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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I don’t know what more I can do

177 replies

PinkUser · 25/01/2025 00:14

I’m not too sure what I’m hoping to gain from posting anything here, I think I’d just like some perspective that I’m not going insane.

My partner and I have been together 4.5 years. We have a 3 year old and I am 4.5 months pregnant with our second.

I work part time, 2.5 days (having given up a very well paid full time role to have our child). I look after our child 1 day a week one of of my 2 weekdays off, and the other day she is at nursery and the day is dedicated to housework / chores / “working for the family”.

I am responsible for all the housework in the house, laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping, making beds, organising bills, and do the vast majority of the care for our child. I do bedtimes every evening, only I take her to and pick her up from childcare. I take her to her classes on the weekend. I make and clean up all her meals. (Please don’t mistake that as me doing that begrudgingly. I adore her - just for an idea of how domestic things are split.)

2/3 of my wage are for nursery fees and our family car, house insurance and minor bills which totals around £1200. The remainder is for my personal bills (phone etc). Our mortgage, utility bills, council tax, food shopping and holidays and paid for by my partner. He owns his own business and earns around 6 times my income.

Our Relationship is generally great, but occasionally come these outbursts which feel like a complete character assassination. I am called insults, lazy, sworn at, and a liar for lying about the amount of jobs / chores I am completing on my day of work for the family.

He doesn’t sleep in the same bed as me anymore, and has recently made comments (when going through my first trimester - rough!) that I’ve let myself go and I need to make more of an effort with myself.

i dedicate every hour of my Friday to cleaning our sizeable home, car, and doing all the invisible workload.

This evening before bed he asked what I’d done all day. He said I was a liar and nothing had been done, that I was watching tv or sleeping (I wish!).

In reality I’d take some bits over to a poorly relative on my way home from the nursery drop. Cleaned out our car and cleaned all apholstery. Cleaned the house and bathrooms. Hoovers the stairs, cleaned the windows, 2 laundry loads. All bedrooms and done a food shop, between the hours of 9:30-3:30.

picked our child up and of course played and made her dinner. He arrived home maybe 2 hours later to a home cooked meal.

i can provide timestamps and pictures of things I’d done but he’s says he’s not interested, that I’m lazy and I’m a liar.

Am I deluded? Am I lazy? I feel like I’m starting to go crazy and that I need to document my day as proof to him. I have never ever given him a reason not to trust me and I don’t understand any of this.

please help me

OP posts:
4forksache · 25/01/2025 10:04

He knows you are trapped because of the children so doesn’t have to even bother to try to respect you.

PinkyFlamingo · 25/01/2025 10:08

This man will destroy you and your children if you don't leave

Monster6 · 25/01/2025 10:09

This won’t get better op. I’m so sorry. This is abusive, please find strength to move out/on. Do you have sny family support? Not sleeping with you (ie moved out of bed) and saying you’ve let yourself go are mean, and really weaponised. I’d wager he’s jealous of your love for your child. The picture you paint is cruel, I’m sending love ❤️

TheaBrandt · 25/01/2025 10:14

Me too. Like TicTacs dad normal decent men are appreciative of their wives looking after their small children. One of the few times Dh got cross was when I was reluctant to buy myself something as I wasn’t earning. He was adamant his money was our money without me looking after the baby and toddler he’d be stuffed. Always grateful for any food cooked however crap and would never comment on state of house. That’s how normal men behave.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 25/01/2025 10:18

How sad. You need to leave with your child.

DGPP · 25/01/2025 10:19

He is abusing you. dh has never ever done this to me.

HonoraBridge · 25/01/2025 10:19

You are not lazy and you are not a liar. However, your DH is abusive and vile. You should not live like this. He is abusing you and it will get worse.

BoogieBox · 25/01/2025 10:22

PinkUser · 25/01/2025 00:52

yes the both on the mortgage

Start getting angry girl! Pregnant or not, he needs some harsh words to make him think. Tell him you don't need him around if he treats you like dirt on his shoe.

Get some support from your parents and stop keeping secrets for your shitbag partner. Been there and done this. Get it out in the open

Or, cherchez La Femme

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 25/01/2025 10:26

You’re trapped in an abusive relationship. It sounds like you’re just starting to realise this, and that is the first step on your journey to freedom. You are particularly vulnerable at the moment due to being pregnant. If you can manage to get out before the baby comes that would be ideal because he’s only going to get worse when you’re struggling to deal with a newborn and a young child and not able to pander to his demands so much. This man doesn’t love you, he does not view you as an equal, he sees you as someone to serve him.

SnoopysHoose · 25/01/2025 10:28

Classic pattern of abuse, starts when you're pregnant and continues to ramp it up.
Make plans to separate.

Orchidsunlight · 25/01/2025 10:30

oh my gosh you are not lazy! quite the opposite in fact you do LOADS !! Has he always been this way or has something changed? I think first thing to do is sit and talk ?

