Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Is this normal? Or does DH just not fancy me.

147 replies

Beatlebum · 19/04/2012 13:03

I was sat in a cafe earlier and overheard a group of women charting. One of them made a quip about how irritating she found it in the mornings when her parter cuddled up to her and got an erection, all the others started laughing and saying similar things, how annoying when you are just having a kiss/cuddle and they want more.

In the 18 months I've been with dh (married for two months) this has never happened. He hugs me in bed, he's never got an erection. When we do have sex, it takes a lot of me touching him, me giving oral for him to get hard. He likes to be the one to initiate. I have tried to touch him to initiate sex and he hates it. He tells me to get off, asks me what the hell I think I am doing, even says 'stop trying to rape me'.

He's very loving towards me, cuddling, kissing, holding hands but we only make love once or maybe twice a week. When we do, he bearly touches me, he kisses me, may have a half hearted fondle for a few seconds but then it's all about him (me giving him oral, then me going on top until he's done).

I asked him for oral sex recently (he did it the first couple of months we were together) and he did, but after literally five seconds stopped and said I'd moved violently and bashed his chin. So he stopped and told me that it had put him off sex all together that night. He did it in a way which made me feel pretty humiliated.

I've asked him to use his hands on me, but he is so rough and obviously bored to death by it, and makes such a big deal about having dirty hands afterwards that it makes me feel like I'm filthy.

I have to ask him to undress me when we make love - he'd be happy to just pull my bottoms down and leave me fully dressed. A while ago, I bought some sexy underwear to try and get him interested. He didn't even take off my jumper let alone anything else so didnt even notice.

I bought a vibratorto use together, he used it with me but started laughing at me saying i looked stupid. I've never felt so small.

I've spent all morning in tears. I feel sexually rejected enough anyway, but since hearing that conversation I now feel really bad about myself. I don't think he fancies me. I though that anyway to be honest (although he's always telling me im gorgeous, hugging me out of nowhere) but now I feel awful hearing normal women talk about thier love lives.

I fancy dh rotten, but I have managed to stop myself getting turned on because sex rarely happens. If we have a kiss/cuddle in bed 9 times out of ten he will stop and not want to take it further. I've stopped myself getting turned on because I hate laying there feeling so frustrated. So, when he does want to make love I am obviously now fining it painful as he doesn't touch me first and I have a block about feeling turned on just incase.

Before I met dh I was married to someone else for ten years in a totally sexless marriage, I was celibate for my entire 20's, and before that I had only had very short term relationships, so this is my first experience of having a 'proper' sexual partner, so I dont know what's normal? I don't have any friends close enough to ask either.

So as not to drip feed, he used to have a serious porn habit in his teens/early 20s (hes now 28 and im 32) but doesnt watch it anymore. I often wonder if that's caused this.

OP posts:
MissCeliaFoote · 20/04/2012 00:25

Oh you poor thing.
You're right, it is absolutely him. It is not you, you're doing nothing wrong. It sounds to me as if he said all the right things during the dinner, but then couldn't actually follow through with what he said and make love to you. By shouting at you he is transferring all his crap onto you and it's so unfair. He's calling you crazy because he would rather the problem be in your head than for him to have to face up to whatever weird sexual issues he has.
You don't deserve this darling, you really don't.

AprilLilacs · 20/04/2012 00:29

It doesn't matter why he's doing it.

He's doing it. You are RIGHT. It's HIM.

Love is an amazing thing but it can be cruel, keeping us in unhealthy situations because the pain in our hearts feels worse than anything else could possibly be. It's not.

You poor thing, I am so sorry this is happening.

Beatlebum · 20/04/2012 00:29

I know. I'm not crazy. He is. It's his fault, at least I know that now.

I can't believe I am sat here feeling this way.

I am dropping ds at school in the morning and then talking this through for good. If it means finishing it, then so be it. I can't keep feeling like this.

I am normal. He is the one who needs help.

