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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

shocked, sad and confused. (engagement related)

83 replies

namechange111 · 04/12/2013 14:16

I am a regular but have namechanged so i'm not outed.

Myself and my partner have been planning all year to get engaged. By planning I mean he said he would start saving for a ring. He has quite old fashioned views and wants an 'expensive' ring. I, on the other hand, couldn't give a shiny shite about the price. I'm not materialistic in the slightest. I would be quite happy to pop down the registry office with just close family and a small social club do after. But he wants the whole big shabang. Fair enough, we agreed to compromise.

We have had numerous conversations about it over the past year. All seemed fine...until last night.

The subject of weddings was brought up and I asked him if he had saved enough for the ring with it almost being the end of the year and all. It transpired that he hasn't saved up at all. Not only that but he now wants to put off the engagement. I have to admit I was taken aback and a bit hurt so I left it at that and went to sleep.

Today, I have been speaking with him and told him how hurt I am. Not only hurt but confused. He said he loves me more than anything and still wants to marry me, he was just having a wobbly. I asked what has brought all this on and he says it is because a few months ago his Step Sister broke up with her fiance, and he doesn't want that to happen to us Hmm.

I calmly explained to him that lots of people break up everyday for lots of different reasons. But none of that affects us in any which way. I said that if other peoples relationship troubles are affecting his own, then he obviously isn't ready or mature enough to make such a huge commitment. Also the fact that he is quite obviously insecure within our relationship would not been a good start to engagement.

Aside from that, his Step Sister's relationship ended only a couple of months ago. So if he truly planned to marry me why hadn't he been saving before that?

The whole thing has left me feeling very confused about our relationship and what we both want. Up until now I thought we were both on the same page. But obviously we are not. I am quite unsure of what to do now. I have said that getting engaged is now out of the question as it is unfair on both of us. But where do we go from here? For me, this has changed everything. I know marriage isn't the be all and end all, but I really was under the impression (after A LOT of marriage talk this year, we even went ring shopping together!) that this is what he wanted too. Especially since he was the person who first suggested engagement!

I know it's a very first world problem, i just really needed a rant. Sad

OP posts:
Twinklestein · 04/12/2013 23:44

wingding I was surprised by the doctor's comments too because my sis has PCOS and the pill is the standard treatment for it. Others are weight loss, if overweight, due to the problem of insulin resistance, and some doctors suggest a low sugar, low carb diet for the same reason. (She's not overweight but the diet has helped).

I'll tell her about Vit D. Do you have to be deficient or do you just take it anyway?

namechange111 · 04/12/2013 23:53

I really do appreciate everyones advise. but please understand that just because other people have been able to conceive with PCOS later on in life doesn't mean i would too. i just couldn't risk waited for however long only to find out i was too late. it would crush me.

I stupidly had unprotected sex with my sons father for almost 3 years before i fell pregnant. young and stupid and all that jazz. i also discovered the very heavy periods i have every 6 months or so were actually early missed miscarriages. my ovaries are, want for a better word, fucked. one is almost none existent, the other is so covered in cysts it is difficult for it to release a healthy egg. i am having other tests done as this is not normal for just PCOS. yes i am very happy that i already have a child. but i would like to experience having a baby without all the shock, drama, and PND i suffered with my first. yes, i am aware i cant be sure i will not get PND again but i would like a second chance.

i am aware i am young. i am aware that i should be out having fun like most people are. but the fact is, even if i wanted to, i can't. up until last night i was a very happy woman in a loving relationship and thought everything with my family life was going swimmingly. my world has just come crashing down around me, as pathetic as it sounds. and i have to somehow find a way to explain to a four year old that everything is going to change.

i'm sory if i sound bitchy or ratty. i just cant stop crying. i dont know wether to be angry, upset or undrstanding. i just want to shout and smash things. i wont, of course. but i really fucking want to.

sorry for ranting. and again for my terrible grammar. but the way im feeling grammar can drown in a bucket of monkey spunk for all i care.

thank you to everyone that has taken he time to read this. and thank you for all the advise

OP posts:
Mrswellyboot · 05/12/2013 00:03

I don't think you are ranting at all. This is a big deal, but at least you know what you are dealing with. He shouldn't lead you on. I would move on I think. Not easy but why didn't he be honest?

olathelawyer05 · 05/12/2013 11:32

A 25yr old man with it seems things going OK for him personally, and who has a 23yr old GF wanting to get hitched and start having kids sharpish. Not that surprising perhaps that he found it easier to say what people wanted to hear, and what might have been 'expected' of him (ie. I want to get married and have kids etc etc...), rather than what he may really have been thinking. Reinforced no doubt with the notion that NOT wanting those things makes him 'immature' - no 'man' wants to be described that way of course.

In an ideal world we would all have the courage of our convictions and experience as early in life as possible, and he would have said immediately that he wasn't sure RE: children... but the presures of real life often don't work that way. It would take a pretty convicted 25yr old man to come out with that straight up. I personally have that conviction now, but I am no longer 25yrs old.

For both your sakes, you probably need to bite the bullet and go your separate ways for now at least. You clearly know what YOU want, but this isn't an issue where you should ever try to 'bring' the other person round. Sorry.

BeCool · 05/12/2013 11:43

It would take a pretty convicted 25yr old man to come out with that straight up
So ola you are saying that it is perfectly normal for a 25yo man to be spineless in his life, tell lies to his loved ones rather than the truth, believe it is completely normal matter of course behaviour to hide his beliefs feelings from the world and have no courage.
That's a very dim and sad picture of young men you are painting there.

FrequentFlyerRandomDent · 05/12/2013 12:58

(((Hugs)))

Call someone in RL for support. It is a lot to take on.

Flowers
Monty27 · 05/12/2013 14:17

Chipping reading my post today, yes very insensitive, I don't know what I was thinking, it just crossed my mind and I typed it Blush

Sorry OP. I really hope everything works out for you :(

olathelawyer05 · 05/12/2013 16:28

"So ola you are saying that it is perfectly normal for a 25yo man to be spineless in his life, tell lies to his loved ones rather than the truth, believe it is completely normal matter of course behaviour to hide his beliefs feelings from the world and have no courage.
That's a very dim and sad picture of young men you are painting there."

I said it is "not surprising". If you want to interpret that as "normal", that's YOUR problem but it isn't what I said.

I have been a 25yr old man and I can understand from experience the issues that can afflict during that time. There can still be a tendency to go with what you think people 'expect' Re: marriage, kids etc, and to play it safe, and people do make bad judgements as a result.

The OP has otherwise been said how wonderful this young man is, so we can probably take it there was no malevolence to his taking the easy route. He wouldn't be the first young man (or woman) to put off being completely frank about something such as this. Are they all just plainly "spineless", or might there be other factors at play?

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