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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Husband has left me while am 5 months pregnant with first child.

221 replies

bidleyboo · 27/10/2011 07:48

I am devasted. On sun 23 Oct i came home at 2pm to find that husband of 2 yrs had taken all his belongings and left home. I had panic attack called ambulance went to hospital. He never came but said he cared for me and baby but wants seperation and most probable divorce. He had stopped talking to me properly for 6 months, says no other person involved. I have no family/ siblings and totally isolated. Have lost 5 pounds weight in since 23 Oct and frightened that I will not make it. He wants to be at scans and birth. I am detroyed.

OP posts:
Robotindisguise · 27/10/2011 21:32

Bidley - I know you feel alone but you're not. Your baby is with you and when it arrives, it will be the love of your life. This will be a hard road but there is a huge rewarding, wonderful (if knackering!) experience over the horizon. Take care of yourself.

turnedworm · 27/10/2011 21:48

Hello Bidleyboo - I think youre in a terrible state of shock right now. Try to think of the positives - as there are some - you are having your longed for baby - dont allow yourself to be robbed of your enjoyment of him/her. I think I went into a state of "serenity"..lol...and decided to concentrate on the baby and my other daughter, and not my ex. My ex left very suddenly. After a year of having little to do with any of us, and by which time the baby was about 6 months old - he decided he`d made a terrible mistake and tried to come back. But by then I realised that I was better off without him. I refused to take him back -the irony is he has never forgiven me for that, he thought he could walk straight back in. He remarried and he sees both our daughters regularly now, and has a good relationship with them both...and we get on...just about...and can be civil. The situation is never ideal but it is what it is. Your man may have just got cold feet...and he may come round, but you might not want that.

Wilkoa · 27/10/2011 21:54

Bidley, big hugs to you right now. H left me a week before I had DS. I REALLY DO understand your pain right now. You are in major shock so please take care of yourself and lean on friends. You need their help right now.

I'm 1.5 years on, my world as I knew it has gone but little by little I've built a new life and I'm happy - and you will be too.

Don't even give him a second thought re - scans, birth etc. I asked exh if he wanted to be there (out of desperation, hoping he'd change his mind) but he made it quite clear he would be uncomfortable with that. And I'm so glad he wasn't because you really do need people around you who are supportive and caring.

Take care of yourself. Eat little and often, get out in the fresh air and try to focus on your baby. DS is the best thing that happened to me. Something fantastic came out of the most awful situation. It didn't feel like that at first (!) but it certainly does now. It will for you too.
xxx

HarlotOTara · 27/10/2011 22:12

Bidley, I am so sorry for what has happened - it is a massive shock and you do need support - take it from whoever offers. However, you can and will survive. The same thing happened to me - I had gone away with a friend for a few days and my P (not H and definitely not dear) disappeared only to come back and say he didn't want to be involved. I had my dd and survived very happily on my own once I had got over all the hurt. He saw my dd for the first time when she was about a year old and saw her intermittently until my dd was 12 and she decided she didn't want to see him any more. My dd is now 21 and at university and I remarried and had another dd. I am telling you so that you know it is survivable. However, you need time to absorb what has happened. Tell people and you may be pleasantly surprised how they respond and you may get lots of help from all sorts of people.

Men like this are dicks and it is hard to get your head round their behaviour - in fact don't even try as it is incomprehensible to reasonable people.

Keep posting so we know how you are.

steelchic · 27/10/2011 22:31

Bidleyboo,
I'm so sorry. you are in a state of shock. Please talk to your midwife. She maybe able to get you some support. Concentrate on you and your baby you are the only two that matter.
The same sort of thing happened to my 26 years ago. My fiance left me when I was 3 months pregnant (we were due to get married within a couple of months all planned before I found out I was pregnant).
I now have a beautiful clever 25 year old daughter who it my best friend. I'm so proud of her. She is a credit to me.
Once the baby comes you will feel differently. you will feel so much love for it.
you will get through this. I know you feel things will never get better but they will.

