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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

Is it too far broken to fix :(

78 replies

Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 14:54

I am a regular but have name changed for this.

Where do I begin.
In April, I moved out of our home with DD. I stayed with my family for 2 and a half months. During this time, there was a very bitter exchange of nasty text messages and a lot of hurt on both sides. We'd been going through so much; house move, job problems, financial problems/ debts, family issues (his), and I was 8 weeks pregnant and very sick. DH was being a complete nob, and I reached breaking point. So I moved out.

I'm back now, and trying to pick up the broken pieces. I had not anticipated the level of resentment and anger DH would be harbouring still. I came back to a huge pile of unopened mail which included two court summons for unpaid fines. He had a speeding offence which he's ignored as well. He talked to my DB during the time I was away, saying how depressed and suicidal he felt and how he would never forgive me for taking DD away from him. (he has a very close bond with dd). During the time I was away, I did allow him to take her at times, but admittedly made it difficult at other times due to his behaviour and nasty attitude towards me.

Anyway, I've dealt with all the paperwork which took days and that aspect is almost back on track. The current issue is that we had a huge row last week and DH took over DD's bedroom. He's taken all his things in there, the extra tv, DVD player, bed, clothes, and he has slept there for the past week. Two days ago, in the morning, he came into my bed and we had a cuddle and made up. I had missed him, and it seemed as though he had felt the same. That night, we made love and he told me how much he had missed me and how lonely he felt in the room alone, and I slept in 'his' room (with dd asleep in
the other room). Last night, he came to our shared bed and dd was there too, and he
started saying how comfortable 'his' room was and how comfy 'his' bed was. I said something along the lines of how he think he could 'use and abuse' and then just sleep in his 'own bed', which got him really angry and it started a whole new row. It ended in him taking dd and going to his own bed and sleeping there for the night.

Now Im five months pregnant and he isn't expressing a real interest in the pregnancy. He talks to dd about having a brother or sister but he doesn't talk to me about it at all. It breaks my heart because he was the one who was pleading for a second baby and now there's this unhappiness between us that is not what I imagined as a new beginning for my baby.
I do understand that he appears to be deliberately distancing himself from the new baby as he probably feels like I can just pick the kids up at any point and dissapear, like I did when I went away. I have done that several times before when I've reached boiling point, so he now expects it, and appears to be preparing himself for it, and protecting himself from further hurt.
I, on the other hand, am exhausted with a three year old all day and with the growing pregnancy. I'm not eating very well and I'm just feeling sad the whole time.
I don't want him to sleep in another room, and I don't want him to be so cold and distant, but I feel as though I don't have the right to say this because I went away for so long.
Thank you for reading if you got this far, I know it's long and fragmented, but fragmented is the way things are right now, and I don't know how to fix them without feeling hurt and sad.

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 25/07/2012 15:11

It doesn't sound like anything's changed much since you left. All the problems and antagonism are right where you left them which is unsurprising in the circumstances. If he's genuinely depressed/suicidal he needs to see a doctor. If there are financial problems or job problems, they won't get wished away. If you can't connect enough to start working together and resolving the difficulties you're either going to end up in a revolving door where you keep leaving and returning to a more miserable situation or you both decide to call it a day and get on with your lives separately.

Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 15:28

Thanks cogito.

I think I was already in that revolving door to be honest, and that's what I'm trying to get out of right now by sticking it through and trying to make it work. It just feels as though he's not ready to do that though.

OP posts:
izzyizin · 25/07/2012 15:46

You need to get this sorted one way or another and, preferably, before dc2 arrives.

Have you considered joint counselling with Relate or similar?

CogitoErgoSometimes · 25/07/2012 15:48

You can't make it work single-handed, no matter how hard you try. You are unlikely to be able to resolve solo the underlying problems that are leading to the stress that is driving you apart.... finance, job, family.... those can be overcome but have to be a team effort with everyone pulling their weight. The only area you can potentially influence is if you think he has mental health problems. Getting him to a GP for a diagnosis, perhaps.

solidgoldbrass · 25/07/2012 15:49

What drove you to leave last time? He sounds like a lazy selfish whinyarse to me, the sort of man who wants everything on his terms and doesn't care how you feel as long as his needs are met.
The only way you can sustain a relationship with a man like this is if he makes a sustained effort to stop behaving like a dick and accepts that he isn't the Most Important Person in the family.

