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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

I don't know what to do

981 replies

lollipop7 · 25/07/2017 23:34

I gave up a career and a good life miles away when I feel pregnant with a man I thought I was in love with.
He asked me to marry him, told me he would always ta,e care upon us, encouraged me to take redundancy and plough it into our life together.
I'm now pregnant with our third child and si trapped and unhappy.

I have no job, no money and apart from my mum nowhere to go.
He has decided I'm good enough to have children with but not in his exact words "good enough to marry"
My credit rating has been ruined by a case of mistaken identity delisted notes of satisfaction. He's had all my money as I believed him all these years.
Last year when out second child was six months old I left before we moved house. I discovered a series of message to his drinking friends and parents that I had PND and was mentally ill. None of which is true.
He begged Me for a final chance, promised me he'd get therapy and set up a Trust Deed to acknowledge my contribution,
A year on and nothing. He is worse than ever and thanks to being pressured for sex one night I am six months pregnant.
He was out mountain biking with a friend tonight and our son managed to open two safety gates and fall halfway down the stairs. When he Came back home he was sulking and said he was obviously fine. Then two hours later he accused me of actually throwing himself down the stairs to get him home early because I am unwell and jealous of him having a life.
There are so many things I could write here but I can't face committing them all to paper, suffice to say they revolve around emotional abuse such as disdain, lies, provocation, undermining and general nastiness. He is a control freak, he cuts of my housekeeping to pay for holidays he wants. He says there is no money for luxuries but buys himself cds and booze and clothes all the time. His family are blind to his faults and I frequently come across nasty little message so where I am described as grumpy and arrogant. He is disningeous and provocative in front of my friends and family. In short he is a total bastard.
It has got so bad now that I am actually prepared to leave with nothing apart from my children in my car. The only asset I have left. He has said he holds all the cards and that he now wants to contact my midwife to tell, her I am unfit. This is because I slapped his face tonight when he accused me of injuring our son.

I just need to get something down as it is let and I don't want him to hear me on the phone to friends or my mother or sister.

I have thought about women's aid but I don't know.
I have left four times and always have to come back for immunisations, antenatal appointments, school terms etc. I feel as though all the pressure is on me. I am brimming out resentment at the uphheaval and turmoil in mine and especially my children's lives and on top of it have to get ready to give birth in three months.

He hasn't been interviewed under caution for assaulting me one night, but acts as though I think never happened and told the police commiserated with him and laughed about my desperate behaviour.
I feel as though he is trying to drive me to suicide or madness.

Just some words of advice or reassurance or comfort would be appreciated.

I feel incredibly stupid, vulnerable and lost right now.

OP posts:
flutterby12 · 21/10/2017 23:30

Oh good, you deserve it.

Ha they will continue to slip up. Did you get on with them before this?

Hope you sleep well and can breathe a bit easier

Mustang27 · 22/10/2017 00:08

Ah lollipop this is such great news I’m so happy. Now you can rest easy and enjoy the last of your pregnancy. You are from the sounds of it on this thread absolutely terrific and that silly twat crossed the wrong woman. Keep reminding yourself how amazing you are, your emotional & physical pain has been so evident on the thread. Hopefully others will be inspired to continue fighting and men like this will vanish in the future so none of our daughters will suffer like this.

Please keep us posted on baby front and how visiting goes. I know it’s not ideal but 5hrs every 2 weeks with his parents isn’t great for him. Hopefully regardless of how thick they might be if they do support him with this they will keep him in check from now on.

lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 01:10

Wish it was that simple.

The finding of fact hearing is likely to go ahead when I have a four week old baby and Breastfeeding round the clock

I don’t trust his parents at all. They are as switched off about the children’s safety as their son but slower on their feet and dim to boot. They hate me, and I don’t know what I ever did to them. Their capacity to supervise has not been checked at all, they could be anyone and let him do anything.

All this in the face of a finding of fact hearing, section 7 report and Police investigations including two assaults on our son.

I can’t really rest easy at all and the reality of this is dawning upon me.
Dragged through all this by the father of my unborn child who lied on court papers about me.

I don’t normally used this word but he is a total cunt.

Not even 24 hours of peace of mind it’s all being raked up again.

I hate him for everything he has done and is still doing, yet somehow he basically has got unsupervised contact with his complicit parents.

I am so sick of being fucked over

OP posts:
comingintomyown · 22/10/2017 06:11

I've just read your thread and can't believe what you have endured I'm exhausted just reading it Sad . It sounds silly but when I started reading it you were still living with him and now look how far you have come and how strong you have been and all while pregnant.
I don't know anything about court processes but it sounds like things are moving in the right direction for you at last. I wonder if now he will "only" be seeing the DC and not able to play out his little dramas and spite to you he will give up.