Please take care of you and the baby
Thinking of you xx

Bogeymanface · 27/10/2011 22:38

Ignore the selfish pricks demands.

A man who fucks off and leaves his pregnant wife with no support does NOT in any way get to make demands. He lost the right to ANYTHING the day he left, and the fact that he is telling you what he wants when you are still reeling proves him to be monumentally uncaring. Do what YOU need to do to get through the pregnancy and the birth, and dont give him a seconds thought. You dont even have to tell him when your appointments are or when you go into labour if you dont want to, he doesnt have an automatic right to know so dont let him bully you into telling him anything you dont want to.

Dont worry about your friends having busy lives. I have a busy life, but I would move heaven and earth if one of my friends was in your position, so tell them that you need them. Ask for help and it will be willingly, gladly given.

Hugs xx

Punkatheart · 27/10/2011 23:08

Why oh why are people capable of such cruelty? I am so sorry my love. I feel angry on your behalf but also worried for you.

Come here and talk. The women here are lovely. They will help you through the shock. He has lost two beautiful people whereas you have joy to come.

XX

Concordia · 27/10/2011 23:19

sadly, lots of women do go through this.
don't worry about the birth now, but bear in mind anyone there is there for you, not the baby really (they don't need the support) so i would not have him there - he obviously doesn't seem the most supportive. he doesn't have a right to be there.
i agree with others who have said, have little to do with him at present. it will only make you ill. get on with preparing to be a great mum to your baby which i'm sure you will be.
you can gradually think through if there is a friend you could ask to be at the birth - someone who has had children herself perhaps or is of a supportive disposition. if i knew you personally, i would be only too happy to give this kind of support and any other emotional / baby preparing support i could -i'm sure real life people will help you.
faililng that i'm sure someone on mumsnet will recommend a doula.
but in any event just be aware it'll take ages to get over the shock and look after yourself.
remember as others have said - life will go on in months / years etc although maybe not in teh short term just as you were expecting it to - and i suspect your baby will be the love of your life!

Concordia · 27/10/2011 23:24

i also wanted to say, sorry you feel sad to be alive. that is terrible although very understandable. please focus on your baby and living for her - even if you feel like you are just goign through the motions, eating, trying to sleep etc, do these things for her. eventually it will get better and one day you will be living for you again - and maybe even glad to have moved on to a new (and better) life. it will come as others have described.

Concordia · 27/10/2011 23:26

don't be afraid to ask for help from anyone - except HIM.
of course some people will be busy but i'm sure many will be only too happy to support you if they can.
i also think you should be able to access some counselling through your gp / midwife - try to do that as soon as you can manage.

seriouschanger · 27/10/2011 23:33

I was in your shoes sweet and I really feel for you as it is not nice. I too 5 months pregnant...ex said no one else...but later found there was. Ex left 2 days before 5 month scan. He asked to be at birth. If a person cared about their child they would not put the mother carrying their baby through that stress...I nearly lost ds through the stress of it at 38 weeks and thought I was not going to make it(I wanted to die and could not think of the future)...but I did..I threw myself into studying and was grieving my dead brother so stressed before ex left...so great timing hey! I refused ex to be at birth and his actions showed in many years to come what a t@at ex was and only cared about No 1...which is what ex showed the day he left too....your ex left your unborn dc and left him/her vuln not caring about the stress on the dc...so why worry about a spineless selfish sperm donar ...LET EX KNOW HE IS ONLY THE SPERM DONoR AND HIS 'PRESENCE' IS NOT ALLOWED! it is far easier to not have contact at this time as you are clearly unwell/losing weight from this huge stress! You will never forgive yourself if the stress causes harm to your dc when born.

My ds is disabled and I blame ex for stress he put ds through when I was pregnant with the t@atish behaviour(and me allowing ex to treat me/dc that way!). Please concentrate on your dc who will be a rock to you when here eventually...and showing your ex/everyone that you are a fab mum, dc not needing a t@at of a sperm donor will shame the waste of space.

bochead · 28/10/2011 00:18

Please don't think I'm being harsh here but I'm gonna summarise for you the best bits of advice I received after my man left me at 7 months pg.

