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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to feel overwhelmed by this? What do i do? Boyfriend pressuring abortion

207 replies

nutellacrumpet8991 · 12/10/2020 11:17

This is a very tricky situation and i feel overwhelmed. It is not a case of being irresponsible, just stupid. I had a stomach bug last month and did not cross our minds that that would make the pill ineffective. I’ve been on the pill for years and this never happened.

I just found out i am about 6 weeks pregnant according to the date of my last period. I am 22, my boyfriend is 24. If we keep the baby we’ll be 23 and 25 when the baby arrives.
We’ve only been together for 6 months. Been living together for 4 months. Our relationship seem very stable, we both see it as something serious that will hopefully lead to marriage and kids(later).

We both work full time and together make around 40k a year before tax. So not a lot of money but not poor either.

When i showed him the many positive tests his first reaction was excitement and happiness. He started making future plans. Like we’ll move into his parents empty house so we don’t need to pay rent, his retired parents will be more than happy to babysit once maternity leave is over so we don’t need to pay for daycare, he will trade in his very expensive car for a cheaper one, so pretty responsible reaction.

I had no initial reaction because i was in shock. I just felt and still feel fear.

However he changed his opinion very fast. He told me he’s made his decision and that is abortion. He said it’s the smart thing to do and he does not want to give up his life for a baby.

I agree it is the smart thing to do and i am pro choice. Before this happened to me i always thought that if it happened i would choose abortion. But now that it actually happened it is not that easy. I don’t know if it is the pregnancy hormones or what, but i feel a weird sense of attachment towards the thing growing in my stomach. Also strong feelings of guilt and ‘what ifs’. I don’t know if i can go through with abortion. I know i will regret it all my life and it will haunt me. If i abort it will be mostly for my boyfriend.

Whatever decision i make i feel like i can’t win. If i keep the baby i feel guilty for forcing him to have a baby he doesn’t want. If i abort i will feel guilty for killing my baby and will always wonder what could have been and i know i will resent my boyfriend.

He says he is scared that his life is not in his hands anymore because i have the ultimate say. He says he is scared he will grow feelings of resent towards me and the baby. He keeps repeating that he made his choice and that is pressuring me.

I don’t want to be a single mum and i told him that if i decide to keep it he can leave. He says no, he will need to be part. But words are words and i don’t want to be a single mum. I doubt he would walk away because he’s been broody ever since we met, always talking about kids and how he can’t wait to be a dad one day. He even had his names chosen. This was before the accident though.

I feel overwhelmed. I really don’t think i can go through with an abortion. I don’t know what to do. I am terrified. I already resent my boyfriend because i feel it is so easy for him to just say he’s made his decision because he is not the one who is suffering the consequences of having to do something he does not want to do.

OP posts:
Mummyofmay2020 · 12/10/2020 21:55

He's being immature and irresponsible imho. How can he resent an innocent baby who is here because of his own mistake/actions? My friend had her first alone at 20 as her partner was abusive - she left him and she says it was very hard but that her daughter is her world now. We assume life milestones have to happen in a certain order - why does it have to be the end of the world if you have a baby first? My friend has gone to back to education and is in university now as a mature student. However you know your situation best and should think about what your support network would be - yes he might change mind later, especially when baby is born and feels more real to him, but you should assume he won't in your planning.

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 12/10/2020 22:12

He sounds quite immature. Just deciding you can both move in with his parents and they will look after the baby for you full time while you go back to work...he has just committed his parents to 10 years of full time work! And then a complete u turn, it doesn't sound very measured. And then saying he has made 'his decision'...he doesn't get a choice, he gets an opinion.

You might regret having an abortion. But equally a lot of people don't, when they have a baby later they realise how hard it is and how they wouldnt have coped without a partner etc. And on the other hand, although most people don't regret having children, a significant minority do - there are loads of threads on here about people wishing they hadn't had their kids even though they love them.
Take your time, talk to someone impartial (a counsellor to help you work out your feelings) and and take some space from him to make sure he doesn't pressure you either way

SandyY2K · 12/10/2020 22:23

Decide what to do based on your ability to do it as a single parent.

Can you support yourself and a baby?

Can you give a baby the life you'd like by yourself?

Think about things like your job, childcare costs etc

Whilst he is legally required to pay child support and says he will...he wouldn’t be the first and won't be the last to not pay CS

It's so easy for men to walk away.

I think either way...whether you have the baby or not, things will be difficult and your relationship will likely end over this.

