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Pregnancy

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

My partner still hasn't started work?

242 replies

Babybellaboo · 14/04/2022 15:08

Hi,

I'm 26wks and 4 days. Due on the 17th July 2022.

I am so excited to meet my baby girl. Me and my partner have been together roughly a year and a half and it came as a shock. Throughout our whole relationship I have been the provider working to ensure we have food a place to call home and look after our dog. When I found out I was pregnant where we was living was not suitable at all! So I kicked myself into gear for a better paid job and managed to get us a beautiful 2 bed home for our daughter and us. He assured me by the first month of us being here he would get into work and start providing...

We have now been here since the 21st January and no work has been started everything is financially coming from me, rent, bills, food, baby things and everything he wants which I class as a luxury.

See we have had countless arguments due to me pushing him to go to work and we had a really bad argument as I broke down saying I'm extremely worried when I have this baby we won't be able to keep up with everything on just my maternity leave and that I've seen no signs of him trying to do anything!! I love him so I think I excuse it half the time which is bad on my part. At this point I don't know what to do people put jobs in his face but he seems to find a reason or excuse why he can't/won't do it. He has been struggling badly with mental health which I have been trying my best to support him with but he doesn't seem to understand I'm carrying the weight of all this responsibility!!!

He says that his mental health is that bad he struggles to face things such as work and can't find motivation. But my argument is that he has a child he needs to provide for and I can't do it on my own!! What should I do has anyone been in a similar situation? I feel like I'm just in an impossible situation and it's making me miserable as a person and I don't want to feel like this when my first child is growing inside me and not far away from being here I want to be the best version of myself possible! Sad

OP posts:
marmalade32 · 14/04/2022 19:19

Firstly, you are not stupid. You've just given him too many chances.
Secondly, stop caring that if would be difficult for him if he can't freeload from you. Given a choice of homelessness or getting a job I think I know what he will do. He feels nothing about you having to survive on maternity pay with a newborn and keeping the house going. You owe him nothing. You owe your daughter, and yourself, everything.

Riverlee · 14/04/2022 19:19

support

It may be worth looking at this thread also with links to government agencies, charities, organisations etc that can provide you with help and support.

Walkingalot · 14/04/2022 19:21

Time to wake up OP. This baby is coming and you are going to be the best Mum ever, if you can kick that waster out.
You may not realise this now, but when the baby is here, you're going to love her like nothing else matters. Your priority is her, nothing else compares. The love you feel for DP, nah, you'll end up despising him. There's nothing like giving birth to focus on what's important and all the failings in your relationship will be 1000 times worse, because you are not an equal partnership. Even the best relationships can be tested to the limits.

Starlightstarbright1 · 14/04/2022 19:25

Op.. you are doing amazingly well with him..

He won't leave.. you can get the police to remove him..

He is fraudently claimimg uc. You absolutely want him out now..

You will finacially be far better off without him..

Does he access to your qccount ?

I do completely get you want it all to be perfect but he has no interest in change.

LittleOwl153 · 14/04/2022 19:27

Something that stood out to me... you talk about him saying you van use his money but there is none left....

Do you have a joint account? If you do close it.
Separate your finances as he is a benefit fraud and you don't want to get embroiled in that.

Close the account, switch all the bills to your account but leave his dirty benefit money and his money for his other son for him to organise.

Take any cards he has on your accounts off him, or block the cards. He will bleed you dry especially if he gets wind you are not happy with him. If he wants luxuries he can save his I'll gotten gains for them and stop taking money from you baby.

The reality is that unless you stayed in the same company you will be on maternity allowance as you will not get statutory maternity pay or any other benefits due to your service length. This means that within 6 weeks of your baby being born you will be living on £156.55 a week for 39 weeks then nothing. UC will top this up by £100 a week plus £106 towards your rent....

BUT if he is still living with you you will need to claim as a couple where you will only gain about £60 on the above - but your 'partner' will think that is his money. (He is currently claiming £155 a week UC) If you both claim at the same address they will absolutely jump on it as fraud and you will likely be liable as he is to return the money he has fraudulently obtained.

GettingItOutThere · 14/04/2022 19:30

your 19?!

my god get rid of this "man"!!! he wil become full time dad and he will get primary custody WHEN you split.

do it before the baby is born, chuck him out, he is a grown man not your problem

does he smoke weed too?

GettingItOutThere · 14/04/2022 19:30

your 19?!

my god get rid of this "man"!!! he wil become full time dad and he will get primary custody WHEN you split.

do it before the baby is born, chuck him out, he is a grown man not your problem

does he smoke weed too?