  1. You can take responsibility for your own actions - you CANNOT take responsibility for the actions of another adult as we all have free will.

Concentrate on you and bubba - let the hubby sort himself on his own time, not yours.

  1. NOTHING is more important than YOUR mental welfare right now as your hormones, diet etc directly impact the wonderful new life growing inside you. Therefore do WHATEVER you have to do to stay as mentally and emotionally healthy as you can.

Dear daddy can and will be removed from the hospital by security staff if medical personnel feel he is impacting on your welfare during labour. You do not have to talk, speak, listen to him at all until YOU are ready to do so. If this means the baby is 2 months old before you are ready to deal with him - tough for him. He lost any immediate rights to intimacy (eg attending appointments, being involved with the pregnancy etc) the second he walked out that door. He does have an ongoing financial committment to ensuring HIS child is born into a clean, safe home so he still needs to be paying the mortgage.)

  1. Do get the immediate practical details of life on your own sorted as soon as possible. If nothing else it'll be physically easier for you to visit the CAB/benefits/solicitors office etc now than a week from the birth. Sort out any joint bank accounts so you can be sure the bills get paid.

Sorting out the practical crap helped me no end with adjusting my mental focus from "couple" to single. I made lists and tackled just one thing at a time as I felt able. I had two key lists - on for baby and one for home finances. Top of the baby list was putting up the cot and sorting a birth partner. Knowing where I stood financially (I had to go back to work when DS was 6 weeks) helped no end in calming my nerves.

  1. You sadly are not the first woman that has experienced this, and you won't be the last : ( Women have been abandoned at their most vulnerable since the beginning of time and cos we are amazing we do make it through and raise to aduthood amazing children ; )
  1. Work on a new support system - don't be scared to research things ike NCT groups, your children's centre, breastfeeding support mornings etc so that you build a network of support after your child is born. This is the part I found hardest to do, yet really made the difference between sinking and swimming in the early days. My GP and HV were excellent sources of support here as sadly you won't be the first person they've helped.

I won't pretend it wasn't really tough at the time but 7 years on I actually pity my ex as I love my son so much and he has missed so many wonderful moments. I'd go through it all again even if we could rewrite history as my son remains the best thing that has ever happened to me.

squeakyfreakytoy · 28/10/2011 00:41

Bidley, only just seen this thread. Hope you are ok.

You will be fine, you really really will be.

My best friend was pregnant, 6 months gone, when her fiance dumped her, very unceremoniously, a week before they were due to get married. She was utterly devasted, as I am sure everyone can imagine. Wedding had to be cancelled, and all the rest of what goes with a wedding...

She got through it. I can honestly say I have never seen anyone cry so much, or be so racked with emotional pain.. but she got through it. And she gave birth to the most gorgeous little girl... (I was at the birth (not part of the birth plan but hey!).. the only birth I have ever witnessed, and it was something I will never forget... !)

That was 18 years ago.. her little girl is now on facebook and is a grown woman... and her mum is fine too.

If you are in SW London, please PM me.. I will be happy to come and buy you a coffee and give you some support. x

UnlikelyAmazonian · 28/10/2011 05:30

bidley how are you and what are you doing? Have you managed to grab any sleep at all? I am concerned for you. I understand the shock and disbelief as do many of those who have posted. If you are shaking and cold, it's shock and trauma. Your body will be producing tons of adrenalin to keep you going. The body is an amazing instrument and though you say you want to give up and die, it will be fighting its hardest to keep you alive.

You can't wait a whole week to tell the hospital what's happened, you need to let people know right now - and yes, friends have busy lives but they want to help.

I rang the Samaritans quite a few times when I was desperate. Just a calming, listening voice helped.

I agree with others, that you must try to sort out a few things financially. Do you have a bank account in your sole name? If not open one. If you do, transfer any savings or other money into it in case your selfish H tries to take money out. Ring Islington council tax office at once and set up 25% discount as single person household. Are you entitled to any tax credits at all? Check all your accounts to see if your H has taken any money out. How are standing orders for elec/gas and mortgage/rent paid?

You need to see a solicitor - you can get a free half hour with lots of them.

Eat bananas and drink lots of water. Get some bachs rescue remedy. Go and see your GP and HV immediately.

Your H is his own problem now. He is not yours and he is certainly not your lovely baby's. Focus on yourself. If he rings or texts either don't reply or have a set phrase to say: "You will be hearing from my solicitor" or "..and you are?".

Go and see a solicitor - ring round a few locally and see which ones do a free half hour then take them all up on it.

Doing these things is not only necessary but it will also help you feel back in some sort of control of what is happening to you.

Can you contact H's family in Ireland and tell them what has happened? How is your relationship with your in-laws? Some are great, others surprisingly appalling. My in-laws blanked me and our son completely from day one. But then, that's how they came to produce such a cruel and wankerish son (my exH) so it makes sense.

The new little life you have so longed for is going to be the light of your life, so loved and so all-consuming. You will never have known love like it. And he or she will grow up knowing what a strong and fabulous mother he has. I know it feels impossible now, but you can come through this. My husband disappeared when my ds was 6 months old, taking all our savings and leaving me hideously in debt. He hopped on a plane to Thailand. The trauma was hell, but I stumbled through it somehow - we have to because we have a baby to nurture and nourish.

I have written a long post to try and help you see or feel that there is help out here for you.

Do not enter into the head games your husband is playing with you ''....we can see my family in Ireland but as separate people?" wtf? He sounds a bloody nut-case as well as a shit of the highest order. Who the f* does he think he is?

Finally, get some Bill Bailey DVDs and watch them. Keep posting lovely. I kept my thread going for yonks as I so badly needed help and MNtters were so fantastic - like the family I don't have!

bidleyboo · 28/10/2011 07:02

He said he has been thinking of it for some time and there was no right time. he called 4 times yesterday. I really tried hard but he called me and answered late eve. I told him without crying or getting upset that I felt really sad that I found he had taken my baby scan pics and pregnancy books that were he claimed were for me. I also added that I felt uncomfortable and not good about talking about how the baby and I were doing. He got really furious and slammed down the phone.

OP posts:
bidleyboo · 28/10/2011 07:03

Dear all, I am really worried he will find me on mumsnet.

OP posts:
Robotindisguise · 28/10/2011 07:05

Nuts to him. It's extremely unlikely and what if he does? You owe him nothing. Don't talk yourself out of a source of support, we're all here for you.

bidleyboo · 28/10/2011 07:07

Thank you Uamazonian. Am trying to eat. Sorry, I feel so low.

OP posts:
Robotindisguise · 28/10/2011 07:25

He took your pregnancy books! What the actual fuck?!

strictlycomedancingdiva · 28/10/2011 07:45

Dear Bidleyboo, so sorry to be reading this. I'm with most here, focus on you and your baby and do not worry about him or listen to his demands about later. One day at a time, I would also think about calling your midwife today rather than waiting so that you can get the right support and make sure you are both ok. Let your phone go to answerphone, you don't need to talk to him right now. And yes, taking the books and scans, I am also thinking wtaf? Finally, have no worries about him finding you on here, you need all the support you can get! And he could surely believe nothing less than most people will find his actions totally twattish!

