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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:
KittenLedWeaning · 20/11/2019 18:12

the pill working is the woman's responsibility is absurd

Has anyone said that? Suggesting the woman should mention stomach upsets to her partner is a way of passing on the responsibility to him.

Isn't contraception usually a joint decision in a long term relationship? By listing excuses men use for not wearing condoms, some posters are suggesting it would only ever be the man who vetoed this - yet condoms are intrusive for both parties during sex.

The OP has said nothing to suggest their method of contraception wasn't a joint decision. He couldn't force his partner to take the pill - she must have agreed to it.

furrytoebean · 20/11/2019 18:13

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?

No but women can choose to have an abortion.

Besidesthepoint · 20/11/2019 18:16

She's already had two abortions so I would say what's another one to her?!!

Maybe she views things differently now? If I had needed an abortion at age 20 I would have just done it and thought it was no big deal, bunch of cells blah blah blah. Now that I'm older I view a pregnancy much more as my child, my family member, a child with feelings and a future separate from me. No way I would abort out of convenience.

BrendasUmbrella · 20/11/2019 18:16

You've had an expensive lesson. If you don't want children, see to your own contraception. You can't trust anyone else with something so important. Not to mention that illness can affect the pill.

She may be affected by pregnancy hormones at the moment. I'm a very calm person but in early pregnancy I was an emotional mess and my DP was shocked by "that side of me".

Your best bet is to step back and give the whole situation some space. Stop talking about abortion, she clearly doesn't want one. You also can't judge that she has two kids by two fathers, because that's your situation as well now...

Don't move her in with you, your first priority should be your existing children and it sounds like it's all too volatile right now. They don't need relationship dramas plus three new people in their home.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 18:18

By listing excuses men use for not wearing condoms, some posters are suggesting it would only ever be the man who vetoed this - yet condoms are intrusive for both parties during sex.

Exactly. When I first met my DH I was on the pill. He, rightly, insisted on wearing a condom too. I get it. It was literally at the beginning of the AIDS awareness and he didn't know me really. I lasted 6 weeks until I could bear it no longer. We tried every different sort available including the latex free ones but I still reacted to them. I suppose he should have done what you are all suggesting and insisted that we either used them or didn't have sex, except that would have meant never having sex.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 18:20

You also can't judge that she has two kids by two fathers, because that's your situation as well now...

Not really - she'll have 3 kids by 3 fathers and he'll have 4 kids by 2 mothers.

BrendasUmbrella · 20/11/2019 18:24

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

It should never be the case, because that's not how it works Grin

No, because in the real world women are expected to pump themselves full of hormones - sometimes with serious health risk side effects - to ensure that men are not inconvenienced... Heaven forbid...

BrendasUmbrella · 20/11/2019 18:25

Not really - she'll have 3 kids by 3 fathers and he'll have 4 kids by 2 mothers.

If you want to be pedantic yes. The point is they will both have children by different partners.

NemophilistRebel · 20/11/2019 18:25

There are different options than hormones for women too Hmm

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 20/11/2019 18:27

No, because in the real world women are expected to pump themselves full of hormones - sometimes with serious health risk side effects - to ensure that men are not inconvenienced...

Not in my case. The benefits of me being on the pill, and us not using condoms, were all mine. Shorter, lighter periods and no adverse effects from the pill. No pain or recurrent thrush that using condoms caused.

NemophilistRebel · 20/11/2019 18:28

If you want to be pedantic yes. The point is they will both have children by different partners.

One of their situations is normal and quite typical of blended families

The other is not and welcomes full judgment of what type of person let’s that happen

NemophilistRebel · 20/11/2019 18:29

Not in my case. The benefits of me being on the pill, and us not using condoms, were all mine. Shorter, lighter periods and no adverse effects from the pill. No pain or recurrent thrush that using condoms caused.

I felt the same and when I decided I’d had enough of hormones I had the copper coil.
No symptoms, no affect to fertility and a reliable method in a mutual trusting relationship

KittenLedWeaning · 20/11/2019 18:31

women are expected to pump themselves full of hormones - sometimes with serious health risk side effects - to ensure that men are not inconvenienced...

'Expected'? If you don't want to be on the pill, come off the pill. Tell your partner/husband he'll have to use a condom, have the snip or go without sex. There is absolutely nothing to stop any woman saying that (unless she is in an abusive relationship, which isn't what we are discussing here).

NemophilistRebel · 20/11/2019 18:34

Expected'? If you don't want to be on the pill, come off the pill. Tell your partner/husband he'll have to use a condom, have the snip or go without sex. There is absolutely nothing to stop any woman saying that (unless she is in an abusive relationship, which isn't what we are discussing here).

100% this.

NemophilistRebel · 20/11/2019 18:35

I certainly won’t be ‘pumping’ myself with hormones again for sex.
If I ever had an issue with the coil it’s back to condoms, or the diaphragm, or tubes tied.

Longfacenow · 20/11/2019 21:13

And STD testing I hope if a new partner!

Bunnyfuller · 22/11/2019 16:53

@CalleighDoodle

Yes, I KNOW she has other children. By other fathers. Read my post - TOO MANY CONCEPTIONS! Whether they end in abortion or a baby was born. It feels like she thinks a baby will glue a bloke to her.

BIWI · 22/11/2019 16:58

FFS why are you attributing such motives to the woman when we simply don't know the situation?! Why not try for a spot of empathy, or consideration - we have no idea what actually happened.

CalleighDoodle · 22/11/2019 17:10

Women can’t get men pregnant. Men get women pregnant.

Stop being a dick about it and woman up ffs.

This is nobody’s fault but yours.

You have enough children, take some responsibility and stop reproducing.

And yes i read your op. YOU keep impregnating women.

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