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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Friend's one night stands to get pregnant

317 replies

Polkadotbikinininii · 03/03/2025 14:03

I know this is none of my business. I won't say anything to her unless she brings it up again. I will NEVER say anything to anyone else.

My friend is late 30s and long term single. She has always wanted kids and is very aware of her age.

She told me drunkenly the other night that a few years ago she started having one night stands with the hope of getting pregnant.

She says that she is open with the men about what she is doing as she has no interest in tricking or trapping them. She is happy to nevet see them again and be a single mum.

She thinks she's done it about 25 times in the last few years. Apparently only a few have said no. Most of the men just want reassurance that she won't go after them for money/relationship. 🤨She said 2 men have said they would like to stay in touch if she gets pregnant.

She is stunningly beautiful and funny so I can well imagine that most men will be so impressed with themselves for getting her in bed that they aren't thinking straight enough to say no.

She is very capable of looking after hererself/a child. She has a strong family network who will make sure the child is sorted if something happens to my friend.

She said that the men who don't want anything to do with any child are deadbeats and she wouldn't want them in their life anyway. I asked about what happened if the ones who are interested turn out to be deadbeats and she said that could happen with any pregnancy. I asked about the child that won't know who their dad is and again, she said it's better than a deadbeat who won't support the child and let's them down.

She reassured me that she does do STD tests and never puts herself at risk. Apparently she is very strict with herself and if she is "going out to make babies" she doesn't drink at all and apparently if she has never bought anyone back when drunk.

I asked why she doesn't use donated sperm. She said she doesn't like the idea of it being medicalised and all the pressure of it and that she was also having fun.

She pointed out that any one night stand could result in a baby with a stranger and at least this way, the baby will be wanted.

I couldn't explain why I think this is all just so yukky. She accused me of slut shaming and pointed out that the men she takes home will be bragging to their friends every time they get a woman in bed and that lots of women take home more men than she does and plenty of people don't use protection.

Ignoring the risks, I don't think it's the taking people home that made me purse my lips. It's the intention behind it. It's irrational but I feel like maybe an accidental baby from a very short relationship is a better idea than a wanted baby after a one night stand?

ARE unreasonable- your friend will make a great mum and there will be good support for her and any baby. She has told you she isn't taking any risks.

ARE NOT unreasonable - getting pregnant ON PURPOSE from a one night stand is grim. She should be exploring other options.

OP posts:
fitzwilliamdarcy · 03/03/2025 16:43

And life is pointless without either biological or adopted kids for normal people (nuns and priests excluded as they have a higher meaning).

Wow.

Misaster · 03/03/2025 16:44

If the friend isn’t pregnant after all these years and shagging
and she’s approaching 40
We can be all but certain that the poor woman is infertile

GarlicStyle · 03/03/2025 16:46

TattooGuineaPig · 03/03/2025 16:10

Sorry if someone has mentioned this already, but this stopped me in my tracks

"She reassured me that she does do STD tests and never puts herself at risk."

So she tests the one night stands BEFORE sleeping with them?

I used to get tested every time I changed partners. I also carried on going every 3 months while I was married - because I take my sexual health seriously, I don't put it in the hands of any man.

If the kid wants to find out about her origins, there's a very good chance she'll find them via one of the public DNA banks. They're already vast and sure to grow even more in the next 20 years. She'll also be able to get her genetic profile from there.

MumonabikeE5 · 03/03/2025 16:47

25 times and not pregnant yet. I would be anxious that there was something wrong with my fertility if she were me.

SardinesOnGingerbread · 03/03/2025 16:47

Goody2ShoesAndTheFilthyBeast · 03/03/2025 14:32

How on earth can unprotected sex be safe from the risk of an std?

Have people forgotten HIV exists?

Daleksatemyshed · 03/03/2025 16:48

Well if she's done this with 25 different men and she doesn't have any DC then your friend needs a plan B, it's highly unlikely they all had dodgy sperm counts.