OP posts:
AprilLilacs · 20/04/2012 00:32

Yes. You're right and very brave and strong. You are normal, he needs help and if he won't see that then you need to get out. Good for you.

carernotasaint · 20/04/2012 00:33

Oh OP i am really sorry to hear this Him having a go at you for doing what he asked and waiting? Yep...classic gaslighting. He doesnt want a sexual relationship. He wants a fucking housekeeper.....with no actual fucking involved.
Please stop doing his washing,ironing,cooking etc. Do NOT let him use you as an unpaid skivvy. You are a young woman with natural needs.
Cant help wondering what his reaction would be if you got your sexual needs met elsewhere. After all it would take the pressure off him and hes the one moaning about pressure. He is using sex to control you. Please phone Womens Aid to initially get some advice and further help should you need it. This relationship will damage you psychologically if you stay in it.

solidgoldbrass · 20/04/2012 00:36

Actually, the way this man gets his pleasure is from hurting your feelings. What he did tonight was deliberately set up a situation in which he could make you cry because doing so makes him feel good.

oikopolis · 20/04/2012 00:37

Beatle just remember, if he won't budge, and you throw him out tomorrow (or leave yourself), no matter how you feel at the time, it will be the right decision.

he will be free to not have to have sex with you (and not address his problems)...
and you will be free to have a normal relationship with someone who is willing to honour and respect you, and be honest with himself about his issues.

if he's gay, at least you won't be there to help him pretend he's not.
if porn is the problem, again, at least you won't be helping him ignore it.
same goes for if it's a psychological problem.

at the end of it all, you will have done the right thing by leaving.

i am just so sorry this is happening. Sad
you sound lovely, and intelligent, and empathetic. you deserve more than this fuckwittery.

Beatlebum · 20/04/2012 00:41

Thanks. I know now that I am better than this.

Junking in with ds for the night. That blow up bed is a bugger Smile

OP posts:
Beatlebum · 20/04/2012 00:46

*bunking in Grin

OP posts:
oikopolis · 20/04/2012 00:53

good night & i hope tomorrow brings some peace!

carernotasaint · 20/04/2012 00:56

Yes goodnight and take care Beatlebum. Thinking of you x

Heleninahandcart · 20/04/2012 00:59

I'm sorry you are in this situation. He is NOT normal. This has nothing to do with you, this man would have problems with any woman who was real. I also suspect he may be gay, or have a disturbing deep dislike of women generally. He may well have learnt his habits from watching porn but the the porn would just be a justification/normalisation of his own issues. Either way there is something very wrong with him.

His behaviour is abusive, no good man would behave like this. He may present as a great father figure on the surface, but your DS will be picking up this man's subtle attitudes towards women generally, as well as the appalling treatment of his mother.

You deserve much better than this. These problems belong entirely to your DH and by trying to blame you he is just trying to shift the focus from himself.

fallenangle · 20/04/2012 01:03

You cannot tolerate this Beatle. Separation from you may make him realise that he needs help. Even If it doesn't seek help and the split becomes permanent you wil be better off because you can't possibly carry on as you were, with him steamrollering your self esteem because he won't face the issues he must know he has.

dreamingbohemian · 20/04/2012 01:13

I'm so sorry Beatle Sad

Try to stay strong. You're not doing anything wrong, this man has a serious problem.

SchrodingersMew · 20/04/2012 01:32

I am going to say something on this thread and I should probably have namechanged but I wont.

I have sexual problems with my dp, not as serious as yours though but at one point it was...

First off we got together and started living together pretty quickly due to problems with my ex not leaving my house so I started living with dp although we had been acquaintances for many years, we had foreplay but had lived together for about 2 months before we first had sex, there was always excuses. Foreplay and sex got less and less even though I knew he masturbates a lot before we got together...
There were other issues in the way sex happened too and as time went on I was getting "stop pressuring me" etc even though I really wasn't. He is however the best partner ever with everything else and all my and his friends kept telling me they thought he was gay.

I found out the problem in the end, he had issues with his gender, it has taken a fairly long while but we have moved forward and our sex life is much better now, I can initiate it now and he has plenty oral sex with me as well!

It took a lot of talking and boundaries etc but with us we managed to move on, I have no idea if your DH has a similar problem but my first thought was maybe he was trying to feel like he is able to control the situation and/or feel more masculine. I may be way wrong though but I do hope you manage to fix things.

Unmumsnetty hugs.

empirestateofmind · 20/04/2012 02:08

I am so sorry Beatle, he really has serious issues. Try to stay strong for DS. You can't go on like this- something has to change.

MrsShitty · 20/04/2012 07:54

shcroedingers I think it is WAY morre common than people realise....lots of men have issues or questions regarding their sexuality or gender. Because of the way society is there are a LOT of unhappy men out there and sadly this results in situations like the OPs where her self esteem is being worn away.

OP I do hope you come back because it's a difficult thing to talk about and if you don't...well I really hope you get some help with this...it''s not your fault.

MrsShitty · 20/04/2012 07:56

Oh I see you have been back! Sorry...I hope you feel ok today.x

fuzzpig · 20/04/2012 08:02

What happened during/after the restaurant is a classic example of gas lighting (I think), it sounds like he deliberately set you up for disappointment

HaveALittleFaithBaby · 20/04/2012 08:23

OP when I saw the title, I thought I'd be in a good place to advise you - I'm in a marriage where my DH had a low sex drive. Then I read the full OP and then the whole thread! and realised that's really not what it's about. I gather you understand that now?
Low sex drive is difficult. I did relate to the lack of 'morning glory' and the lack of him initiating. It was difficult because I kept thinking it was me, but DH reassured me that it wasn't. He was never cruel to me, never blamed me. In the end we discovered that he had a hormonal imbalance causing the problems, very treatable and has now improved radically! I was going to tell you to send him to the doctors to get him checked out! But obviously it's more about psychological issues. I'm sorry to hear what happened last night, clearly it's not as simple as having a chat and going to bed. The only way your marriage can be salvaged is if he's willing to recognise his issues and get him for it. I really think he needs therapy/counselling because it sounds pretty serious. Have you suggested that? What did he say? It's all about him. If he's willing to get help, there's hope for you. But you can't resolve this on your own. He has to be willing to try!

loopylou6 · 20/04/2012 08:33

Was he sexually abused in his childhood?

Lovetats · 20/04/2012 08:52

I'm so sorry that last night was horrible for you. I absolutely empathise with how you're feeling and am thinking of you, hoping that you can get through today and get some resolution.

sugarice · 20/04/2012 09:03

Morning Beatle, what turmoil you must be in .I'm thinking of you and your DS.

DinahMoHum · 20/04/2012 09:03

It sounds like how my ex was with me. I thought it was normal at the time but it wasnt. He wasnt interested in sex with me in the slightest, and he ended up leaving me because he didnt love me anymore and it suddenly all made sense. He was trying to make it work by not leaving, but he just wasnt feeling it with me. I wish he'd told me earlier so i didnt have to live like that and have my confidence totally eroded.
My advice is to get out now, because no, he doesnt fancy you, and its NOT YOUR FAULT. You deserve to be wanted and desired and respected and not to be rejected constantly and laughed at for such intimate normal things

Beatlebum · 20/04/2012 09:24

Anyway, so this morning everything was my fault and DH was very angry and upset at ME. He was laying in bed upset.

It' always the same, no matter how nasty he's been it always ends up being my fault.

So I told him again that he had a problem, not me. That I didn't understand why if you love someone, share your life with someone you wouldn't want to extend that into sexual intimacy.

He couldn't see the problem "but I shagged you twice last week". Nice.

I left the room, busied myself with ds.

Dh got up, mucked about with ds on the computer for a by as usual.

Anyhow, I took myself off to get dressed and he came in, hugged and Kissed me, told me he loved me more than anything in the world and that he'd change.

I don't know what to do or think at the moment. And to top it off my dad, his parents, sister, BIL and nephews are coming at 4 to stay all weekend.

OP posts: