Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU not to let my husband have a girlfriend?

265 replies

MoggTheCat · 28/12/2019 19:11

Long backstory but in a nutshell: I’m 43. Married to DH for 18 years, with 4 DC aged 10 - 17. Before we had DC our sex life was normal/reasonable. After DC I had physical injuries due to difficult deliveries, which made sex painful. Struggled on for several years having painful sex approximately once a month. DH became increasingly upset over lack of intimacy and had a brief affair 5 years ago. I’ve taken antidepressants for over 20 years, which have adverse effect on my libido. DH and I get on very well as friends, enjoy each other’s company and are good parents together. But I find any form of physical intimacy impossible, such as sex, oral, kissing. Holding hands, hugging, cuddling up in bed are all good. I just have no physical desire for sex whatsoever. Complicating factor is that I am definitely bisexual, possibly gay. Due to homophobic parents, I wasn’t able to consider this until my late thirties. We have previously had over a year of sex therapy with Relate, which did not help. Currently we are not having sex at all. I feel terrible about DH feeling so rejected and not having a sex life. I feel it is unfair to expect him to stay with me if I cannot provide sex and intimacy. We have discussed having a more open relationship. I do not want to see anyone else but said I wouldn’t object to him seeing an escort or similar to fulfil his sexual needs. He said he wouldn’t enjoy sex with somebody that he was paying and didn’t know well. He said the person would need to be someone that he could get to know, exchange messages with, go on dates with, etc. I feel this would be him having a proper girlfriend and I don’t think I could cope with that. But if I can’t offer him sex myself, AIBU to refuse to let him have a girlfriend? Any advice gratefully received, thank you.

OP posts:
lovelypumpkin · 30/12/2019 09:07

OP's husband has said he loves the OP and doesn't want to break up the family. Neither the OP or her DH currently want divorce or separation at the moment - as long as the dc are happy and not affected and that adults are both happy with arrangements that is the main thing and there is more than one way to achieve that. I can understand this, I think that priorities can change when you have young DC, the traditional marriage thing is no longer necessarily the key thing and rather than split it when it stops working, meet needs in other ways. I agree with the advice to continue to investigate both the physical pain and the feelings.

Santasy · 30/12/2019 09:13

"In sickness and in health"!!

Surely a lack of sex can come under "in sickness"

I don't understand why sex is seen as a right and obligation. If yoir husband was single what would he do?

Santasy · 30/12/2019 09:14

A lack of libido that should be

lovelypumpkin · 30/12/2019 09:26

I think sex is pretty important actually - I just don't think there is only one way to make a relationship work.

bd67th · 30/12/2019 15:36

If yoir husband was single what would he do?

Look for a GF?

Drabarni · 30/12/2019 15:39

Let him go, you can still be friends and parent well.
You need to divorce then he won't need to have affairs/girlfriends.
I couldn't be in a sexless marriage, to me it's the foundation.

ScreamingLadySutch · 30/12/2019 15:41

"He said the person would need to be someone that he could get to know, exchange messages with, go on dates with, etc. "

This is the difficulty. That is investing in another person, having an intimate bond with her ... which probably would mean him leaving you for her.

What are your thoughts OP

Santasy · 30/12/2019 18:07

If yoir husband was single what would he do?

Look for a GF?

...but not necessarily find one. So then what? Sex with another person is not a god given right!

MoggTheCat · 30/12/2019 18:21

My thoughts are that it is a very difficult situation and I don’t think there are any easy answers.
After reading through all the replies here I have decided that IABU not to allow DH to have the sort of girlfriend he wants. I told him last night that he could go ahead with that if he felt it would make him happy.
He is happy for me to see other women but I don’t want to do that as I feel it would be cheating on him.
I’ve told DH he is obviously free to leave if he would be happier that way. He says he doesn’t want to get divorced as he loves me and the time we spend together. But I realise he will probably end up leaving me for his new girlfriend, when he finds one.
I feel very sad about it but at least then one of us will be happy and I won’t feel I’m standing in the way of him enjoying a fulfilled romantic life.
We are very strained financially so I’m not sure how we will manage the practicalities of running two homes. But I guess that’s something to worry about at the time he decides to leave. I work but don’t earn enough to support myself and the children. I had a long career break to bring up our children so no longer have pensions/savings.
It is frightening to think of being alone and I will always feel terrible for being the reason that our family was destroyed. But, as a PP pointed out, it was never my intention for this to happen and I have tried very hard to enjoy sex.
I have recently consulted my GP about changing my antidepressants to ones with less side effects. I would like to give this a go in order to save my marriage, but am worried about becoming unable to cope mentally. As when I have previously tried to cut down or change my tablets it hasn’t been successful.

OP posts:
lovelypumpkin · 30/12/2019 19:21

Did he say he was going to look for a gf and that he thought it would ultimately lead to him leaving? Because that might not happen. Does he know how you feel about it, and how does he respond to that? I hope that you didn't make a decision based on our replies, tbh, it might have been better to talk it through with someone in RL as we only had a few posts to go on, and we all have our biases, and you could have posted on a different day and got a totally different set of answers.

Re your meds if you think that it is the antidepressants which are causing the lack of libido, I really do think you should investigage further and possibly with a different doctor, as I would find it really hard to believe that there isn't an alternative or some other solution. I realise that you also have the other issue in the mix, but I wasn't sure how much it was libido/pain - as you aren't driven to find a GF for sex either.

Anyway, good luck and I hope it all ends as it should with everyone happy.

