital as we were at risk of cervical prolapse which can severely harm the baby. I let him know the baby was born and then 3 days later, he replied to ask when he could come and do the DNA test. He was demanding that his wife came despite the stress she put me through in the pregnancy so I refused. In the end, his daughter messaged me saying she wanted her daughter to know my son so could he do the test. I agreed so he came to the hospital (we had gone back in due to jaundice). He refused to even look at his son saying he didn't want to build a bond in case.

He then contacted me 2 weeks after to say that he wanted to register the baby, I said I had already done this. He then got angry and asked when he could pick the baby up. I said that i thought best he go through a solicitor as I didn't feel 50% was appropriate in the circumstances.

My son was then hospitalised for most of January due to low weight problems. He has special milk and we still meet a dietician and consultant regularly to try and help him. I made him aware both times and asked for family medical history but he ignored me until pressured and then said they had no problems. This is the entirety of the contact.

My son is now 8 months old and is the friendliest little man. He is a little small in size and developmentally behind the standard but everyone who meets him loves him cos he has the biggest grin for everyone. He just wants to be everyone's friend and even the cleaners in the hospital stop to chat to him because he is such a happy pleasant dude. My daughter is dotty over him and they are so sweet together. I feel like I should offer my ex a chance to have contact with him, mainly for my son to meet his brother and sister and his niece who is 3 months older than him.

My big questions are:
1 - Was i unreasonable?
2- Do I offer him contact now things are calm and hormone-free?
3 - Should I offer contact directly to his daughter to meet her brother given her message at the time of the DNA test?
4 - How do I go about any of this?

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Soconfusedandlost · 08/07/2019 19:35

Thank you for all your advice. Im going to stick with my initial response that any contact is to go through solicitor. It's just too stressy to try and build bridges when I don't think it'd be taken up. I've done my best and I'm best to leave it there

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EKGEMS · 08/07/2019 19:48

Why would you expose your baby to that pack of wolves? He's an alcoholic who cheated on his whatever-she-was to him with you then allowed her and his daughter to send you abusive texts. Good grief get some therapy and learn to set hard boundaries

Soconfusedandlost · 08/07/2019 20:56

@EKGEMS the daughter only asked me to go ahead with the DNA test, assume this was at her dad's request cos he was being a swearword. The wife acted in anger but I almost understand that because he lied to her a big lot.

Most of the time I am confident that I did the right thing by saying he needs to arrange contact through a solicitor. The logic brain tells me that they will not do this and my son is not missing out. But the emotion brain, the one that sends me on guilt spirals in the middle of the night took control when I considered this to be honest. I worry that he will pop up when my son is older and cause problems and I worry that my son will think I've blocked contact with his dad or that this could adversely affect our relationship (my son and I) as he gets older

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EKGEMS · 08/07/2019 20:59

That's because you are a stable,happy,well adjusted person who is a great mother but he (the father) and his wife sound so flaky. Glad to hear she's not

Soconfusedandlost · 08/07/2019 21:14

@EKGEMS I still think he and the wife are dicks but I understand her behaviour now even tho it upset me badly at the time because hormones and emotions and everything.

I would not use any of the good words about me (stable etc) cos a part of me does worry that my anger and upset during pregnancy are my reasons for keeping him away rather than the reasons I know are valid and "good" like the drinking and the arseholery.

I think as parents we are permanently worried anyway aren't we? (please tell me this is normal)

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EKGEMS · 08/07/2019 21:19

Oh yes most responsible parents all worry. My son's pediatrician who went from child free to mother of twins once said she "Had no idea a parent's capacity for worry" until she became one!

Soconfusedandlost · 08/07/2019 21:45

I know, I've turned batcrap crazy since having my son. Don't take this the wrong way but my daughter is special in that her birth was easy, her growth was easy, she took to solids easily. she is now 3 and is happy and funny and loving and I am completely secure in being her sole parent and she is loved and knows this.

I had a tough time when pregnant with my son and then he was ill from birth, losing weight for no reason and still struggles to gain weight. He is the most pleasant little man, full of smiles and love and charming without doing anything. But he worries me in ways I never did with my daughter. With her I was confident as her parent from birth. With my son I lay awake worrying because he sleeps through, I worry about his weight and if I did the right thing by letting the doctors stop me breastfeeding and put him on Simulac milk instead. I love him but I'm less confident than I am with my daughter and I think the ex is part of it.

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justilou1 · 09/07/2019 00:22

I have learned that being a parent is to question yourself constantly. I have three kids who are 15 and twins who are 13 next month. Anyone who says that they treat their kids all exactly the same is either lying or a bad parent because they are all so different, and with different needs, that’s impossible! (And now that the stress of the Big C is well and truly over, my kids are REALLY easy compared to a lot of others!!!)

Soconfusedandlost · 09/07/2019 12:18

@justilou1 thanks I bet we've all had our own questions and guilt spirals over stupid things haven't we? Glad to hear your children are doing good

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Sofasurfingsally · 09/07/2019 16:03

Steer absolutely clear of him.

Soconfusedandlost · 09/07/2019 17:48

@sofasurfingsally thanks. I don't need anything from him or his family. I have my own house and I work hard to provide for my children. My main concern was that my son would not know that side of the family and blame me but everyone had made it clear that I haven't stopped contact, just said we need to go through solicitor

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justilou1 · 10/07/2019 06:10

Why on earth would you want him to hang around with a bunch of arseholes?

  1. they are horrible people
  2. they have already rejected him
  3. they would likely continue to reject him
  4. they would play mind games to alienate you from your ds’s affections
  5. contact with them would always mean extra work and emotional stress and resentment for you
  6. there are no positive outcomes here I don’t have a crystal ball, btw... there is just nothing good to be gained from this. If he knows who his father is and that he didn’t want anything to do with him even when he was so sick, allow him the chance to have that conversation with his dad when he is 18 and old enough to deal with the fallout.
Soconfusedandlost · 10/07/2019 08:34

@justilou1 thanks. As I said you and others on here have confirmed that I did the best thing by referring ex to a solicitor when son was 6 weeks old and he wanted to come and pick him up for a couple of days to meet his side of the family. As this was the main point of my post, asking if I was too hasty in saying that and if I should offer contact as a penance, which you have said is unnecessary as the first action was correct.

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AyBeeCee10 · 10/07/2019 08:45

You and your ds are doing brilliantly well. Dont upset that. He could have pursued contact if he wanted. He really could have. Sometimes not having both parents is actually in the childs best interests.

Soconfusedandlost · 10/07/2019 09:21

Thanks @aybeecee10 I did have a weekend of dithering about "am I doing the best thing" but we'll blame hormones or lack of sleep lol

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Scorpiovenus · 10/07/2019 09:42

This is the worst thing I read in a while.

Ah man can you not just cut contact change numbers delete facebook and make a fake one if you miss it as much and just disappear.

This bipolar idiot is just going to ever bring you stress. I would just disappear he is no fit state to be a father and you wont want your lovely little boy being like him. I feel so sorry for you.

Soconfusedandlost · 10/07/2019 11:54

@scorpiovenus thanks we have cut contact and have spoken to solicitor regarding the contact. My ex doesn't contact us anymore since I asked for us to go through a solicitor regarding contact. PPs such as @justilou1 and @aybeecee10** have confirmed this was the right thing to do and I shouldn't feel that I refused contact or blocked access in any way

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