Unsure33 · 14/04/2022 19:32

There are plenty of people who work who have MH problems .

Let him go , and tell him you will reconsider when he has had a job and can contribute .

The job centre will provide training . He just needs to find somewhere else to live . You deserve better . But we’ll done you for keeping everything in your own name .

Snugglepumpkin · 14/04/2022 19:34

You are NOT stupid.
You are just young & you've fallen for a con many men have played on many women of all ages.

He isn't going to change & he is going to use his 'mental health' as an excuse forever.

Make him leave & you instantly get to have a 25% discount on your council tax, may be entitled to some benefits (child benefit etc..) once your child is born & you'll save every single penny you are paying for him.

He should NOT be able to get Universal Credit unless your wages are pretty low & he is claiming for you as well.

You need to find out what he is doing.
If he is claiming as a single person then he is committing benefit fraud.

I'm sorry he had a hard childhood, but frankly you are barely more than a child yourself & his issues are NOT your problem.
You have yourself & a baby on the way.

He isn't making any effort which is why he's spending money & living off a pregnant girls income.

He can't be bothered to pay a penny for his existing child, he certainly won't get out of bed to pay for another one.

Please, get him out & make sure he isn't claiming benefits for you without your knowledge.

mathanxiety · 14/04/2022 19:36

What do you mean I could loose the baby???

Here's how this situation will pan out if you let him keep on sponging off you and don't kick him out:
You stay with him.
His name is on the BC because he insists on it and because you feel guilty and you believe a baby needs a father in her life, and because this is the easiest way to deal with the conflict he creates over this issue.
You return to work earlier than you want to because you are running out of money and he still hasn't found a job.
He becomes the full time SAHP just by sitting on his arse and refusing to do anything about the money situation and you need childcare.
You end up doing all the housework and all the night feedings anyway because he is too lazy and fragile to be bothered with any of that.
You come home every day to piles of dishes, piles of laundry, a toddler glued to the TV eating junk because he is too lazy and too fragile to be a proper parent.
You are exhausted.
In two years, maybe less, maybe more, you will finally start understanding that you are stuck with someone who has zero respect for you or for himself either.
You decide to leave.

However, he claims that he is the full time carer for the baby and therefore he should stay as the SAHP, in the baby's home, and you have to move out.
Because you have a job, you have to pay him child support and you can see your baby at weekends.

The person who stays home with the baby, even if it's because he is too lazy and up himself to get a job, gets the baby during the week.
It is assumed by family courts there is a bond between the sahp and the baby.
You would have to prove that he attempted to murder the baby in order for him to be stopped from doing this, and even if he did try murdering the baby he would still have a fighting chance of 50-50, because the family courts are incredibly blind to the effect on babies and children of horrible parenting and even outright violence on the part of men.
It is assumed by the family courts that the person with the job pays child support.

If you want to avoid this, you need to get him out of your home ASAP, before the baby is born.

And yes, the link to the Women's Aid page is appropriate.
What was the Anger Management course for, @Babybellaboo?

The story he has spun you about not being allowed to see his son doesn't ring true. Fathers are granted visitation rights if they make any effort at all to get them, regardless of how abusive or useless they are.

Love, you are not stupid for not knowing much about this side of relationships. I would bet any money that the majority of people responding to your posts here have learned all that they know the hard way, and that they were all full of love and optimism setting out on the relationships that taught them the hard lessons. I know I was anyway. My exH had different issues than yours did, but I struggled with the fear of ending it, the fear of looking like a failure and feeling that it was a reflection on me. Looking back now, I kick myself.

You sound like a real go-getter, a really capable and bright woman.

It is fantastic that the house you're in is in your name.
You can ask Women's Aid for their help getting him out.
Please call WA asap, 0808 2000 247, or you can send an email to their contact address.
Either way, they will call or contact you back. If you leave a phone message, you need to leave a time and day when their phone call can safely be taken by you and you can talk with a counselor.
Emailing might be more private for you.

Ask them how you can have him removed from the home.
Tell them you have a few months in which you want to get this done (before the baby arrives).

Crunchycrouton · 14/04/2022 19:37

Has he worked at all since you’ve been together?

MH problems are not an excuse to do no work. Particularly if he isn’t actively seeking help for his issues.

And I suspect he’s just fucking lazy, tbh.

