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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

Sexually frustrated Husband

988 replies

Brightling · 23/03/2016 20:29

It seems I'm married to one of those men who gets very moody when their intimacy needs aren't being met as often as they would like.

We've been married a significant amount of time. When we first met my sex drive was average and a few years and very young children later it's pretty much dwindled. I'm all touched out by the children. I am very unhappy with my post multiple pregnancies body. I'm tired. All I want is to be able to go to bed and sleep without being propositioned. It's not every night but it happens frequently enough for it to be considered badgering. Actually what I would like also is for the "no I'm not up for it tonight" to be received with "ok let's sleep" rather than him raise his voice tell my I've got a problem, I need to see a therapist, I should stay off those websites (such as MN) and what's he supposed to do about HIS sexual needs as it sounds like he's supposed to have an affair if I'm not interested. He says he can't even cuddle me if I've said no as he finds it too difficult. Whenever I say none turns his back on me and I feel like I'm being punished for saying No.

I get that he is frustrated but I am not prepared to lay back and think of England. Sex is a privilege not a right. It's my body and if I don't want to I don't have to. Even though he says that he doesn't want me to do it for the sake of it I think he's BS'ing me. He tells me he's a nice person, a good partner, a good dad and that other couples are all having sex though he always refers to sex as making love.

When we are having an active sex life he is ridiculously happy and helpful and affectionate.

I can't stand the sulking behaviour when he's frustrated. He is a hands on father and he does pull his weight round the home. It's just the sex pressure pushing me away. It's getting to the point where I don't want to be intimate with him at all as any contact he sees as a green light to progress a cuddle or whatever is then met with a sulk when I say I don't want to continue.

He does make lots of effort making meals but I'm so cynical that All I can think about is that there is an expectancy at the end of the night which puts me on the defensive and then I end up causing an argument simply to avoid the strop that he will pull when I say I don't want to be intimate because it's only when I get cross about it that he will let it drop and quit going on and on and on about it.

I'm know my sex drive isn't what it was but the sulks and date nights are not helping one bit. I dread any meal or date night. I'm not even sure why I'm even posting.

OP posts:
HapShawl · 24/03/2016 17:08

Threatening an affair when denied sex is coercive behaviour

BrioLover · 24/03/2016 17:15

Sorry to hear you're having such a crappy time so soon after your youngest was born OP. FWIW I think DH and I had sex about once per month for a year or so, starting from when DS was 8-9 months old or so. It increased when he turned 2ish, probably because DS was less needy and began sleeping through quite reliably!

DH and I talked about the lack of sex a LOT but he never sulked. We definitely felt like friends for a while (which was shit) but he never threatened to have an affair etc. He never pressured me despite all the talking about it. DH did do some great proactive things like sort me a swimming membership and regular time out to swim, gave me vouchers for birthdays so I could have my hair done/buy clothes to suit my new shape etc. This was all for MY benefit, so I'd feel better about my post baby self. I never felt like he did it so I would have sex with him - he just wanted his wife to be happier.

Some couples counselling might work well - a neutral place outside your home where he can't raise his voice and you can (hopefully) work out a path forward. Your DH doesn't sound like he's going to listen unless someone points it all out to him TBH Confused

TunnocksInAHammock · 24/03/2016 17:27

This may help and it may not but here goes. My DH is highly sexed. Far more than me but it sort of seemed to work but when I was out of action (due to illness) I bought several interesting items from Lovehoney and Ann Summers so we could continue having some sort of sex life as I know it's important to him. I am OK now but if he is horny but I really really do not feel the same way, we compromise and we have an encounter without penetrative sex but it is still sex IYSWIM. Obviously the beginnings of this arrangement was slightly different for us compared with your situation but it might be seen as a compromise that may help until you feel like you want to pick up where you left off. We are all entitled to a few and far between patch but this is what works for us. It helps that these items have pet names Buzz Lightyear and Keira Caterpillar Grin Soz if TMI

NameChange30 · 24/03/2016 17:44

Brio Your DH sounds lovely and supportive. Mine is too. Wish more were like ours! Or maybe they are and we mostly hear about the bad'uns on MN.

tomatoIzzy · 24/03/2016 18:55

Naturally your sex drive will be low after less than a year. You should not be pressured into something you are physically exhausted for. Have you checked your iron levels though? Are you more exhausted than usual? How late are you going to bed? Are you getting enough sleep? How much time are you spending together other than sleeping in the same bed? He is saying stay off those websites (such as MN)
Why is this an issue? How long do you spend on the internet? Are you on the internet when you could be spending non-sexual time with him? What do the two of you do in the evenings? Do you have meals together? Do you talk? Do you do activities as a family? Are the children going to bed and giving you time to reconnect as friends? Are you both busy with children until your bedtime or is there time in the evening that you can just reconnect emotionally and be friends? Is this the time when you feel that he is just counting down the hours until he can get into your pants? Are you avoiding him at these times? Does every encounter you have or all interaction leave you feeling like he just wants sex? If so then you will not be able to reconnect emotionally and you need to explain this to him. A partner shouldn't make you feel disrespected and pressured at every show of affection, a healthy sex life cannot be built on that. On the other side of the coin if you are not spending any time together emotionally then the desperation to get you to show him that you still love him will get even more desperate. It is a vicious cycle. Are you emotionally disconnecting yourself from him because of the pressure? Could you ask him to just spend time together and that you don't want sex, you just want his company and reconnect your friendship first and this can be a stepping stone to rebuilding your sex life. If he refuses this then I can see that therapy would be a good option.