Major things in your relationship have moved quickly...living together, then pregnancy and even if he was on board with it, it would still place a huge strain on your relationship.

Most people wouldn’t marry someone after 6 months..they'd say it's too soon for such a commitment, yet a baby is a commitment that ties you together for life.

So decide what to do as though he's not in the picture...because if you feel a termination is something you won't be able to get over ...then don't do it.

Viviennemary · 12/10/2020 22:29

I agree with Sandys post. Especially the last bit. If you think having an abortion is something you will massively regret then don't. No msn should force a woman into an abortion she doesn't want.

TinyTornado · 12/10/2020 22:40

I had an unplanned pregnancy at 42, ( old enough to know better.. but there we are) at the tail end of a long term relationship. I had a lot of pressure from dad to abort, he was so angry with me ‘for not listening’ and ‘for not giving him a say’. Also, ‘it was too late for him to start again’ and ‘he was leaving the country if I went ahead.’
I told him my body, my baby, my choice and went ahead with the pregnancy anyway.
I’m a single mum now to a fantastic 2 year old and never regretted it.
My ex actually got over himself once baby was born and now adores his little boy, and has him 3 days a week.
While we aren’t together (that was gone before the pregnancy) we do get on well, and co-parent effectively.
I know you can’t rely on someone to change their mind but my ex was so adamant that he wouldn’t be involved and yet now is exactly the opposite so it is possible.

Sarah84848484 · 12/10/2020 22:44

This is a difficult one but you have time. Breathe and take time to think.

Having a child is a big responsibility - you are bringing another life into the world and they deserve the best possible life they could have.

When you think of your baby... what do you want and hope for them? How do you want them to grow up? In what type of family? Would you be proud of the life you can give them?

More selfishly, is this what you want for yourself and your life? Are you ok enjoying the great moments without someone close to reminisce about them with later? Who will give you the emotional support you’ll need for tough times? How will big and minor decisions on their life be made? It’s a lot to ask of one person and whereas a lot of families do absolutely fine with one parent, it’s not the easiest route on you personally and there is no shame in considering that in your decision.

I’m not sure what I would decide but I do wish you all the best.

Changemyusernamexx · 12/10/2020 22:46

Whether to abort or not is your choice. It's your body, and you who ultimately would be responsible for raising the child. My relationship didn't survive the decision to abort. I don't think it would have survived either way. I have struggled with my decision to abort but never regretted it.

Making the decision to (or not) abort is not easy regardless of how you might have felt about such a choice previously. I like you always thought I would choose to abort if I ended up pregnant without it being planned. When the situation arose, making that choice was agonizing - in a way I had not anticipated. I took time to make that decision, and I did make it alone (disregarding input of the Father). It was hard to do, especially in the face of my family objecting as well - I faced it entirely alone. That said, it was absolutely the right decision to make and if I could go back in time, I'd make the same choice I did. I don't think you can expect it to anything other than difficult, and the thoughts you're having are completely natural.

I'd suggest you take some time alone, get some counselling to talk it through and then make a decision. Agree with others that you need to factor in that you will be a single Mother. You are both incredibly young and there is no guarantee your partner will stick around. It's also fair to say either way there is a risk to your relationship so make this choice for you. Don't feel pressured either way.

It's a really tough decision so wish you all the best with it x x

Eloisedublin123 · 12/10/2020 22:49

Sorry OP. I had a baby at 22 and he’s now 24 and a friend. But it wasn’t easy. Make your decision for you. X

LunaLula83 · 12/10/2020 22:56

You say you dont want to be a single mum....there you go. Decision made

Roo07 · 12/10/2020 22:59

I was 22 boyfriend 21 been together 6 months, living with parents. Both full time jobs earning 35k. After a lot of thinking and changing minds we rented a house and decided to try and make it work. I lost my job when they found out I was pregnant... now renting house with baby on way with boyfriend I’d only known matter of months. It was hard but fast forward 13 years later. We now own a very nice house, married with 4 kids!! Obviously it’s been hard at times like all relationships and it all happened way sooner than I wanted but I wouldn’t change any of it. I strongly believe everything happens for a reason and if it’s meant to be it will be. I know this doesn’t help you but I’m just letting you know that sometimes things just workout. Good luck xx

BewilderedDoughnut · 12/10/2020 23:33

I had a stomach bug last month and did not cross our minds that that would make the pill ineffective

Just as an aside, you have no business having sex at all (either of you) if you’re not aware of the things that make the pill less effective/ineffective! Like seriously, come on!!