Iateallthechocolate · 03/03/2025 16:49

2 consenting adults fine. Single parent by choice also fine. But it's not working so it might be better to go down the donor sperm route, also helpful as you can screen out inherited diseases. Up to her though.
What bothers me is your comment about the men being flattered by her attentions and not thinking straight enough to say no. You do seem to be thinking your friend is yukky but absolving the men for the same deed.
You could flip it around and say she's responding to her maternal body clock and not thinking straight, and the deadbeat men are taking advantage.

CreationNat1on · 03/03/2025 16:49

I m also judging, if this is true:

Friend is forcing childcare responsibilities on her extended family /community - they will turn into the second parent to support her self sole choices.

Friends not exactly vetting these men all that well.

Child will grow up with no father figure.
Child will be denied a relationship with its wider family.
Child will have no access to half it's family history, genetic knowledge or inheritance. If child does find its patriarchal family, they may reject him or her.
The child and friends social circle didn't get any choice in any of this.

Very selfish in my view.

Men could be telling her porkies, could have been snipped and know there are no swimmers.

IButtleSir · 03/03/2025 16:52

Not only is she being totally irresponsible with regards to STDs, it is spectacularly unfair on any child she does manage to conceive, who will not be able to ever trace their biological father or his family. Sperm donors in the UK have to agree to be traceable once any children they produce reach 18, for good reason.

bomalan · 03/03/2025 16:53

She's obviously lying about telling men she's trying to get pregnant.

I do know of a fair few people who have done similar things to get pregnant though :/.

It is bad, but I'm not sure there's anything you can do/say to stop her.

user263758918 · 03/03/2025 16:55

AnneLovesGilbert · 03/03/2025 14:15

She says that she is open with the men about what she is doing as she has no interest in tricking or trapping them

And a load of pigs just flew over my garden. Absolute bollocks she tells them. She’s taking for an idiot and she’s awful.

Was going to say this exact thing.

As if she is honest with these men.

I've seen it twice, women saying "they can't get pregnant" to men on ONS so no protection is used and miraculously get pregnant.

Gogogo12345 · 03/03/2025 16:56

MumonabikeE5 · 03/03/2025 16:47

25 times and not pregnant yet. I would be anxious that there was something wrong with my fertility if she were me.

If you were TTC with a husband 25 occasions of sex is about twice a week for 3 months. Hardly likely to be referred to fertility clinic for yhst

ForRealCat · 03/03/2025 16:56

Whereissummer24 · 03/03/2025 16:40

I know a first hand of this - she had a fling with my friend , he used protection it failed and she said its fine she was on the injection. We all assume she lied, she had the baby, he's now paying for a child she knew he didn't want. Its a terrible situation on the child and the unwilling father

I had a BF once who removed the condom during, and I wasn't sure that my pill was reliable (I had been ill). As a result I took the morning after pill, and quite frankly I'll never take it again, it was an awful experience.

You assume she lied, you don't know she lied. All you know is she wouldn't have an abortion, which is thoroughly understandable. So everyone feels sorry for baby, feels sorry for dad, but ostracises mum with nothing but 'assumptions'? Doesn't sound like life is a barrel of laughs for her either.

IButtleSir · 03/03/2025 16:57

GarlicStyle · 03/03/2025 16:46

I used to get tested every time I changed partners. I also carried on going every 3 months while I was married - because I take my sexual health seriously, I don't put it in the hands of any man.

If the kid wants to find out about her origins, there's a very good chance she'll find them via one of the public DNA banks. They're already vast and sure to grow even more in the next 20 years. She'll also be able to get her genetic profile from there.

If you take your sexual health seriously, then presumably you don't have unprotected sex with strangers, like the OP's friend does?

If the kid wants to find out about her origins, there's a very good chance she'll find them via one of the public DNA banks
And there's a very good chance he or she won't. Which is why it shouldn't be left up to chance.

Zippidydoodah · 03/03/2025 16:57

Omg. The risks are just not worth it. At least with a sperm bank, you know you’re not getting a side order of chlamydia.

2025willbemytime · 03/03/2025 16:57

It is so selfish to do this. It's all about her wanting a child. What about the child's right to know their father and have contact? If this was my friend I would not stay silent.

