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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:
dumbshmuk · 26/03/2016 23:13

ok this thread derailed quickly to negative posts about the husband and ganged up on any man who dared post here. OP did not suddenly stop wanting sex for 3 weeks and hubby acting bad to that this has been going on a while. The libido of one partner to decrease drastically in a long term relationship and more so when there's children is common. The OP is under stress from the day to day family routine which isn't helping her sex drive and the husband is under stress because of it as well and isn't handling it well. I think I got it now. OP I don't think your going to get any insight on this thread anymore, its been taken over./

Ambroxide · 26/03/2016 23:15

Er, it didn't derail on its own. You derailed it by posting nonsense.

Ambroxide · 26/03/2016 23:17

Couples therapy would be a great idea, btw, because I guarantee you that husband will have an eye opener of a conversation about consent and sex when you have recently given birth (and, quite frankly, any time in the last couple of years is recently in my book).

chilledwarmth · 26/03/2016 23:17

This is the point I was getting at, that neither partner is in the wrong. She is not wrong for wanting less sex and he is not wrong for wanting more than she is prepared to have. There is not a one size fits all Standard Sex Drive. When partners have incompatible sex drives they both need to try and find a resolution to that, it's not fair to expect just one of them to deal with the problem.

HelenaDove · 26/03/2016 23:21

3 weeks is a long while? 3 WEEKS seriously??????

NameChange30 · 27/03/2016 00:01

dumbshmuck what an appropriate username you have.

"Nor did I read all the over 100 posts either."
"Yes i'm male i commented here because there clearly wasn't any male perspective here. There is clearly no consideration to her husbands feeling in this matter by a good many of the female posters here."
So if you didn't RTFT how do you know that no men posted and none of the women considered her husband's feelings?! Are you all-knowing thanks to your magical penis?! Grin

"I thought the OP might want to try to understand what might be going on in his head."
How on earth could she do that... Let me see... By TALKING to him, maybe?! Oh no need, it's your magical male powers again, you can read his mind!

Grin Grin Grin

differentnameforthis · 27/03/2016 00:40

BlueHorizonEyes So she has to give her body for his sexual gratification? My God, that sounds fucking grim!

She is not a fucking porn star to be wanked over.

dumbshmuk · 27/03/2016 02:39

My posts were meant for the OP. The OP hasn't posted since page four. This is page 8 no point posting anymore on a dead thread that would be dumb.

differentnameforthis · 27/03/2016 02:54

dumbshmuk It doesn't hurt to keep challenging stupid attitudes that damage women.

Even if the op hasn't posted in a while it doesn't mean she isn't reading still. A lot of women are put off by others minimising their feelings & telling them to "lie back & think of England", plus...if other women read this & see people challenging stupid advice, it might help them too.

Calling people dumb for posting on a thread that is still active is daft.

differentnameforthis · 27/03/2016 02:57

Why do you need to be so aggressive dumb?

Is it because you are talking to women & think they have to be put in their place by a man?

HelenaDove · 27/03/2016 02:58

He thought he would come on here and metaphorically swing his willy around.

AyeAmarok · 27/03/2016 03:18

Good time for this?

Sexually frustrated Husband
HapShawl · 27/03/2016 03:59

Lol at number of pages.

Not even one page for me

Marilynsbigsister · 27/03/2016 07:00

OP. What do you see as the way forward. ? Do you see a time when you will actually want sex again ? Can you empathise at all with the rejection your DH must be feeling with the constant rebuttal or do you just feel angry with him .?.
Would you like to want sex with your DH or do you just not fancy him.?

My first marriage was like this. Babies, young kids, tired complete lack of sexual desire. Spent a ridiculous amount of time thinking up 'reasons' not to do it. (All completely unnecessary as ex DH not the sort to be unreasonable)..just my feeling of guilt feeling of constantly rejecting him..

Eventually about 2yrs in, he started to have affairs. (I knew, it was obvious, - it was his desperate way of getting me to face the issue ). tbf he had tried everything else including going to relate on his own. My reaction was to be relieved. The pressure was off me. Our relationship improved immensely for about another 3/4 yrs. sadly, for me, he then had an affair with someone who he didn't just want sex with and left me. We hadn't had sex for six years when he went. I can't believe I thought I was completely reasonable.
My sex drive reappeared a year later, just as quickly as it had vanished. I met and married DH. He then lost his sex drive for nearly two years. I have now seen the problem from the other side. The rejection was absolutely soul destroying. I had no idea how awful it makes the other person feel and would never put someone I love through that again without doing everything in my power to seek help. It destroys marriages.

WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid · 27/03/2016 07:41

marylin

Really sensitive post. It's good to hear both sides.