DuploTower · 01/01/2020 13:28

It really does not mean he will ultimately leave you OP, I know men who cheat but have no intention of ever leaving their wives.

Not that your husband would be cheating of course, I'm just telling you that it isn't the necessary conclusion.

Strongmummy · 01/01/2020 14:41

@Santasy have you lived for years in a sexless marriage? If not, then trust me it’s hell. Sex isn’t a right, no, but what you’re doing by withholding intimacy is forcing another person to be celibate and that’s unfair. There needs to be compromise.

Guavaf1sh · 01/01/2020 16:36

A sexless relationship is a friendship

IWouldLikeToSeeTheseMangoes · 01/01/2020 16:37

He said the person would need to be someone that he could get to know, exchange messages with, go uon dates with, etc.

This parts suggests what is likely to happen if he starts having sex with someone else in that he's not some kind of player who doesn't get attached - he will likely develop feelings for another woman so you need to understand you would have to be ok with that. For what it's worth I think in this scenario it's best to split and co-parent amicably while things are this way.

I know of someone who got involved with a similar starting scenario to what you've described. Couple with no sex life and basically platonic relationship both willingly agreed the husband could see other people. Wife was 100% happy with this while they lived together. He fell in love with someone else and wife completely changed her tune. Went from being totally on board with the other relationship to changing whole narrative, publicly and quite viciously painting this other woman as evil bitch homewrecker. Even though that wasn't the arrangement at all and nothing was underhand. Husband left wife who for years continued hate campaign at "other woman." The girlfriend well it was no doubt poor judgement to get involved in the first place but people can easily develop feelings, most are not robots who can have sex with a person regularly and then happily know they are returning home to another woman. Even if it is another woman that the man isn't having a physical relationship with. Not saying this is exactly how it would play out for you OP or that your husband would do this necessarily but I would tread lightly and give it some hard consideration about whether you are ready for the potential that he could fall in love. And if that happened would you be selfless enough to let him be happy with another person. Or would you blame that other person and retract consent to the arrangement. In the situation that's what happened and in end the other woman left him because it got too complicated and painful, told him to go back and work on his marriage. Which has ended in that couple being more unhappy than ever because he is apparently heartbroken over losing his girlfriend. And I expect now resents the wife for giving him that opportunity then taking it away effectively. The wife didn't want him physically but like i think another poster said, didn't want someone else to have him. Pretty sad story. Life's too short for this.

ItsAlwaysSunnyOnMN · 28/09/2020 21:05

Just because the op feels she maybe gay doesn’t mean she doesn’t love her husband and love what they have together a family life, a friendship, love and a long history

It’s not all so black and white

I feel for you op love isn’t all about who are are sexually attracted to

Doyoumind · 28/09/2020 21:08

Zombie Why have you resurrected this?

ItsAlwaysSunnyOnMN · 28/09/2020 21:19

Opps I meant to add my post to the other thread (someone attached this thread and I opened it)

Figgyboa · 28/09/2020 21:30

I think you need to go your separate ways. You think you're possibly gay and he obviously wants intimate contact which you cannot provide. Not fair on either of you to deny yourselves want you truly want and need.

Sewrainbow · 28/09/2020 21:59

Yabu. He needs to decide if he can live with no sex again, if he can't then you should either turn a blind eye to what he gets up to or divorce and let him make a new life.

changerr · 28/09/2020 22:00

@Guavaf1sh

A sexless relationship is a friendship
Well, I've got news for you people - there are a hell of a lot of "friendship" marriages out there. Seriously, as OP and husband get closer to their fifties and onward, lots of marriages lapse into very rare sex. Plenty of happy marriages don't have much going on between the sheets. PS - I find all this "your poor husband" crap nauseating.
Mulhollandmagoo · 28/09/2020 22:13

If you think you maybe gay then I think you should explore this, you absolutely owe it to yourself to live a life that will make you happy and content, and I dont think that your current life is it for you. I don't doubt you and your husband care very very deeply for each other, but you're both just plodding through life and not making the most of it! Maybe you and your husband separating will give you the space and clarity to discover exactly what it is you want? And your husband will also be able to have the romantic relationship he desires also, there's nothing to say you can't have an amicable split, and remain friends and co-parent effectively Flowers

eaglejulesk · 28/09/2020 22:35

PS - I find all this "your poor husband" crap nauseating.

Why? Just because the OP doesn't want sex with him you think he should be happy with it? If he was happy with no sex then yes, they could happily move on into old age today, but apparently he does and what is wrong with that? I'm assuming he didn't sign up for marriage with someone who is gay.

changerr · 28/09/2020 22:45

@eaglejulesk

PS - I find all this "your poor husband" crap nauseating.

Why? Just because the OP doesn't want sex with him you think he should be happy with it? If he was happy with no sex then yes, they could happily move on into old age today, but apparently he does and what is wrong with that? I'm assuming he didn't sign up for marriage with someone who is gay.

No, not at all. OP's husband has the choice of asking for a divorce. He's not 'poor husband'. He has agency. OP has tried mightily. I'm sure she is a great wife in all other ways. If that is not enough, then fine, he can get divorced. He has a choice.
BubblyBarbara · 28/09/2020 22:56

Do not initiate a separation or divorce! If he's expressing an interest in other women etc you can wait until he's caught with his pants down as it were and with the at fault on him rather than you as he may be able to argue now.

AdoreTheBeach · 28/09/2020 23:12

You should let your husband go. He deserves someone who loves him and wants to be with him in a romantic relationship. You have said you’re gay. End of. Let him go .