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Should I offer ex contact?

27 replies

Soconfusedandlost · 06/07/2019 22:51

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?

OP posts:
thisisfuckingbad · 06/07/2019 23:03

Bloody hell! He's been an utter twat!

  1. With a baby that young you don't have to offer any over nights
  2. What he wants is of no importance. What do you think is in the best interests of your baby? He is the one who matters in this situation (and of course you matter. Happy Mum is much better for baby) Don't let him bully you.
thisisfuckingbad · 06/07/2019 23:04

Sorry. Prob not clear - too many 'hes'
Baby - vvvvv important
ExP- not important Grin

Soconfusedandlost · 06/07/2019 23:07

He has never even looked at my son, to do the dna test I did the swab and then he put it in the envelope. Didn't acknowledge my son in any way.

I feel he should have 2-3 hours contact with supervision by someone I know and trust and build it up from there.

My son has weight problems so is on special milk and his food has to be high fat but low quantity but ex doesn't know these rules so don't feel he can be trusted to even feed him for a while.

I'm more concerned about my son missing out on his sister as she asked for the Dna test so she and her daughter could know him

OP posts:
C0untDucku1a · 06/07/2019 23:13

He is a nob. You were not unreasonable. He was just being difficult. I doubt he or his wife would actually want the child 50/50.

Has he been paying maintenance?

Soconfusedandlost · 06/07/2019 23:21

No he works cash in hand so is pointless going for CM as he is technically not earning

OP posts:
Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 07:11

Bump

OP posts:
OhamIreally · 07/07/2019 09:01

Hello so confused my advice would be to carry on as you are, building up the love and support around your son. Your ex has, as op said, been an utter nob to you and I can't see him or his wife shaping up to be a good influence in your son's life.

Your ex knows where you are, if he comes to you requesting contact then offer a reasonable schedule that you are comfortable with. Don't try to force it and also do not worry about this - you are raising your child alone and are being a good parent. You are not responsible for how your ex behaves.

Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 10:20

@OhamIreally thank you. I think that's for the best to not encourage contact and wait for him to request again

OP posts:
Jokie · 07/07/2019 10:26

I would honestly give him nothing. If he wants it, he can go through formal channels to secure it and for it to be at best interests of the child in question.

I would not trust him as far as I could throw him.

BelulahBlanca · 07/07/2019 10:32

Build bridges with his daughter initially. She’s seems much mature then her dad. Can you meet for a catch up? He’s seems vile.

Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 13:58

@BelulahBlanca most other posters think any contact is a bad idea. Do you think the daughter was genuine in wanting to know her brother? Am I being overly suspicious in thinking her dad used her to get the DNA test done? (even though I'd previously agreed to the test I just didn't want his wife there when it was done as she'd upset me so much during the pregnancy)

OP posts:
OhamIreally · 07/07/2019 14:22

Put the whole shifty lot of them out of your mind and focus on your own family.

The only exception to this I would say you should go to the CMS for maintenance. Claims can't be backdated but you may get something which you can use for your son.

Gingerkittykat · 07/07/2019 14:33

I wouldn't bother contacting him, he can find you if he wants contact. It sounds like the wife has a huge role in his decision making here too, I can see why she would not want him having contact with you but you cant be expected to hand a baby over for contact to someone who is a stranger to him and doesn't understand his medical needs. 50/50 for a baby is ridiculous.

It seems odd that after the fuss he kicked up then he would not be still trying to see your baby. Do you think he sent the DNA tests away? Did he ever show you the results?

As for the sister, it is complicated. It would potentially cause more problems and upset if you contacted her. Again I would leave the ball in her court.

Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 15:00

@gingerkittykat he has never showed me the test results. I never considered he wouldnt send it off cos we both knew I hadn't cheated. I took it as him or his wife trying to get at me so never asked for the proof. Why would he not send it off if he went to the trouble of doing it?

OP posts:
TheZazous · 07/07/2019 15:05

No!

BelulahBlanca · 07/07/2019 15:46

@Soconfusedandlost I think maybe I am being naive. Please get CMS though. My ex went back to his wife after two years together leaving me pregnant. He is not on her bc, has never met her but pays CMS.

Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 18:45

Thanks @BelulahBlanca I understand where you're coming from, not naive just optimistic maybe. It's not worth claiming CMS as he works cash in hand and claims no benefits so I wouldn't be entitled to anything

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Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 18:45

@TheZazous thank you for your succinct advice

OP posts:
Starlight456 · 07/07/2019 18:58

I would not be initiating contact . Wait for him to pop up again.

Not someone that doesn’t come with a load of problems . He isn’t going to agree to what you offer.

Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 19:11

@starlight456 yes if he wants contact he has a whole set of problems to add to the situation.

I dont really know about contact agreements but if he doesn't ask for contact until my son is 13 or so, would I be involved in the decision making at all? So my son could decide to spend every weekend with him and I couldn't say no or make sure he's a better person then?

While he's a baby, I am within my rights to say that he cannot remove him from me until I say he is ready (within boundaries) is that right?

OP posts:
Starlight456 · 07/07/2019 19:49

As the baby grows yes the child does have more say .

I would say if he does contact you that you are within your rights to ask him to get to know your dc under supervision . This could be somewhere public like soft play .

If he declines tell him to go to a solicitor . If you make an offer he declined it is more frowned on.

If wife/ he are sending abusive texts you can report to the police.

If it gets to 13 he is highly unable to ask.

While he also may do some work cash in hand if he is running a company highly unlikely to all be cash in hand.

Iovestruck · 07/07/2019 21:00

Report the fucker to the HMRC!

And I am not somebody who usually says that. But people who dodge paying CM are the lowest of the low. Thanks

Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 21:32

@lovestruck during my angry times I did consider reporting him but he lives off the grid (no bank account, no cards, no benefits, no taxes) he does handy work off the books and has lived like this for over 10 years - utterly mindboggling!

@starlight456 he doesn't run a company, he does painting and decorating, plastering tiling etc all off the books. How he has never been caught I don't know

OP posts:
Soconfusedandlost · 07/07/2019 22:38

@Starlight456 sorry I couldn't see all your post

They weren't abusive messages just like weird rants about how he loved her and I tried to trap him with a baby. When I put the scans pics on social media, it was about how I hadn't taken his feelings into account despite that I had not made any mention of him/them. When I put the 2nd scan on there, it was about how I was showing other people before him. So not abuse, just weird and stressy so couldn't really report just kept a printed copy in case needed

OP posts:
Bedforaweek · 07/07/2019 22:54

Looking after a child is hard (but very rewarding) work as you well know.
If he or anyone in that family want to build a relationship with your son then let them come and make their case. I would not offer it, nor agree to anything unless I thought they were very serious.
But I would never go out of my way to offer contact to someone who isn’t seeking it. I can’t see how that would ever end well

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