Marilynsbigsister · 27/03/2016 10:03

Thank you whenshe . It is such an awful thing. The weird thing was, I didn't dislike sex. It didn't hurt. It wasn't uncomfortable, I just had this massive 'I don't want to be arsed' attitude and could not/would not understand it from his point of view. An attitude that resulted in a marriage ending and my children living their life apart from their father. A man who, thankfully I have a great relationship with now. (It improved hugely once I went through the same torture I had put him through and could finally empathise).

The whole situation is so not about the physical aspect of sex. It's about what sex means in a relationship and what constant rejection does.

toomanyeggs · 27/03/2016 10:43

Thing is, all this "try it, you might like it/want it/enjoy it" is pretty stupid. I think that at some point I might like a tattoo (don't have any) however, I am scared to actually do it, because I don't know 100% if I do want it. I could just try it, and hope I like it/want it/enjoy it

If all goes well I'll have a tattoo that I like.

Worse case,

I'll start having it done, not like it and feel like I can't say no...because well, the tattooist has done all that hard prep work, and got his hopes up that I will let him do it
or
I'll say no, and the tattooist will claim not to have heard me, or will keep telling me to relax because I will start to like it/want it/enjoy it. I might try to move out the way & end up hurt, or forced into something I don't want

Eventually, I either stop when I want or I let him continue until I can't take it anymore, or I let him finish. Whatever plays out, I am left with a mark on me, a physical one that is a reminder of the time I was coerced into accepting something that someone told me I would "like/want/enjoy" if only I tried it. That mark is no different to an emotional scar, the feeling you have for the tattooist are nothing but hate & resentment.

Now swap tattoo with sex, and tattooist with man/partner/husband etc.

WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid · 27/03/2016 15:25

I'm not sure about the sex / getting a tattoo analogy.

Having sex is a pretty regular occurance for a lot of people but I'm guessing it's pretty rare to have a tattoo once a week.

Maybe it's more similar to going out for a night out with your partner. You've planned it all week but when Saturday night ones round you are knackered and would rather spend the night in front of the TV.

Actually this happened to me last night. Had a really rough day with the kids and just felt like I couldn't face the world overly dramatic emoticon needed
I did go out and actually had a really good time.

I have personally experienced not being bothered about sex that night. Deciding to have sex anyway and really enjoying it.
I would never suggest others do that as I don't know what their relationship is like with their dh. With mine if it wasn't working for some reason for me he wouldn't be too bothered if I just jacked him off / he has a wank instead of sex.

Personally I've found that having sex has lead to me wanting more sex (but that's my relationship - it obviously won't work if you don't like your partner anymore).

shabbadabba · 27/03/2016 17:53

Nc'd for this..

I had a partner like this. He was so persuasive, 24/7. I should have left, I didn't. He told me he'd had a vasectomy, couldn't have kids. My six year old child is Sat right beside me Hmm

You do not understand how much I curse myself for giving into his 'needs'.

Hours after having my child, he was pestering me for sex & I stupidly gave in. Thing is, when the act was being done, I felt Fucking disgusting and nine times out of ten, I would be crying. Afterwards, he would wipe my tears and say 'see, it wasn't that bad, was it'? Whilst kissing me on the lips.

Why the fuck couldn't I have told him to do one? God, so many questions & a child who cries every day because she misses her father. I'm an idiot.

I'm off to be sick..

FuckYouChrisAndThatHorse · 27/03/2016 18:06

Shabba FlowersSad

My heart goes out to you. Have you spoken to anyone about it. He had no right, but you obviously know that. What a vile human being he is.

shabbadabba · 27/03/2016 18:21

Hey, fuckyou. Yes, my close friends know and his mother. But it is always a source of internal conflict for me. My child was playing up today (like most kids do, especially with too much chocvy) & after I told her off, I kept thinking 'you shouldn't be here' Sad. And then I think of what her father did & so starts a really unhealthy thought process.

She's a cracking child & I wouldn't swap her for the world but when things feel tough, I cannot help going back to the unhealthy thinking. Poor child. I know it's not her fault. Of course I know it's not her fault. But she was born out of deceipt.

HelenaDove · 27/03/2016 18:23

Shabba Thanks Sad

What he did was much more than coerced sex. It was reproductive coercion.

shabbadabba · 27/03/2016 18:29

Yes, Helena, it was. I found out years later that he'd always wanted children & dumped someone because she didn't ''deliver the goods' Hmm.

The best of it is is that when my child was born, he didn't turn up, well he turned up but did not stay as he felt 'tired'.. I found out years later that he'd been cheating on me that night. Think I've outed myself now. Oh well.

HelenaDove · 27/03/2016 18:34

shabba have you considered looking into counselling for this. Thanks

shabbadabba · 27/03/2016 18:36

Yes. I booked some counselling, turned up & no words would come out.

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