Tunnocks34 · 12/10/2020 23:49

I understand how scary it is. 8 years ago I was in the same situation almost, three weeks into a new relationship and pregnant.

I did keep the baby, as I just couldn’t go through with a termination. I married my boyfriend and we now have three gorgeous sons BUT his reaction was massively different to your partners, and we had so much support from my family, in terms of love, care, money and childcare when my son was born, that it did make our relationship easier to survive.

Make the choice for you, because if you abort your baby for him, you’ll resent him to the point the relationship ends anyway.

Shxx · 13/10/2020 03:59

Sorry. Xx

nutellacrumpet8991 · 13/10/2020 10:11

I had a long talk with him yesterday. He said that if i decide to keep it we will live together because there's no way he is allowing me to take his baby and there is no way he will live apart from his child BUT that he will probably resent me so we won't be a couple.
That would never work in my opinion.

OP posts:
AryaStarkWolf · 13/10/2020 10:13

@nutellacrumpet8991

I had a long talk with him yesterday. He said that if i decide to keep it we will live together because there's no way he is allowing me to take his baby and there is no way he will live apart from his child BUT that he will probably resent me so we won't be a couple. That would never work in my opinion.
WTF???? No he won't live with you, this guy sounds like a real piece of work, I hope you told him that he won't be living with you if you're not a couple anymore?
AryaStarkWolf · 13/10/2020 10:14

Honestly OP, whether you keep this baby or not if I were you I'd be out the door, the guy sounds like a manipulative creep

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 13/10/2020 10:19

He’s trying to manipulate you and sounds very controlling! I’d not be tying myself to him in any way but if you keep the baby, you definitely don’t have to live with someone resenting you Hmm

Viviennemary · 13/10/2020 10:19

He is now showing a controlling side to his character which is very worrying. Living together is a choice people make together. Being in a relationship or not is a choice people make together. Don't put him on the birth certificate would be my advice.

ProperVexed · 13/10/2020 10:21

He needs to go, regardless of your decision. He is showing his controlling nature already and will just get worse. Ditch him first, then decide what you want to do with the pregnancy. Either way this relationship is over.

Chocaholic9 · 13/10/2020 10:22

It sounds like you want to keep your baby. If that's what you truly want, you should focus on that.

AryaStarkWolf · 13/10/2020 10:23

@ProperVexed

He needs to go, regardless of your decision. He is showing his controlling nature already and will just get worse. Ditch him first, then decide what you want to do with the pregnancy. Either way this relationship is over.
Absolutely! Ugh I'm raging on your behalf OP, who the hell does he think he is telling you that you will have to live with him whether you want to or not? I hope you put him straight on that one OP?
Chocaholic9 · 13/10/2020 10:23

I agree, I don't like the sound of this man at all. What a mindfuck for him to be all excited about the pregnancy and then to pressure you to get rid of it.

Chocaholic9 · 13/10/2020 10:25

@nutellacrumpet8991

I had a long talk with him yesterday. He said that if i decide to keep it we will live together because there's no way he is allowing me to take his baby and there is no way he will live apart from his child BUT that he will probably resent me so we won't be a couple. That would never work in my opinion.
Does he realise that he doesn't actually get a choice on who you live with? Just like he doesn't get a choice on whether you keep the baby or not. It's your life, your body, your baby. You choose.

Seeing as he doesn't respect your autonomy in life, I'd say this relationship is doomed and you're lucky you saw his true colours 6 months into it, rather than 6 years into it.

ShebaShimmyShake · 13/10/2020 10:28

@nutellacrumpet8991

I had a long talk with him yesterday. He said that if i decide to keep it we will live together because there's no way he is allowing me to take his baby and there is no way he will live apart from his child BUT that he will probably resent me so we won't be a couple. That would never work in my opinion.
In other words, he won't be the bad guy by properly ending the relationship, and he claims ownership of the baby he doesn't want, but he'll hate you all the while and blame you for the situation.

Damn right that'll never work, and no way will he stay faithful with that level of resentment either.

Bluntness100 · 13/10/2020 10:37

Op, you’re a parent foe the rest of your life. It is a long hard, expensive, but rewarding road.

You need to assume you’ll be a single parent, even if it starts off differently you need to assume that’s where you will be. With him paying little to no support.

You’re very young, and this is a major decision, one that impacts the rest of your life, and you need to think through all the elements, from costs, to work, to where you will live, to even your ability to socialise and how you wish your life to be,

Then make a decision, it needs to be yours. Assume he’s out, irrelevant of the immature nullshit he’s coming up with now.

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