Offred · 25/07/2012 15:50

What lead to the fighting?

Offred · 25/07/2012 15:52

I was also wondering about what sgb asked too - why would he take the child? Why is he being nasty when you leave? It is like he wants to possess you maybe?

Offred · 25/07/2012 15:52

*led

amillionyears · 25/07/2012 15:56

I dont know if there is a back story.
But from what you have written,he is scared witless that you are going to take away DD and the new baby.
So he feels he cant trust you on that score,and he knows that you can pick and choose whether he sees DD so he feels that there isnt much point in getting emotionally close because it will be even harder next time,with DD and a new baby.

From his point of view,what is in it for him,apart from more heartache.

Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 16:09

The reasons why we were fighting were all linked to finances, moving house, work stress, and the general stress and tension that comes from that. I left because I just felt like it was getting too much for me, I was (and still am) hormonal, and we were not talking as a result of a massive row.

OP posts:
Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 16:12

Thanks for all replies so far by the way. I reading and thinking.

Havnt considered relate right now - there was a point before I left that he was pushing for it but now I don't think he'd go, and I just don't have the energy either to be honest.

OP posts:
amillionyears · 25/07/2012 16:17

I wouldnt say your realtionship is too broken to fix,but if you need to go away for a break again,either with 1 child,or later on both,I suspect that for him to reengage emotionally with you properly again,he may need to know that he will have better reliable access to the children than he did previously.That is assuming that he is a reliable dad to the children.

510 · 25/07/2012 16:30

assuming that he is a reliable dad to the children

This applies to you too. Limiting his access when you chose to leave was just evil.

Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 16:38

Thanks 510.
It probably was.

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Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 16:49

He is a reliable dad, and dd is obsessed with him. I know it was unreasonable to do that, but at the time I just wanted to hurt him because of the attitude he had towards me. He did take her for the night several times but not always when he wanted. I guess it was the fact that she wasn't there with him every day that hurt him more than anything.

OP posts:
amillionyears · 25/07/2012 16:56

Do you think ,that he thinks ,you will do it again?

QuintessentialShadows · 25/07/2012 17:03

Do you feel that you taking your dd and leaving the family home, when pregnant, and the family was already stressed because of a house move, and work problems, helped solve any problems, or perhaps create bigger ones?

I wonder what led you to push him so far to the edge, that you withheld access to his child (parental alienation is a form of abuse)?

Who was stressed in work? You or him?

Was he abusive to you? Or you to him?

Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 18:22

Amillion - yes, I definitely think that he believes it will happen again. I think he must have found them two and a half months unbearable, or so I have heard from my brother and their conversations. He hasn't opened up to me about it yet. I dont know if he ever will again - it certainly doesn't feel like it right now.

Quint - in hindsight, it hasn't solved anything and really has made the problems worse. There was no physical abuse but we were both verbally abusive to each other, and that is what tipped me
Over the edge - even though I was just as much to blame. I just felt as though he should be more supportive and considerate as I was newly pregnant with a child he so desperately wanted and i was struggling with it physically.

When you say parental alienation is abuse, do you mean abuse towards DD or DH? I never thought about it like that. Sad
I just didn't want him to have access at times because we'd had a huge fight over the phone and I wanted to get back at him in the heat of the moment. I know , I know. I fucked up. It was immature and awful to both him and and dd - but i did it and I can't undo it now.

OP posts:
Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 18:23

He was stressed in work.

OP posts:
SundaysGirl · 25/07/2012 18:34

Why do you believe your child is YOUR posession to use as a weapon to hurt your partner? Why do you believe you have the right, more than once, to just up and leave with her and limit his access to her? Do you consider him not to be as much of a parent as you?