Gogogo12345 · 03/03/2025 16:58

IButtleSir · 03/03/2025 16:52

Not only is she being totally irresponsible with regards to STDs, it is spectacularly unfair on any child she does manage to conceive, who will not be able to ever trace their biological father or his family. Sperm donors in the UK have to agree to be traceable once any children they produce reach 18, for good reason.

Yes I remember them bringing in the rule about removing sperm donors anonymity. I believe there was a huge drop in donors after that And would you trust any government not to make them retrospectively financially liable?

Misaster · 03/03/2025 16:58

Gogogo12345 · 03/03/2025 16:56

If you were TTC with a husband 25 occasions of sex is about twice a week for 3 months. Hardly likely to be referred to fertility clinic for yhst

Plus approaching 40

Plus multiple men ie some will have very very high sperm counts and the dh in your scenario may not

plus that a few years ago she started having one night stands with the hope of getting pregnant.

Polkadotbikinininii · 03/03/2025 17:00

Iateallthechocolate · 03/03/2025 16:49

2 consenting adults fine. Single parent by choice also fine. But it's not working so it might be better to go down the donor sperm route, also helpful as you can screen out inherited diseases. Up to her though.
What bothers me is your comment about the men being flattered by her attentions and not thinking straight enough to say no. You do seem to be thinking your friend is yukky but absolving the men for the same deed.
You could flip it around and say she's responding to her maternal body clock and not thinking straight, and the deadbeat men are taking advantage.

Good point. I do think think the men are stupid though and I don't understand why they would choose to risk a baby without having any interest in it. 😪

I do think she is probably honest with them but as others have said, even if she isn't, they have equal responsibility to manage contraception.

She's called a common name like Jane Smith and her job is something generic like receptionist. She doesn't really do much social media so it wouldn't be the easiest to find her. Plus I the more I think about it, the more I think she probably does it when she's away. I don't imagine any men will be looking for her after a one night stand anyway.

Maybe they should have the right to though? If, the next day they regret it and think they should support any child. That must be a bit rubbish as well, knowing you potentially have a baby.

OP posts:
Cowabunga33 · 03/03/2025 17:00

I’m pretty sure if she’s done this over 25 times she cannot get pregnant for whatever reason, if she were fertile it would have happened the first couple of times so I would leave her to it personally………maybe there’s more to it she’s not telling you but then it’s really none of your business anyway……..

Misaster · 03/03/2025 17:01

Is she financially hard up Op?

what a tight arse

Gogogo12345 · 03/03/2025 17:02

Cowabunga33 · 03/03/2025 17:00

I’m pretty sure if she’s done this over 25 times she cannot get pregnant for whatever reason, if she were fertile it would have happened the first couple of times so I would leave her to it personally………maybe there’s more to it she’s not telling you but then it’s really none of your business anyway……..

Why would it? Do all women fall pregnant after having sex a couple of times?

APATEKPHILLIPEWATCH · 03/03/2025 17:02

I mean if men don’t want a baby they could just pop a condom on but so few seem to. Weird.

Ifs weird how many threads and posts there are on MN about people doing these stealth accidental pregnancies - it’s ALWAYS information obtained via a drunken confession to. Also weird.

Cowabunga33 · 03/03/2025 17:02

Gogogo12345 · 03/03/2025 17:02

Why would it? Do all women fall pregnant after having sex a couple of times?

The majority are going to if there are no underlying issues……

LilacRaven · 03/03/2025 17:03

GarlicStyle · 03/03/2025 16:27

Some really odd replies here. You can go for STI tests as often as you want, she isn't going to be spreading disease or infecting a foetus. Sperm banks have a distinctly seedy side, with some donors fathering hundreds of kids, and 'unofficial' donor systems are even worse.

People don't usually go for a full battery of genetic tests before TTC, so she's running no greater risk there than any other woman ... plus, the commonest genetic disorders are de novo.

I wouldn't have tied this strongly to patriarchy but the feebleness of these objections is making me think it is all about protecting the male's control over female fertility.

There's a high risk of getting pregnant and an STI at the same time when you have unprotected sex with a stranger. Any stranger happily having unexpected casual sex is HIGH risk. Ita a selfish way to conceive.

Yea you can get an STI test after but it's a bit late then as baby has been exposed.

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