Crunchycrouton · 14/04/2022 19:37

PS - he’s not your partner. A partner wouldn’t treat you that way.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/04/2022 19:38

Please give the baby your surname.

mathanxiety · 14/04/2022 19:42

@Babybellaboo, you need to read and re-read LittleOwl153's post about the money situation you are facing as a direct result of this man living in your home.
It's at Thu 14-Apr-22 19:27:50

Sherrystrull · 14/04/2022 19:42

@mathanxiety

What do you mean I could loose the baby???

Here's how this situation will pan out if you let him keep on sponging off you and don't kick him out:
You stay with him.
His name is on the BC because he insists on it and because you feel guilty and you believe a baby needs a father in her life, and because this is the easiest way to deal with the conflict he creates over this issue.
You return to work earlier than you want to because you are running out of money and he still hasn't found a job.
He becomes the full time SAHP just by sitting on his arse and refusing to do anything about the money situation and you need childcare.
You end up doing all the housework and all the night feedings anyway because he is too lazy and fragile to be bothered with any of that.
You come home every day to piles of dishes, piles of laundry, a toddler glued to the TV eating junk because he is too lazy and too fragile to be a proper parent.
You are exhausted.
In two years, maybe less, maybe more, you will finally start understanding that you are stuck with someone who has zero respect for you or for himself either.
You decide to leave.

However, he claims that he is the full time carer for the baby and therefore he should stay as the SAHP, in the baby's home, and you have to move out.
Because you have a job, you have to pay him child support and you can see your baby at weekends.

The person who stays home with the baby, even if it's because he is too lazy and up himself to get a job, gets the baby during the week.
It is assumed by family courts there is a bond between the sahp and the baby.
You would have to prove that he attempted to murder the baby in order for him to be stopped from doing this, and even if he did try murdering the baby he would still have a fighting chance of 50-50, because the family courts are incredibly blind to the effect on babies and children of horrible parenting and even outright violence on the part of men.
It is assumed by the family courts that the person with the job pays child support.

If you want to avoid this, you need to get him out of your home ASAP, before the baby is born.

And yes, the link to the Women's Aid page is appropriate.
What was the Anger Management course for, @Babybellaboo?

The story he has spun you about not being allowed to see his son doesn't ring true. Fathers are granted visitation rights if they make any effort at all to get them, regardless of how abusive or useless they are.

Love, you are not stupid for not knowing much about this side of relationships. I would bet any money that the majority of people responding to your posts here have learned all that they know the hard way, and that they were all full of love and optimism setting out on the relationships that taught them the hard lessons. I know I was anyway. My exH had different issues than yours did, but I struggled with the fear of ending it, the fear of looking like a failure and feeling that it was a reflection on me. Looking back now, I kick myself.

You sound like a real go-getter, a really capable and bright woman.

It is fantastic that the house you're in is in your name.
You can ask Women's Aid for their help getting him out.
Please call WA asap, 0808 2000 247, or you can send an email to their contact address.
Either way, they will call or contact you back. If you leave a phone message, you need to leave a time and day when their phone call can safely be taken by you and you can talk with a counselor.
Emailing might be more private for you.

Ask them how you can have him removed from the home.
Tell them you have a few months in which you want to get this done (before the baby arrives).

This is such a good post.
MadinMarch · 14/04/2022 20:10

You need to tell him to move out, get a bedsit or flat/house share, or whatever benefits will pay for a single man in your region - in my region he would get £75 a week housing benefit max.. He needs to sign on or go on the sick. He needs to do this as a single man (which he is) and you need to concentrate on yourself and your pregnancy, and extract him from your home and finances ASAP - give him a date and stick to it.

I can tell you from experience that once he shys away from work or whines about "mental health" to avoid it, yet you still keep him fed and comfortable, from now on he will EXPECT that level of care from you.

He will also most likely resent it when the baby is born, not help you with baby or help with the housework as he will feel he is not getting the money, care and attention from you that he got before.
OUT WITH HIM - NOW.

This. In buckets. Theresentment you feel now is nothing to how you will feel when the baby arrives and you're shattered and he's just another responsibility to have to look after.
Honestly, and I mean this kindly, but stop being a doormat and act now to get him out.
I hear that you are actually frightened of him and his anger. You need to get help and support, so contact Womens `Aid and the police domestic abuse unit via 101. You can do this and you and your baby will be so much better without him.

BOOTS52 · 14/04/2022 20:13

just ask him to leave and when he secures a job you can rethink your relationship. You will grow so resentful of him and it does not sound like he will change. Be easier without him.

WonderfulYou · 14/04/2022 20:23

I was younger than you when I had my child OP and I was a single parent with no support.

Obviously it was hard but I can guarantee it will be so much harder having another person to look after like you do.

You have your head screwed on - you have a place to live and a job.

Don’t let someone weigh you down just because you’ve got a good heart.
All of your time, energy and spare money needs to go on your actual child not the man child.

CPL593H · 14/04/2022 20:26

It is better for a child to be in a "broken" home than a miserable one and believe me OP, if you stay, that's what it will be.

SingleMomDevon · 14/04/2022 20:31

@viques

Thank goodness you have a two bedroomed property. You will be able to get a lodger in to rent the second bedroom which will be some additional income when you boot out your useless baby daddy. [ smile]

Why do you think you will feel guilty if he becomes homeless? Do you not realise that unless he gets his arse in gear all three of you could become homeless when there is no money coming in and you fall behind with the rent? Do you thinks he gives a monkeys that you and your baby could be living in a homeless hostel, a bed and breakfast or grim temporary accommodation ?

You are about to become a parent, no one else is going to stick up for your baby apart from you. Start acting like the good parent you want to be and doing what is best for your baby, not for a lazy adult who sounds as though they have an excuse for every day of the year as to why they aren’t working.

Getting herself a lodger with a newborn baby is a terrible idea. Firstly from a safeguarding point of view for the baby, secondly for a new mom who just needs to be herself and not worry about breastfeeding where she likes in her own home, or just chilling out in comfies and thirdly a tenant is bit going to want a baby crying through the night when they are paying for the privilege of living there.
SingleMomDevon · 14/04/2022 20:47

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Please give the baby your surname.
YES to this. And leave his name off the birth certificate.

19 or not, you are very switched on, and I've no doubt you will continue to strive for me through your career and for your child. Right now you NEED to get rid of this waste of space.
You jave a few options....Either ask a trusted male to come round when you are telling him to leave and make sure he leaves. Taking all his things so he has No reason to return. Make sure he doesn't have a key, otherwise I'd co sides getting the locks changed.
OR next time you have an ante natal appointment, tell them you are in an abusive relationship and need help. They will point you in the right direction. You could ring your health care provider and ask either.
Finally, tell him you want him to leave until he gets himself sorted out.

At 26 weeks, you need to start getting your course in order, and do not need this stress.

Big hugs from me. I wasn't in an abusive relationship, but I had to get out for my sanity and I can guarantee you it's the best thing you will ever do for yourself and your child.
Your baby will only know the life it's born into, so make sure it's a happy one x

Indoorcamping · 14/04/2022 20:54

You've had some really good advice on this thread. I hope you listen as even the blunt posters come from a kind place. We're mostly older than you and have seen these situations time and time again.

He may well have mental health issues but they're not your problems to solve. It's up to him to get help, it's also up to him to house and feed himself. Without resorting to benefit fraud.

You're not stupid, these blokes are good at manipulating women. Especially younger women who don't have the benefit of experience. I spent about 18 months in my 20s funding my own cocklodger so no judgement from me. It's easy to fall into these situations. You fall in love and want to think the best of them.

They don't change though. They just hang around messing with your head and your back balance until either you kick them out or some other mug comes along.

Throw him out, he has no rights on your home. Change the locks. Block his number.

Then enjoy your pregnancy and your baby, you sound like you'll be a great mother Flowers

Babybellaboo · 14/04/2022 22:35

@PlainJaneEyre

Is there any point in the thread because *@Babybellaboo* doesn't want to do what she needs to do? Every post is an excuse. You may love him but he doesn't love you enough to get out of his bed and find a job for you and his child.
I am listening to everything everyone's saying I'm just taking it all in... I'm working out what I need to do and need to do it the right way so I don't cause a bigger problem for myself.. I've already stated I can't explain certain things in our relationship but it's not as easy as just kicking him out
OP posts:
Babybellaboo · 14/04/2022 22:37

@Rememberitwell

Where are your family op?
My mum moved away about 4 years ago and my dad left about 6 years ago I was forced to start adulthood around 15 got my own flat at 16 after sofa surfing and then I progressed from there...
OP posts:
2DogsOnMySofa · 14/04/2022 22:46

Give him a date to move out, if he doesn't by that date ring the police and have him removed. If he suddenly turns his life around then maybe you might want to consider involving him in your life.

If you don't, when the baby is born, and you split up, you work (even from home) he is classed as a stay at home parent, courts will see this as him being the primary carer, he then gets the child and the house whilst you pay him child maintenance and see your dd every other weekend