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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Girlfriend has shown her hand!

344 replies

Ccooped1 · 18/11/2019 17:09

Hi, Im extremely sad and angry with myself over the position I have let myself get into. I am a single dad with custody of 3 young children (aged 4, 6, and 8 YO). I work full time and raise my children on my own and have done for the last 3.5 years. They are amazing and we work so well as a family unit - life couldn't be any better under the circumstances. I moved away from family for work several years ago so my nearest family member is 120 miles away... At present my children have not seen their mom for 19 months as she has moved away without any idea. I get zero support, of which I don't moan about as i'm fortunate to have a good job and be motivated to my children. They have everything children need, an extremely special bond with me, they are taught morals / values, have life experiences etc. Again I am lucky to be able to do this. I have got my head down over the initial 3 years on my own ensuring my children are in a good place emotionally after the disappearing act of mother.
I have just done the basics right, worked hard, renovated a house for us to grow old in, and been a dads taxi of course.

Anyway now the scene is set, I have a major issue. Over the last year I have been building a relationship with a girl who I thought was very caring and in a similar position to me would be a safe bet. We have been open about our situation, limited time we spent together and agreed on things like kids, marriage moving in together etc. It was clear that as she had 2 children and I have 3, that I did not want any more children as it just doesn't make sense obviously to me and I dont want to change nappies for ever! Anyway after being on the pill she is pregnant and basically told me to f off she is keeping it. I know we can all say you should have not listened to her and used a condom but it has been a year and i thought trust was there. My point of view is that I have been clear from day one and this is all against my consent. She already has 2 children off different dads and I am not judging by this but surely she wants solid foundations to void being in her current position again. She has told me that she is having it regardless of what I say. I know her kids dads are not the best so she wants a good dad but this is all wrong. She is not listening to me and everytime I try and talk calmly to her she goes off on one and i see a side I never once thought was there. I understand that there is nothing i can do so this message really is me venting off and hoping that someone can tell me they have had something similar or what on earth I am going to do. I would never ever walk away from a child so I will be there for it no matter what, with regards to the mother I cannot be false and this is betrayal and whilst I am not a nasty person I cannot move forward with a women like this. I feel such a fool!!

OP posts:
Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 14:57

Well, i think your unborn child's right to be fed and clothed and provided for by both parents outweighs anything else.

So do you think the gf is providing for her existing 2 children by working 2 days a week? Do you think she'll be providing for 3 children by working 2 days a week? Why should the op have to work full time whilst being a lone parent to 3 children (soon to be 4) while his gf only works 2 days a week?

Maybe he should cut his work down to 2 days a week too?

sue51 · 20/11/2019 15:05

Hooves. The OP suggested in his post that the gf had serious health issues. Maybe she is only capable of working 2 days a week.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 15:20

Well if that's the case how will she be able to cope with pregnancy, and looking after 2 children and then a baby and 2 children? Is she providing financially for her 2 children now? How will having a 3rd child affect the existing 2 children with regards to her finances? She won't get child benefit for the 3rd child will she?

sue51 · 20/11/2019 15:44

I have no idea of her finances and no where in his post does the op suggest she is struggling with money. Are you suggesting only healthy women should be allowed to proceed with a pregnancy?

holrosea · 20/11/2019 16:09

www.vox.com/2014/9/19/6418767/birth-control-pills-effectiveness-how-to-use-common-questions

There are a lot of people rightly saying that the pill is not 100% effective, and some others (men?) saying stupid misogynist shit about how funny it is on MN that the pill is only 20% effective, or very effective post-baby and wonderful man moving in. Post-baby lack of sex could also be at play but that would ruin their stupid "trapped" narrative.

In lab conditions, the pill is 99% effective, but in real life with antibiotics, tummy upsets, forgotten days, hormone fluctuations and just bad luck, it is only 91% effective.

That means that for everyone 100 women taking the pill for one year, NINE will fall unexpectedly pregnant. Those are pretty high odds so any man not planning on having kids should definitely be abstaining, using condoms or having a vasectomy.

As an aside OP, yes you sound like you do right by your children but isn't that basic parenting? And surely she also does right by her kids? Calling her a safe bet then talking about a theoretical girl of your dreams for whom the situation would be supposedly different is very unkind. Perhaps she thought you were a meal ticket (break up then) but perhaps she's also upset and scared and she'd be better off without you.

KittenLedWeaning · 20/11/2019 16:55

A very sensible post from Aneley - I agree completely.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 16:59

I have no idea of her finances and no where in his post does the op suggest she is struggling with money. Are you suggesting only healthy women should be allowed to proceed with a pregnancy

Well I find it hard to believe that anyone can provide 50% of the amount it costs to raise 2 children (soon to be 3) by working just 2 days a week.

Nope, not saying only healthy women can continue a pregnancy but how on earth will she cope with 2 children and being pregnant or 2 children plus a baby if she's that unwell that she can only work 2 days a week. It's not very sensible is it?

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 17:02

in real life with antibiotics, tummy upsets, forgotten days, hormone fluctuations and just bad luck, it is only 91% effective.

That means that for everyone 100 women taking the pill for one year, NINE will fall unexpectedly pregnant

You would know if you were taking antibiotics or had a tummy upset or forgot to take the pill. In those instances don't have sex, insist on the man using a condom, at the very least tell him that there's a chance you aren't protected. It's not a surprise if you know a risk factor has happened to then discover you are pregnant is it?

fiftysocks · 20/11/2019 17:27

insist on the man using a condom,

Ooooooooor how about men just start wearing condoms unless they are in a relationship with a woman where they wouldn't mind if the woman fell pregnant.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 17:31

How a bout the woman tells her partner that she's got an upset stomach, on antibiotics, forgot to take her pill so there's a chance she might get pregnant?

furrytoebean · 20/11/2019 17:43

How a bout the woman tells her partner that she's got an upset stomach, on antibiotics, forgot to take her pill so there's a chance she might get pregnant?

Because this puts far too much responsibility for something that affects two people onto one persons shoulders.
And these aren't the only reasons pills fail.

May I ask why you're so against men wearing condoms?

GiveHerHellFromUs · 20/11/2019 17:45

@furrytoebean my guess for your question to @Hearhoovesthinkzebras is one of the following:

  • I'm too big, none of them fit
  • it doesn't feel as good
  • I can't keep an erection when using condoms
Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 17:49

I'm not against men wearing condoms at all.

I don't like my DH using them because the give me thrush so we wouldn't have been able to have sex at all had he or I insisted on using them. I was very happy to accept responsibility for contraception because of the other positive benefits that I got. Accepting that responsibility meant that I was responsible for highlighting any time we needed to abstain. If you don't want to accept responsibility then make it clear. Don't say you will and then just not bother.

Dramaofallama · 20/11/2019 17:51

How a bout the woman tells her partner that she's got an upset stomach, on antibiotics, forgot to take her pill so there's a chance she might get pregnant?

Because again you are putting responsibility onto someone else rather than taking responsibility for yourself.
You shouldn't have to be told to wear a condom to protect yourself, you should do so instinctively

furrytoebean · 20/11/2019 17:52

Accepting that responsibility meant that I was responsible for highlighting any time we needed to abstain. If you don't want to accept responsibility then make it clear. Don't say you will and then just not bother.

But it's impossible to take 100% responsibility for the effectiveness of the pill because it's not 100% effective.

If you don't wear a condom and your partner is on the pill there is always a chance she will get pregnant. That's just the way it is.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 17:53

Not putting my responsibility onto anyone thanks. I took responsibility for not getting pregnant.

I might have some trouble wearing a condom because I have a vagina, not a penis!!!

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 17:54

But it's impossible to take 100% responsibility for the effectiveness of the pill because it's not 100% effective.

Well I was on it from the age of 18 until 40 and only fell pregnant when I planned to do so, so I seemed to have managed it.

KittenLedWeaning · 20/11/2019 17:54

Because this puts far too much responsibility for something that affects two people onto one persons shoulders.

I don't agree. Telling your partner that you've had an upset stomach (etc.) so that he can put a condom on is an example of sharing responsibility, surely?

You could argue endlessly about the merits of condoms vs the pill, but the failure rate of condoms, both in lab conditions and in real life, is higher than that of the pill, so saying that the OP should have worn a condom doesn't present a magical solution to his dilemma.

It might have been more obvious if the condom had failed, but the OP couldn't force his partner to take the MAP any more than he can compel her to have an abortion.

furrytoebean · 20/11/2019 17:56

Well I was on it from the age of 18 until 40 and only fell pregnant when I planned to do so, so I seemed to have managed it.

Seriously????
Because you didn't get pregnant on the pill then the pill is 100% effective? Confused

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 17:58

Nope, just that if you take it correctly then the failure rate is tiny.

Don't take it correctly and surprise surprise it might not be effective.

NemophilistRebel · 20/11/2019 18:00

And the failure rate for when it is taken properly occurs when there has been sickness or diarrhoea.
People generally know to take extra precautions when they’ve been ill just like if they’ve missed a pill

furrytoebean · 20/11/2019 18:00

You could argue endlessly about the merits of condoms vs the pill, but the failure rate of condoms, both in lab conditions and in real life, is higher than that of the pill, so saying that the OP should have worn a condom doesn't present a magical solution to his dilemma.

Yes it would because she got pregnant due to a pill failure. The pill failed and the condom would have been a safety contraception.
Using a barrier protection along with a hormonal one is pretty much 100% effective, it's the the most effective thing you can possibly do.

I think most women would tell their partners if they had a tummy bug and therefore their pill was likely to fail, but to say that the pill working is the woman's responsibility is absurd.

NemophilistRebel · 20/11/2019 18:03

The pill working isn’t women’s responsibility but if a couple together decide that their contraception method is the pill then it’s down to the woman to take it correctly as prescribed

There’s been other threads where people have called men unreasonable for checking that their partner had taken it each day at the correct time.

It should never be a case that men always wear condoms unless they are willing to father a child as in the real world that’s just not how it works

furrytoebean · 20/11/2019 18:05

It should never be a case that men always wear condoms unless they are willing to father a child as in the real world that’s just not how it works

So what's the alternative if a woman falls pregnant on the pill?

NemophilistRebel · 20/11/2019 18:09

Are you saying that every woman on the pill who accepts sec without a condom is ready to carry a baby and be a mother?

I totally disagree.