Nextdoor55 · 25/01/2025 10:34

OP you sound like Cinderella without the ugly sisters. You have an ungrateful & selfish partner. Bin him & meet your real Prince

Wishimaywishimight · 25/01/2025 10:38

You are deluded to think your relationship is "generally great". It sounds absolutely dreadful.

Livingtothefull · 25/01/2025 10:40

You are not lazy at all. This is not on you.

Your 'D'P is cruel and abusive. And I think there is a special place in Hell for any man who abuses a woman while she is pregnant with his child.

researchers3 · 25/01/2025 10:50

Hi OP

I agree with PPs. It sounds like everyone's responses have come as a shock to you.

It's really common for this behaviour to ramp up during pregnancy so I came to say don't berate yourself for not having seen this because it's getting worse now.

Your instinct is probably going to be to fix him and fix your family; I'm afraid to say that you can't. This is the real him. The best and safest thing you can do is to get away from him asap.

It's hard when they have their own business as easier to manipulate figures... gather evidence if you can safely. Contact Women's Aid.

Try not to worry about money, you can claim benefits and universal credit which will be more than you think. He will have to give you maintenance also.

How dare he call you lazy and question what you do. I'm angry for you.

Please take care.

researchers3 · 25/01/2025 10:55

Orchidsunlight · 25/01/2025 10:30

oh my gosh you are not lazy! quite the opposite in fact you do LOADS !! Has he always been this way or has something changed? I think first thing to do is sit and talk ?

I clicked agree in error, there's no reasoning with abusers. He'll turn the op inside out.

Nothatgingerpirate · 25/01/2025 10:56

I don't even understand how some ladies get into situations like this.
Please, find your anger and get out.
My parents were extremely emotionally abusive,
I found mine at 13 yo.
Probably why I would never consider this
as an acceptable way to live.
Sorry. ❤️

Neveranynamesleft · 25/01/2025 11:00

Life is too short to be with someone who treats you in the manner he is treating you. You know it is wrong which is why you have come on here and it is now time to think about your next steps. Please take a deep breath, put your big girl pants on and tell him to back off or he can f**k off. You sound like a wonderful mother and deserve so much more.

sky1267 · 25/01/2025 11:00

Why on earth would you decide to have another baby with this man

WhatWasPromised · 25/01/2025 11:00

The fact you’re asking what more you can do and going to the bother of ‘time stamped evidence’ shows this is now just your normal life. However, it’s not normal at all.

He is abusing you, there’s no doubt. Get out and protect your DC. Get yourself some counselling before attempting another relationship.

WhatWasPromised · 25/01/2025 11:02

I also feel saddened by the fact you think your relationship is generally good. I’ve been with my DH a long, long time. He had never verbally abused me! We fall out obviously but we treat each other with respect

TheaBrandt · 25/01/2025 11:06

That she is looking for the evidence to appease him is heartbreaking. Time stamps?!? And saying the relationship is “generally great”. Op your standards and boundaries are absolutely stuffed.

Maurepas · 25/01/2025 11:09

Been thinking about you and do hope you can turn this intolerable situation around.
He is a mean brute and not a gentleman!
Have you tried having a raging fit at him and telling him to shut up if he can't have a civil tongue in his mouth?
And,,, as he moved out of bedroom can he please move out of house too?
Lay it on with a trowel - don't be meek and mild.
Raging lioness and her cubs mode!

LBFseBrom · 25/01/2025 11:12

He is in the wrong, being arrogant and trying to lord it over you.

It sounds as though your plate is over-full.

In your place I would hire a cleaner for a couple of hours once a fortnight, have the car valeted occasionally, neither of which would break the bank, and take some time every week for self-care.

Your man is not a nice one - at the moment anyway. I doubt he could do what you do so efficiently. Therefore ignore him and do things your way, please yourself. He knows what he can do if he doesn't like it, pack his bags. However he probably just needs a wake up call. If he sees you confident and independent, his attitude will change.

Good luck.

CardinalCat · 25/01/2025 11:14

OP, I don't know if you are still reading this thread. I can imagine that it is a LOT to take in.
I knew before you even posted it that you were a "people pleaser". That is not a criticism. It is very self aware of you, but it also does explain how you have found yourself in this situation. Men like your partner will spot a people pleaser a mile off and they will exploit what they see as a weakness. Please don't take this as victim blaming- this is NOT YOUR FAULT. It is all on him.
As a fellow people pleaser (who has had a ton of therapy to work through the repercussions of this) I would urge you to take heed of what the people on this thread are saying.
His behaviour and attitude is not acceptable and you cannot fix this, or fix him, or do anything more to change the situation.
Normal advice like "stop being his slave and ask him to behave like an equal partner" would be potentially dangerous in this situation, given what you have said about his abusive outbursts, and I would worry for you if you were to do a sudden volte face and start standing your ground.
Please do consider what is now best for you, your child and your unborn baby. We are all here for handholds and practical advice when you are ready to come back and talk.
You thankfully have the house in joint names, and you had a high paying full time career only recently, so you have a lot going for you here.
Do you have family support nearby?