You sound incredibly selfish and I am not surprised he doesn't want to talk to you, probably thinks if he does you will take away your daughter and also the baby away form him.

Honestly attitudes like yours are terrible. Children are not property to be used as weapens, you don't own a child and you have NO more rights to that child than the other parent, unless the child is at risk of harm from them.

SundaysGirl · 25/07/2012 18:35

Said as a single mother btw who would never EVER try to limit how often my childs father has access. (the abuse caveat aside)

StarryCole · 25/07/2012 18:39

Dangerzones - I know how you feel and have experienced all your issues and then some. My DH was a knob for best part of last 2 years on MANY fronts. I also resented being the sole breadwinner for best part of 5 years - in that time, I had two babies and I absolutely resented working my guts full time as well as being a mum as well as paying for childcare 5 days a week - he refused to be full time carer to my children. It actually got a lot worse if anyone knows me here on Mumsnet - Adding financial issues, NO family support (on DH's side), massive rows, massive arguments, so.....I absolutely get where you are coming from. (Sorry about the rant - felt good there!).

There are so many issues on the table you need to work through each and tackle them each one - it's the stress that links them all.

And where are we now? My DH is to embark on the biggest job opportunity of his lifetime and I think 1 year from now, we might even afford that I can take time off work and be a mummy for a bit full time and he take the reigns from me. He has good qualities on other aspects and improved a lot on many others too. I strongly believe if you both can resolve one issue - it sort of solves many others in a chain reaction kind of way....

Mother's are strong and you have children to think of,

I don't have answers for you that can magic this away but you need to ask yourself how much do you love him and if you BOTH really want this to work.

For us, the over-riding sense of that we loved each other and wanting us to work out carried us through.

Hope this helps. [Hugs].

QuintessentialShadows · 25/07/2012 18:49

I am sorry, but your behaviour has been terrible. No wonder your partner is resentful, hurt, and has lost trust in you and your marriage, it is not surprising.

He had problems in work, was stressed over both house move and work problems, and his newly pregnant partner decides to put him under even worse pressure by taking his child away and leave because she did not get "enough support"!

How about supporting him ?

Pregnancy is not an illness, it is a natural condition! Why were your needs more important than his?

I cant believe you would just "punish" him for his troubles, and restrict access to his child, thus threatening his access to the next child too, making a bad situation unbearable for him, just because you could....

Both, to be honest. Abusive to him, and abusive to your dd, as you restricted her access to a much loved parent. It must have been awful for her. Sad

To be honest, my husband would hate me (and with good reason I think) if I behaved like this. He would probably be so scared of losing access to his children that he would opt to put up with me just to see them.

Only your husband can tell whether your relationship is broken beyond repair. You have a lot of making good to do, to be honest, to prove to him that you are a dependable partner, and not selfish.

startlife · 25/07/2012 18:52

I think you have been very honest about your motives behind preventing him from seeing his child and I suspect that it has caused him to lose trust in you. Have you fully talked this through - had the emotional chats where you discussed the horrible behaviour and agreed to stop hurting each other and the dc's?

I'm going to reverse this - say it was your DH who did this, you had issues and he bailed and then prevented you have seeing your child. What would it take for you to forgive him, what would you need him to do?

I think counselling is the way forward - only you can say if the relationship is worth saving (and we don't know the detail behind the issues) but I would say your relationship is severely fractured.
Just to confirm - stopping a child seeing one of their parents (when they have a close relationship) is parental alienation and emotional abusive. I think your honesty is positive as it shows you are taking responsibility. Both of you have to take responsibilities for the hurt you inflicted on each other and that's the potential start of moving forwards.

Dangerzones · 25/07/2012 19:27

I'm afraid to ask him directly what he feels now, in case he says he doesn't love me anymore, and that this isn't an issue that we can resolve.
I understand everything that everyone is saying - hindsight is a brilliant thing.
I just don't know how to move on from this horrible place we are in now.

OP posts: