How do you get your confidence back when dh has upset you?

[Mapleissweet]

Dh and I had a baby last year and I have just returned to work. It has been a tough year emotionally and I feel a lot if pressure. Ds has been a difficult baby.

Things didn't help when I found out that dh had been looking at porn, nuts magazine etc and checking out people he knows on line. He is very remorseful and has done everything he can to make it up to me.

It has however really knocked my confidence and I am normally a confident person. I don't feel as if I an sexy enough for him and it hurts me to think of him drooling over these girls on line while I was nursing our baby.

I don't know how to move on from it. I so want it and we make progress, but then something will trigger me off and I will feel really low about it. I do feel good around other men and do get attention, but I feel upset my dh could treat me with such little respect. Leering at top less girls online when I had just given birth has effected how I think if him.

He has stopped. But how do I let it go and draw a line under it before I wreck my marriage.

[AnyFucker]

I believe Harold Shipman was a very personable and trusted GP in his locality. Just sayin'

[AnyFucker]

But why ?

[Mapleissweet]

The FB issue was him searching for women we know but not requesting being friends. Basically just snooping.

[Mapleissweet]

I don't know. He has changed and is changing, but in stuck in thinking about how he treated me after having ds.
On paper he sounds like a creep, but in person he us kind and loving. Very difficult to compare who I see with what he did.
The anger and upset just won't go away even though I want it to so I can feel better and enjoy being with him.

[MarcelineTheVampireQueen]

As usual) I agree with AF..

But putting the argument aside, OP, at the end of the day, only you know where your line is. Based on your post, he crossed it.

What happens next? What would you like to happen?

[Yougotbale]

Was it on Facebook, the women you know? Maybe they had just posted on the news feed.

Or was he doing something odd

[AnyFucker]

Looking up women you know ? In what way ? He sounds like a fucking creep, tbh.

[SugarMiceInTheRain]

I suppose only time will tell whether he has really changed and can really be the supportive husband you deserve.

As for building your self-esteem, maybe I'm not the best one to be giving advice. Mine is shot to pieces for different reasons to yours, but I think it's important to be trying to rebuild your confidence for yourself and your own happiness, not your DH's. Not feeling desired does chip away at your self-esteem, but you need to find ways to boost yourself up which aren't related to appearing sexy and desirable to your DH. Whether that is by taking up a hobby, remembering what you're good at and embracing it, going out with your friends and reclaiming your social life, or whatever helps you, make sure you do this for you. It does take time to recover after you've had a baby, but in the meantime, fake it til you make it is a pretty good strategy.

[OhBabyLilyMunster]

Its just time, maple, it really is. Dont underestimate how long recovery from pregnancy and birth takes. My youngest is 12 months and im still getting my shit together. And for what its worth i am right behind you, his behaviour is not on and theres no amount of pro-porn claptrap will convince me otherwise.

[Mapleissweet]

I don't mind him wanking or even finding other women attractive as I do other men. It is normal and healthy.
But to actively leer at girls (prob half his age) on line avd looking up women we know on line after I had given birth and was coping with a new baby has really upset me.

I think it is something he has always done. How can he fix this and how do I let it go.

[Yougotbale]

Are you ok with him masterbating without looking at porn?

I doubt he had an emotional attachment to the porn, at least he sounds like he is sorry and wants to make it right. Maybe asking him to explain his thought process of looking at porn may ease your worries.

[Boosterseattheballcleaner]

Mapleissweet Self confidence doesn't just appear overnight, it works like trust if someone chips away at it it takes seconds to crumble and a much longer to re-build.

I have confidence because I am confident in what i believe, what i expect from my partner and I don't base my self worth on whether or not i am masturbation material.

Your body has just done something amazing, embrace that and let your DH know it!

Fake it until you make it is the advice a lot of posters get here, put your game face on and show the world what you are made of

sorry for the pom pom waving at 8am but you are worth it

[CharityFunDay]

Even if he never uses porn again, you'll never be able to control his fantasies, and it's quite normal to masturbate privately within the context of a relationship.

All you can do is make sure he treats you well, and respects other women in his life.

[Mapleissweet]

Thank you all do much. It makes a big difference to me that I am not overreacting.
He has let me down so much. He has pretended to be one thing when in actual fact he was quite the opposite. He is remorseful, but I feel very angry with him that he could treat me so poorly having just had a baby.
How do you build on your self esteem? I feel it is crushed with him. Yet my confidence elsewhere I feel is ok.
Within my relationship I will not tolerate women being objectified. To me it is very damaging.
How do I really know if he's changed, or if he's just 'stopping' to save his marriage.

[CharityFunDay]

I am not pro-porn, but I'm not anti-porn either. I think it's quite a complex thing for all (consumers, partners and participants alike).

But the main thing here is that by his partner's standards, the OP's OH did something completely inappropriate at a completely inappropriate time, so I am solidly behind OP on this matter.

[schnockles]

If porn isn't in your relationship OP, then that's that really.

I agree that the idea of a partner getting their rocks off online whilst their OH nurses their baby is pretty off putting and it's not surprising you have not only lost respect for him but lost confidence in yourself. I can only suggest your DH continues to try to make it up to you as these things take a long time to heal. You we're hurt when you were at your most vulnerable. Take some leisure time out just for you - I realise you work so you have tone out from the baby - perhaps join a running club or something else active. The sport will help your self esteem and give you a boost, and be something that is just yours. This isn't about making yourself feel better for your DH, but for you.

[PuddingAndHotMilk]

I'm also with AF on this Rules. The op clearly isn't ok with it and so your opinion isn't very helpful, is it?!

OP. you don't need to accept this but if he is truly sorry and won't do it again then you have a chance to move forward. Talking from experience to feel better you need to work on your self esteem and self worth. Then you'll find your preparedness to accept bad behaviour reduces naturally as you realise its them NOT you

Good luck

[glastocat]

I'm with AF on this one.

[AnyFucker]

[AnyFucker]

That is your prerogative.

It was only a matter of time before someone picked up your pro-porn stance as being unhelpful here. Whether it was me or someone else.

[Rules]

It seems that you are getting your knickers in a bit of a twist AF so I shall bow out now before you become even more insulting towards me.

[AnyFucker]

So it's ok to tell a woman it has to be ok in her relationship just because it's ok in yours ?

Projection, much ?

I do often feel that female pro-porners come on here to tell us how brilliant it is do so because they actually have no choice but to decide it is fine.

Let her make up her own mind up. She has access to the research that tells us overwhelmingly that porn is bad for women. You would shut her down though, wouldn't you, to make yourself feel better ?

[ThisIsBULLSHIT]

And I mean that he will have to actively earn it back, not just that you will have to wait and find ways to respect him again.

[Rules]

I understand you are against it for your own reasons AF but that does not mean that it is wrong for everyone.