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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

What do you do when libidos are so mismatched.

7 replies

Ohfuckohfuckofuck · 30/09/2013 14:09

Been with DH for 11 1/2 years, married 7. In the beginning I was very highly sexed and he struggled to keep up. I had significantly more experienced than him. We were early 20s and soon settled down to a rhythm which suited us both.

Inevitably it dwindled to 3 times a week on average. Then we had dd (now 3.5) born by c section. After a few months west after having sex again and it was less, but still 1-2 times a week.

Des is now 18 mo and I had a horrendous vaginal delivery with him, resulting g in an operation to repair it when he was 6 months old, a year ago. We didn't have sex again until the end of October last year.

It then trundled along at once every 4-6 weeks. We both suffered depression, des isn't a brilliant sleeper, I'm a SAHM, I've had a big, big falling out with my parents, who live far away, I'm still breast feeding a demanding boy and we rarely get a babysitter. When we had sex, it was me who initiated it, but I knew he'd be up for it more often.

I was aware that things needed to improve and wanted to reignite our sex life. We had a big heart to heart when we went out for our anniversary and things picked up. We agreed that we needed to make an effort to be more affectionate and to go to bed early when tired etc.

Then things went into overdrive. All of a sudden DH is like a horny teenager, let hung and groping, being suggestive all the time. He would have sex twice a night if available. That in itself I don't mind, but I'm not up for it that often. I fancy 1-2 times a week atm. So when I make that clear he makes a big deal about sorti g himself out, says it makes him feel sad (because he spent a lot of time doing just that when des was born) and generally making me feel quite guilty. I discussed it with him and he said sorry, he didn't want to huff.

But over the last few weeks it keeps coming up. Last night I told him that it was getting a bit odd and that I resent being made to feel obligated. He is looking like he might get depressed again etc.

He keeps talking about how he understands why I'm not so highly charged now, but being frustrated that we don't have timescales for things improving (ie the kids not knacks ring me. Baby has a cold ATM and waking up crying a lot, and I don't want to be dtd and be interrupted by that).

I am frustrated because I see a longer term picture and feel angry that he can't. When we disagree we normally compromise, so he thought a compromise would be 4 times a week until I pointed out that he was being a twat if I wasn't up for it.

He is a lovely bloke, I love him very much and can't picture my future without him. But this is beginning to destroy us. It mightn't sound like much, but he's on about it ALL THE TIME and admitted that heis beginning to resent the children a bit. The more he pushes, the more it puts me off.

As I see it things ARE improving, pretty quickly, but tht isn't good enough. It just seems like everyone wants a piece of me & I am sitting here with dd and just want to cry.

Sorry it's so long and not sure what I'm asking. Any advice? Please tell me how often would seem 'normal' in our situation.

OP posts:
absentmindeddooooodles · 30/09/2013 14:17

I dont have any real advice as I am in a totally different situation to yours....but.....im with a relatively new partner, just over a year into the relationship. Both have very high sex drives.....but I have a 2.6 yo who does not like to sleep ever and is just hard work all round. Alot of the time my bed is for sleeping.
In the earlyer days It was all the time....now we are lucky if we manage once a week. Sometimes go a couple of weeks without.
The key we find is just to accept that until ds is older its going to take a little bit of a backseat.
We have a night to ourself once a week which really helps things...one nice night together means we are happy to go through the rest of the week without gwtting arsey if we dont get the chance to have sex.
Im sorry you are being made to feel like this. No-body should have to put up with tjat attitude towards sex.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 30/09/2013 14:26

There is no normal unfortunately. But there is a wide spectrum of normality between 'never wanting sex' and 'wanting sex all the time' and you have to find your own happy medium. (Having said that, once or twice a week when you've got two kids I'd have thought was pretty good going.) I don't think you can pin it down to a number or a timescale ... when you said he wanted to compromise at 4 times I week I imagined you having a sticker chart on the bedstead making sure you hit your quota Hmm . Making a big deal out of wanking makes him sound, childish, rather bullying and horrendously insecure.

The trouble you have now is that you are sensitised. Sex is now not something you do spontaneously for fun but the elephant in the room. Even if no-one says or does anything, you'll be looking at each other knowing what the other is thinking. Nothing kills sex like pressure.

CoffeeAndScones · 30/09/2013 14:33

I wouldn't think too much about what is 'normal', seems like some people with new DC start having regular sex again within a few weeks, some take years to restart at all.

FWIW I empathise with your DH in that it can be hard to handle having a partner that goes from having a high drive to low - irrespective of how obvious and understandable the reasons are. It's not something you just tell your own libido in a logical way and it goes "oh, ok" and switches off.

But I also very much think he's not helping matters. Unless he stops, and I mean completely takes off any pressure, and for a while and with no deadline, you're likely to dig yourselves deeper into the same rut. That's not easy (ime), but it's better than carrying on like this, and I doubt you really want your relationship to break down over this.

Ohfuckohfuckofuck · 30/09/2013 17:10

Well that's it, it is definitely the elephant in the room now. I'm dreading it and he is paranoid that I'm only doing it because I feel I ought to.

I don't want to lose my relationship over this.

OP posts:
Ohfuckohfuckofuck · 30/09/2013 17:11

I'm considering a relationship counsellor.

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 30/09/2013 17:26

A counsellor might be a good idea. Fundamentally, everyone in this situation needs to believe they are loved, respected and appreciated. I don't think that's being achieved here and the 'no sex/lots of sex' problem is symptomatic.

SugarMiceInTheRain · 07/10/2013 08:44

I know this thread is a few days old but was looking to see if any other posters were in the same boat as me. In our case it's always been me with the higher libido (except perhaps in the very early days) and just recently it's been getting me down a lot. There isn't a reason as such why we don't have sex more often - the DC are old enough that they sleep through for 12 hours and don't disturb us, but DH just isn't interested. I can cope when it's a short term thing, but when there is no reason and infrequent sex becomes the norm, I just feel very rejected.

Your DH does sound very pushy about it, which is a turn-off. I daren't push the issue because having I don't want sex with someone who is doing it out of a feeling of obligation. It has to be mutually enjoyable. Does he realise that his pushiness is making you even less keen? He seems to talk the talk about understanding why you are not up for it right now, without acting on that understanding Confused

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