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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

Just broken up with DP. So worried I've done the wrong thing

8 replies

user1496414644 · 02/06/2017 16:28

This has been a really complicated couple of years but I should explain as I suppose it's all relevant... (also my return key doesn't work so not sure how to do a new paragraph - apologies for big block of text!) DP and I met very soon after the breakup of my previous relationship, about two years ago. I wasn't sure about him at first, thought we might just be friends but then started falling for him and within two months I was pregnant. Around this time, we moved to a horrible damp, tatty flat (all we could afford and only meant to be temporary while I was waiting for the purchase of my flat to go through) - I had very bad nausea and the flat was miles from my work (I worked fulltime) so the drive was sometimes 90 minutes, twice a day, 5 times a week. I started staying at my mum's a couple of nights a week as it was closer to work and much nicer/more comfortable. I started feeling an aversion to DP at this time. I couldn't pin it to one thing in particular, just didn't enjoy being around him and didn't feel physically attracted. We did some research and found that this could happen in pregnancy but usually resolved itself later in the pregnancy or after the baby was born. I started staying more frequently at my mum's and within a fortnight moved in completely and broke it off with DP. He couldn't accept it and started sending thousands of messages, not taking no for an answer and while i felt sympathetic, he was not respecting my feelings and trying to force me to see him which ended up making me resentful and pushing me even further away. There followed several extremely nasty emails from him and it became apparent that he was posting about me online using my real name, trying to get sympathy from other people and encouraging them to condemn me (he sent me evidence of this) in the end, at 5 months pregnant, I couldn't cope with the harassment any more and sought advice from the police who warned him not to contact me anymore. i agreed to keep him updated about the baby via email, then via my mother's email when he used the emails between as a means to continue to harass me. He then refused my mother's email and denied paternity at which point I cut off contact completely. After DD was born he insisted on a paternity test before he would pay any maintenance and we only communicated via solicitor (although I never even so much as implied that he couldn't see dd - I always wanted her to have a good relationship with her father if possible) Anyway, communication and paternity test took ages so in the end DD was eight months old when he met her for the first time. By that point we hadn't seen or spoken to each other for over a year and he was in a relationship with someone else. The first couple of contact meetings went well and we talked things over. At this point i started feeling as though I had feelings for him again (that maybe the hormonal pregnancy thing had worn off) and he told me he was still in love with me. After a lot of discussion and sincere apologies from him about how he'd behaved (he took full responsibility for his actions and felt terrible for how he'd been) we decided to try again. He's a great dad to dd and absolutely adores her and also an extremely caring, attentive, helpful partner. The person that he was during my pregnancy is not at all how he is now. However now, after three months and after all that, Ive ended it. I just don't feel 'in love' and even though he's a perfect partner and amazing dad, and absolutely adores me, I just felt like my heart wasn't in it. I guess it wasn't the hormonal pregnancy thing after all but who knows, I'm so confused. I feel like a terrible person because he's absolutely devastated, having to go through this a second time. And I feel so bad for DD. I feel so guilty but i'm almost certain I don't want to be with him because there's just something missing. Am I expecting too much? Should I have carried on even though I felt like I was settling? Am I just a complete idiot that should never attempt to have a relationship with anyone else ever again? It's all such a mess.

OP posts:
Delphi2022 · 02/06/2017 16:44

Hi OP,

You've been through a lot! Congratulations on having your daughter.

Are you over your ex before your daughter's father? You mention that you were unsure of this recent ex - but why was that? What does he do or not do that puts you off? Did you family or friends like him before it all went wrong? If you daughter brought home a boyfriend like him in the future would you be happy for her (when it was going well).

D

Babycham1979 · 02/06/2017 16:46

Jesus! I think you just need to leave the poor bloke alone. You've done more than enough to mess him around. End it, for good. Grant him access to his child and stop messing him around.

It's an excuse too blame your hormones. What you've done is incomparably cruel. If the roles were reversed, you'd be slaughtered on here.

Do all three of you a favour; end it and move on.

Babycham1979 · 02/06/2017 16:47

an excuse to*

Secretlife0fbees · 02/06/2017 16:49

TBH I don't think I would've gone near him again after all the abusive and threatening behaviour after you split up the first time! You had to get the police involved! I think you should run a mile right now, don't feel guilty just be prepared for him to lose it again... yes you have done the right thing.

Secretlife0fbees · 02/06/2017 16:51

Sorry but have pp's read the OP? Thousands of abusive and threatening messages and emails? Slagging her off online using her real name? Sorry but that's not the behaviour of a stable and normal person.

user1496414644 · 02/06/2017 17:03

Hi Delphi, thanks for responding. Yes I was over my ex before dd's dad - that relationship ended very gradually and amicably in the end - we just became like friends. Recent dp, now ex, was completely different, it was a very passionate relationship and although dd wasn't planned, we were ecstatic - until it all went wrong of course. my initial reservations with him were more to do with how recently I'd ended my last relationship, I didn't want to rush things (so that turned out well!) My friends and family did really like him (before he started harassing me of course). To the poster who said i was cruel - i guess i just wanted to give it a chance and see if we could make it as a family but found my heart wasn't as in it as i initially thought. also i'll admit it was very difficult doing everything on my own for eight months while dealing with the fear and stress of the situation, and the relief of that ending probably clouded my judgement

OP posts:
Delphi2022 · 02/06/2017 17:15

Hi OP,

I understand your fear, so do not think you are cruel. Often we do not always understand why we are feeling weary of certain situations and often the answer comes to light after a period of time.

I was not impressed by how he reacted when you separated from him, al the threats etc. He was disrespectful to both you and your mother. I did wonder whether deep down you sensed that he could be controlling and that is why you have never fully committed to him or felt safe.

I was keen to know those answers so that you could delve deeper and lay them to rest really. You were right to be cautious as you were fragile after your previous relationship but this newer one was passionate and I think they may have clouded your judgement but deep down you knew there was something. Don't feel bad about trying again, you have a daughter and i get how strong the pull is to create that family unit. My friends in a similar situation have tried the same with the exes as they were worried they had failed their children.

Just work on building a mutually respectful parenting partnership for your daughters sake. The fact that you are asking this question now, shows that you are in a reflective mood and can heal in time.

Good luck
D

user1496414644 · 02/06/2017 17:22

Thank you Delphi. That's really good advice and I appreciate it. I often find it difficult to figure out why I feel the way I do about things, it can take time to make sense of things. Yes the priority has to be maintaining an amicable relationship for dd's sake. I hope we can do that

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