My ex and I broke up early in my pregnancy. He wanted an abortion, but I refused because of my religious beliefs. He reacted badly, threatened me, and kicked me out, saying he wanted nothing to do with our son during the pregnancy or after birth.
When our son was 2 months old, he came back wanting contact. I gave him a chance, but things have been terrible—we argue a lot, and I’ve felt unsafe with him around our child. He’s demanding to be on the birth certificate, but I’ve refused and pushed back on it. He initiated mediation, claiming I’m preventing contact, though he admitted he doesn’t want court involved “because things might get ugly.” He wants something written down in terms of child contact so that if we ever argue he feels like he doesn’t want this problem again of not being able to see his son, he says. Mediation is set for the end of September.
Recently, he asked for all the baby clothes him and his family bought (which our son has already outgrown) so he can resell them—something we never discussed, and which feels bizarre to me. At a recent park meeting, despite knowing our son has severe eczema triggered by grass pollen, he put him directly on the grass for tummy time. This led to flare-ups, GP visits, and sleepless nights caring for our now 7-month-old