Good to hear you're trying to eat, look after yourself and the amazing life you are carrying

StellaAndFries · 28/10/2011 07:56

My dp left me when I was 6 months pregnant with dd1 August bank holiday 2001. The evenings were the worst so I spent a fortnight or so staying with either my aunt and then with my grandparents. I needed to break the routine of seeing him and forge my own. I concentrated on th baby and little else and I can happily say now that almost 10 years on she is a lovely girl, I've gone on to have another 3dd's with a new dp and have not had any contact with xp.

matana · 28/10/2011 08:30

So sorry this has happened to you, i really feel for you. Of course you are still shocked and engulfed by all kinds of emotions so thinking of anything else right now seems impossible. But i can't stress enough that you must, must put yourself and your baby first. If you aren't hungry, try eating little and often - force yourself to. And please talk to someone - friend, family, total stranger - it will help you make sense of your thoughts and emotions. Take strength from knowing there is someone who needs you to do the right thing for him/ her now more than anything and really begin thinking and behaving like a mother. It's hard to do that when the baby is still inside you and you've never seen it or heard it cry, and only when it is born will it seem real to you. You need really good support once the baby is born because i'm sure you don't need me to tell you that it will be hard. If you feel able to let your H back in just to help then don't feel bad for doing it. He owes you that much. But having your baby will also be the most rewarding experience of your life and i think you'll get stronger and happier every day if you surround yourself with loving, caring people. Begin sorting out the practicalities in life, show your H that you're putting yourself and your baby first by taking steps to move on without him and take care of number 1. It will probably shock and scare him and doing something to move on will help you mentally too. Have you considered NCT classes - it's a great way to meet other people, as well as take your mind off things. It's still quite raw, so if you need more time to just slow down and gather your thoughts/ emotions before moving on then do so, but remember that four months will go quickly and you will need to feel physically and mentally prepared. There are lots and lots of people willing you on.

Thinking of you.
x

mummytime · 28/10/2011 08:34

Please call your MW and/or GP today! Don't put it off. Ask them for help, they may well be able to put you in contact with people who can support you/befriend you.
I would also try very hard not to talk to him on the phone, it won't do you any good. Can you indulge in some DVDs to give yourself something to do in the evenings? If you need to be contactable by phone, can you get yourself a PAYgo mobile and give that number to people who need it, and unplug your main phone of an evening?

Thzumbazombiewitch · 28/10/2011 08:41

Bidleyboo - what a horrid shit your H is. WTAF does he think he's doing, taking your baby scan photoS and the pregnancy books?? He is treating you like an incubator for his child.

If I were you I'd get the separation legally sorted asap so you can have more control about where he is and isn't allowed to get involved.

Is he normally very controlling? I hope that you can get some RL support from friends - so sorry that you have no family around who can help out. What are his family like? I can understand that you might want to have nothing to do with them either but they might be furious at their son's behaviour and want to help.

He does sound like a complete nobber, by the way, so sorry.

countingto10 · 28/10/2011 08:59

Please go and see your GP, you are in traumatic shock atm, you will feel hot and cold, shakey, unable to eat or rest. My GP gave me diazepam for a week when my H did this (there was an OW BTW, found out 6 weeks later and there will be an OW in this case too). I also took some diazepam when I was pg with DS2 as my 1st H was being an utter knob - the gp had no issue with me taking it as I was more than 3 months gone, so if it is offered take it !

You will find it extremely hard to eat atm but the baby will be ok, I lived on sweet tea, rich tea biscuits and microwave popcorn (seemed easy to pick at).

You need to try and take control of things as others have said, try and summon the strength to sort the financial stuff, get some legal advice as it will make you feel better (even if you don't act on it).

Remember none of this is your fault, if he had issues he should have discussed them with you like a reasonable human being.

When you are feeling bereft in the night, please phone the Samaritans as Unlikelyamazon says, I phoned them too at one point as I desperately needed someone to talk to at 2.00am - spoke to a lovely lady who let me sniffle down the phone for an hour Smile.

Please take up all the offers of RL support you get - I was amazed at how many people wanted to help me, people who were just passing aquaintances before, mums at the school gate who took the older DCs for tea etc. People want to help and do care.

Be very kind and gentle on yourself - and when you feel up to it, my Dsis gave me Watermelon by Marion Keyes to read, it was about a woman whose H ran off with the next door neighbour on the day she gave birth, funnily enough it gave me a laugh when I needed it most.

Best wishes.

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