What a truly repugnant individual he is , the kind of person ironically it's difficult to leave especially while pregnant and with kids but you have done that and kept up a sustained fight against him. Anybody reading this thread living in that or variations of that situation will be inspired by you lollipop you are amazing

Groovee · 22/10/2017 06:37

Hoping things are calm for you Lollipop7.

lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 07:41

No I'm not calm at all. I'm verging on hysterical again and back to total agitation.

I genuinely think something will happen in Contact day because they are unsafe and unfit.

I don't know why the contact isn't properly supervised instead of merely a family day out. They will allow him to emotionally disorientate the children all day and do as HE pleases. Children are just objects to them.

I think their safety is at risk.
All this at 36 weeks pregnant is killing me.

Basically nobody gives a shit about anything I say. Zero authority and zero rights. I read all these horror stories about how useless CAFCASS are. It's happening to me. Children come first until the father gets fucked off. Then all their risk assessment vanishes

OP posts:
lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 07:49

37 not 36
I just can't take any more worry and sadness.
This is killing me

OP posts:
Groovee · 22/10/2017 07:58

Hugs Lollipop7. You have come so far. It’s not exactly how you wanted to spend the final weeks of your pregnancy but you have done the best for you and the children.

babsthebuilder · 22/10/2017 08:02

But all the changes that have been put in place are because they are listening to you. I completely understand your concerns, and I too would be upset and worried. Please don’t think I’m trying to dismiss you, but you’re in a much better place already. You have forced the professionals to listen. What you said last night about not being able to fix it immediately was right. When is contact, and how long before then do you have to speak to your solicitor and the police? Even to change the supervisor would be a major reassurance to you, so ask. Also ask social services. Don’t stress yourself too much until all options have been exhausted. I know this is supposed to be the plan until the next hearing, but if anyone shares your concerns, then they may have some advice.

Please stay calm for the baby.

lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 09:27

@babsthebuilder
The problem is nobody is listening or doing anything.

How am I supposed to keep calm for the impending birth when I have a week to prep all the allegations and evidence for finding of fact hearing? What if I go into early labour?
How am I supposed to be cross examined with a tiny breastfeeding baby no more than four weeks old and possibly recovering from a c section as they think my baby is breech again.

He won’t agree to an adjournment and it’s like I just don’t matter

And on top of it all I have all these supervision worries
It’s impossible 😓😓😓

OP posts:
babsthebuilder · 22/10/2017 09:46

I’m trying to be a reassuring voice. People have listened, admittedly not fully, but to some extent, so don’t discredit yourself. You haven’t got this far from sitting back. By pushing them you have made them listen and reassess. Who knew you would do this much being so heavily pregnant and so unwell, but you have. Try not to see upcoming events as impossible. Difficult, but not impossible. You have some support from your mother. I get anxious about my kids, so believe me I have a tiny amount of understanding of the anxiety of this moron being alone with your kids. We’re all here to try to help and try to pick you up when you’re low. Panicking and imagining worse case scenario isn’t productive (although admittedly I do this too). It must be so so difficult and so exhausting, but you’ve done such an amazing job. I really couldn’t have done as well as you have in these circumstances.

lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 09:53

I know you are @babsthebuilder and I really appreciate it.
Panic mode has hit again though I’m afraid and I can’t face all this court stuff with a newborn baby possibly four weeks old as well as the worry with my other children

I have minutes where I feel I’ve achieved things but then it all keeps getting cancelled out

OP posts:
Bekabeech · 22/10/2017 09:55

Okay. The first thing you need to do is try to calm down. Mindfulness or going to your GP could help. When you find yourself worrying about what “could happen” try to stop and concentrate on the here and now. Think about five things you can hear, five things you can see, five things you can smell.
Hug your DC and think about hugging them not about what “might happen”.

Second this court order is brilliant. Things have moved in the direction you wanted. Also you haven’t indicated that you believe he will do them physical harm, and one or two brief occasions of neglect/emotional manipulation while not ideal will not cause long term damage. It is highly likely that he will mess up. If he returns them late or in other ways breaches the order, you can call the police who with that court order will act.

People are listening.

NameWithChange · 22/10/2017 10:04

Mindfulness is great advice. You can get apps or books or do a course (if ever there was time).

Living in the present is very important at the moment, don't look back at the horrors, you have come through them and overcome them amazingly and they are behind you for a reason. Don't allow yourself to think too much about the future, none of us know what is coming. Focus on right now. Beautiful babies, lovely cup of tea, sun coming through the leaves, all the small things, fill your mind with as many of those as you can to stop the anxiety overwhelming everything.

I know it sounds a bit bullshit and small, but it really does focus your mind and help to calm a racing mind.

The apps are good to stick headphones in and listen to for 15 mins in a corner somewhere and just get control back of the here and now.

Flowers we are all in awe of your strength and determination, you need to restock and refuel mentally a little to get you through the next bit. You are succeeding, you really are, you have come such a long way but it is hard to see in the eye of the storm.

lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 10:08

@Bekabeech there are actually two assault complaints with the Police concerning our son

It’s not so easy to practice mindfulness when you’ve seen him terrify your child and drag him down the stairs. These concerns helped secure the finding of fact hearing but not a properly supervised contact order it would allear

OP posts:
lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 10:15

I’m sorry and forgive me if I sound ungrateful because truly I am not but this man is not normal or stable. So telling me to listen to mindfulness apps and enjoy the beauty around me doesn’t cut the mustard for me right now . How I wish it did.

I hardly dare allow myself to sit still because it all crowds in on me.

He is a terrifying individual.

I’m brittle and fragile with constant worry. My hair is falling out, I can’t sleep, I can hardly eat and lie awake most nights crying for hours. I have to give birth any day now on my own, and I’m running out of money to pay for anything. It’s unremittingly awful.

I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone. It’s not my intention

OP posts:
Groovee · 22/10/2017 11:03

He won’t agree to an ajounrment because he wants to control you and he can’t control you they way he did before you left. You leaving showed him you will not be controlled by him and he doesn’t like it.

But you made the bravest step ever when you left. That is one of the hardest things to do and you have come so far. You are doing what’s right for you and the children. You can hold your head high knowing that you have stood up for your children and started the process to fully protect them.

lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 11:07

I don’t want to hold my head up high. I want my children and me to be safe. Despite working tirelessly to present evidence, fight everything, do all that I have done it is currently making no difference, he can now take them and fuck off in a car for six hours and do whatever he wants.

How is that progress?????
How is it supervised????

The contact is not supervised it’s a day out with his family who are incapable and incompetent,
To be frank it’s the same outcome as if I had done none of this and just relented to allow him to see them.

Right now it all feels like it has been for absolutely nothing.

Honestly I think i will just delete all my threads I can’t face anymore heartache and distress.

OP posts:
iknowimcoming · 22/10/2017 11:20

Dearest Lollipop - I can’t even begin to imagine how you’re feeling right now, but can I suggest you read back at least some of this thread? It might help you to get some perspective on how far you’ve come? Have you anyone to talk to in real life? Can you take the dc to the park? Get some fresh air maybe? I know that his contact is awful but it’s 6 hours in two weeks and that’s sooo much better than 24/7 he had with them before you left. You are doing great, believe in yourself, you cannot do more than you are doing at the minute, it is frustrating but you WILL get there Flowers

NameWithChange · 22/10/2017 11:30

I understand from bitter experience a lot of your anguish and it is completely justified.

I know it sounds bullshit about mindfulness but it is really just about grounding yourself enough to cope with the next thing, I understand the time isn't for you now.

You have come so far, your children were living with this monster, they are far safer now than they were before, all thanks to you.

For what it's worth I don't think he'll risk anything silly at this stage, the odds are stacked way too high against him, I know there are no guarantees and I know that won't help the justified fear in you, sorry I can't help to reduce that.

You are an amazing mum and role model and have achieved so much we are all in awe. Please take one day at a time and vent or ask for any advice or anything that we can do here, we are all behind you.

SittingAround1 · 22/10/2017 11:47

You've done so much for your children. I understand you are worried sick about the contact but please remember he is no longer living full time with his children and it's only once every two weeks so it is a million times better than before.

Your children will no longer see him abusing you. They will grow up knowing this behaviour is not acceptable and wasn't tolerated by their mother. Your unborn child will never know abuse.

Please just take things one day at a time. This will probably be the hardest period of your life. But once it's over you'll be with your children and they'll be able to have a happy childhood (it-s also lovely that there are three of them to all play together).

AvoidingDM · 22/10/2017 11:53

Lollipop I've just read your thread.
Your doing a grand job of protecting your kids.
Surely he's not going to be stupid on front of his parents?
I (more accident than planned) gave birth on my own. The MWs were fab at supporting me. And even when things went a bit wrong a junior doctor literally held my hand while others were working around me.
Good luck. x

Guardsman18 · 22/10/2017 12:18

Please, please don't give up. You really have come so far. You are quite rightly sick and tired of everything, but look what you have achieved in a short space of time.

If this has been mentioned before, then I apologise, but have you thought about a safe house? He wouldn't know where you were. I know that you would have to start a new life with the children, but you would be free of him.

Don't give up. You have been so strong. Sending good wishes xx

lollipop7 · 22/10/2017 12:19

He does what he wants in front of his parents. They don't stop him or monitor him. They are terrified of him.

It is a massive conflict of interest

OP posts:
Mustang27 · 22/10/2017 12:23

Don’t delete them they will help others in similar situation and it will help them see how hard the path is. It’s all worthwhile everything you have done has been all worthwhile. I’m so sorry about the supervised visits, it’s daft as no offence but most are helped to get to the position they are in due to poor parenting so sticking your children in a situation with their Abusive father and enabler parents is not great but it’s once every 2 weeks it’s manageable it is you can do it.

I have nothing but sympathy for you on the fact finding and court stuff with a 4 week old baby it’s utterly ridiculous.