BrioLover · 24/03/2016 19:00

AnotherEmma he's pretty great! We've been through the wars these last few years and have learned to be kinder to each other... Glad you have a good'un too Smile

arsenaltilidie · 24/03/2016 19:20

Even though he says that he doesn't want me to do it for the sake of it I think he's BS'ing me

There are also a couple of other examples where you don't believe what he says.
Most men do not want a woman to have sex with them for the sake of it. That's the reason why most men dont visit prostitutes.
He wants you to want to have sex with him not just sex.

On the other hand he should know better that pressuring someone for sex is the quickest way to kill the mood.

Maybe try therapy instead of trying to find out who is right or wrong.

Choceclair123 · 24/03/2016 20:43

Could the answer be as simple as you just don't like, respect or find him attractive anymore? Nobody would blame you!

dumbshmuk · 26/03/2016 16:32

Your husband should want to have sex with you that is extremely normal. this happens so often in long term relationships from its expected especially with children involved. That new relationship energy wears off a few years into a relationship and affairs happen in this situation and i mean from the uninterested wife too(she meets some guy and it must be love lol).Your husband wants sex from you to show him you still want, desire , lust and love him. Thats intimacy for men. Just rolling your eyes and telling him to make it quick won't fool him. This is your first real test to your love and commitment to each other. Go to couples therapy like he suggested and seek individual counseling for yourself my guess is your suffering from depression. this happens a lot after women have children and you will definitely need therapy your husband cannot fix that for you.

loveyoutothemoon · 26/03/2016 17:34

Do you still fancy him?

MerdeAlor · 26/03/2016 17:45

Dumb apt that's a hugely insulting post to the OP and either goady or ignorant.

Can I ask if you are male or female? I ask because my DH would not class sulking, threatening and bullying as a way to show his love or desire for intimacy. I think your opinion is skewed so either you have met awful men or you are one.

DarrenHardysDrongo · 26/03/2016 17:52

Merde, thank you for expressing what I've been struggling to say for the last 10 minutes since reading that post.

dumb is male.

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 26/03/2016 18:16

Merde, I actually snorted when I read dumb's post. It's so goady it's funny.

"Woman! You should be pleased a man wants you! Rejoice and seek help for the fact you don't appreciate him enough!" :o

No normal, grown up dh thinks sulking is a way to respond to any issue.

I despair for all the people who think so little of men. Men are great. Men are not whiny, childish, sex-pests.

I wonder how many posts justifying the behaviour actually come from teenage boys who haven't worked out how to treat women as people yet. It is school holidays after all.

Naicehamshop · 26/03/2016 19:00

Well said Fuck You Chris - you have spoken for every right thinking and intelligent person!!

FixItUpChappie · 26/03/2016 19:03

Jesus wept. Debbieharry's post is probably the most depressing thing I've ever read on this site

Furthermore....

-A woman is not necessarily 'depressed' when she don't feel in the mood for sex Hmm

-how a woman feel about body is not directly linked how her husband feels about it

-doing nice things (aka an equal share of housework and parenting) in the hopes that you will get sex out of it is a form of pestering

-pestering and sulking for sex is about as unappealing as is gets, just behind threatening divorce I'd say

-3 weeks without sex is hardly a sexless relationship FFS!

Healthy relationships should be based on many things - I would think it a fickle relationship indeed if the end was signalled by not having sex for 3 weeks FFS. Forget about friendship, companionship, commitment to children, common goals, commitment to each other....

MerdeAlor · 26/03/2016 19:20

Hasn't this whole thread been depressing though? Poor OP has had to sift through some serious shite to get support.

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 26/03/2016 19:27

Merde, it's been horrifying. I'm very much hoping it's genuinely due to half term trolling, and that there aren't that many people going around thinking this dynamic is in any way normal. It's not.

WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid · 26/03/2016 20:08

I've experienced having a higher sex drive than dh (he was pressured at work) and being the one with a lower sex drive (current situation).

I can honestly say it's not pleasant bring frequently rejected. And dh wasn't great at explaining why he was stressed at work and how it impacted his sex drive.

At the moment his sex drive his higher. I'm struggling a bit with body confidence issues but things are improving.
The way we are dealing with the mismatch is through my explaining my sex drive isn't as high. He doesn't pester me for sex.
We tend to have sex 1-2 times a week and I'll also wank him a few times a week as well.

I was really struggling with my sex drive and body confidence. Six months ago I didn't want to have sex ever again. Thankfully we talked and now have a pretty decent sex life.

op I really hope you can have a decent conversation with him about this. Best of luck.

haveacupoftea · 26/03/2016 20:16

Your DH sounds like a good husband. I'm sure the sulking is annoying but he's trying to show how hurt and rejected he feels albeit in a childish way.

I've recommended it on here before but Mars and Venus in the Bedroom is a good book that helped me understand how sex means different things to men than women, and what to do when you reach an impasse like this.

HelenaDove · 26/03/2016 20:20

Yep thats the answer to the OPs problem. Stereotyping. Fucking hell its a depressing thread.

HelenaDove · 26/03/2016 20:20

And if thats your idea of a good husband your bar is set pretty low.

AyeAmarok · 26/03/2016 20:32

Agree Helena, I feel so sad that so many women think so little of both themselves and their partners.

haveacupoftea · 26/03/2016 20:35

OP has said herself that he's a good husband in every other way than the sex issue. I hardly think it's helpful to call her husband vile and emotionally abusive when you are only getting one side of the story. The OP came here for help, not for hysterical accusations about her husband.

And try not to be so fucking rude to other posters, we are all trying to help OP albeit some of us more rationally than others.

NameChange30 · 26/03/2016 20:38

"albeit some of us more rationally than others"

Grin Grin Grin

NameChange30 · 26/03/2016 20:38

(You've got to laugh really. It's that or cry )

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