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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

Should I give on wife and son of 2 years old?

35 replies

Divorcedfather · 17/01/2019 09:51

Hello to everyone,

I would really appreciate your opinion on this topics, as I am running out of both ideas and energy and I am really really desperate because I don't have a clear mind to make rational decisions. I will try to keep my story as short as possible. Thanks in advance for reading my story and giving me your opinion.

Long story short, my wife and me we were really in love, were together for 3 years, had many discussions about wanting a family and agreed to have a baby.

After the baby was born all the problems started and especially after many failed breastfeeding attempts. She tried depseratelly to breastfeed the baby, but some times there was a problem with the latching, sometimes it was here not producing enough milk. The baby was in a critical condition at some point because it wasnt gaining enough weight and the gp warned us that the baby would have to be hospitalised. Thats where I stepped in and offered my wife the chance to breastfeed him and after the breastfeeding to give him a bottle of milk if he was still hungry. She never forgave me that even though I saw it as a compromise 50-50.

Since that day I became literally the mother of my son and the mother of my wife. I can only tell you that I lost 20 kilos in 2 years. Dont also forget that I was working full time while she was staying at home and doing everything.

From the day the baby was born, she never did anything by herself. She started sleeping at night with the baby, argued then that it was too much for her being sleepless so slowly I was the one who was permanently sleeping with the baby.This started also before the breastfeeding. She started feeding the baby, then argued that the baby is not listening to her and gave me the feeding responsibility. So after a few months I was literally raising the kid, even though I wasnt asking for it. Even I was the one doing the dishes, cleaning the house and going to the supermarket.

Dont think that at the same time I didnt love my wife and didnt do anything that I could to make her feel strong again. I also started taking the kid to the kindergarden so that she has time for herself. I helped here send cvs to get a job, because she said she wanted to work again. I was taking her out for dinner and lunch, so that she is not trapped in the flat. I also sent her many times to a spa and bought here many many gifts. I was trying to introduce here to people and especially other mothers so that she can speak with them.

Emotionally thinking, I was kissing here every night before going to bed, was trying to hold hands, was telling here that I am there for here, was tring to organise romantic nights when the baby was sleeping and so on.

But I could sense that she was not happy. Even though I was trying to give he courage that she is the best, that I love her and so on, she somehow seemed to not care.

I did mistakes too, I wasnt a saint. After some sleepless nights in a row, when I didnt get at least a thank you, an appreciation of my actions or at least a hug, I was reacting a bit overwhelmed. Especially when she was giving me more and more responsibilities because I was burning out. When I say overwhelmed, I never hit here or swear, I was just a bit louder and tense.

Guess what happened? A few days ago she took our kid without my permission and dissapeared overseas to her parents. When I went after to find her, she had decided to stay with her parents and that she didnt love me anymore. I was talking to her the whole day, but I could see in her eyes that she had enough. She filled already a divorce, 2 weeks after she left.

Where I feel betrayed is that she never ever talked to me about what here thoughts were. I thought that by helping I would relieve here, so that she can slowly start standing on her own feed.

Could anyone of you please tell me what you think happened with here? Is there anything I can do to save the situation? Did I do anything wrong? How can I see my son from now on.

Many many thanks from a divorced and left behind father

OP posts:
Dollius01 · 17/01/2019 10:00

“The kid”, “it”, you sound a bit odd to be honest...

Karigan195 · 17/01/2019 10:00

It rather depends on the country you’re in. If you’re in the uk there are charity groups that help you recover children taken like this. The mother can’t just disappear off with your joint child leaving you behind.

Try contacting this charity and getting some preliminary advice:

www.reunite.org/

Also if you are sure she has gone permanently do call the police as it is parental child abduction.

This is if course uk based. But similar probably exists if you are elsewhere

Karigan195 · 17/01/2019 10:02

Dollius that’s a bit of a dick comment to be frank. The guy has been abandoned by his wife and his son taken to another country yet all you can say is the OP sounds odd? I think you are lacking in human sympathy!

Divorcedfather · 17/01/2019 10:03

Hi Karigan195,

Unfortunatelly in terms of legal actions, there is nothing I can do, as she left to an EU country. My lawyer advised me that I need to take here to court in the country she is living now and that it is not worth chasing here from the UK.

I feel very useless.

OP posts:
Karigan195 · 17/01/2019 10:05

So you are in the uk. That is not entirely accurate. Yes you need to serve legal papers on her in the country she is in but police actions and European arrest warrants will happen over here. Phone reunite. They are s charity that specialises in this.

helpmeoutout · 17/01/2019 10:06

This sounds liek a terrible situation, do you think she could be suffering from extreme post natal depression?

It mightbe worth contacting the authorities where you are and asking what can be done about what I would call an abduction.She may well be planning to return...I hope she does.

At this point I would remain as amicable as possible during any communication, as angry as you may be that could push her away even more.

mrsmuddlepies · 17/01/2019 10:09

Perental child abduction is reciprocal in most countries. She will not be allowed to keep your child in a different country without your agreement.
In terms of UK courts, deliberate parental alienation ( sometimes referred to as malicious mother syndrome) can be grounds for you to be given custody.
Start the ball rolling and contact the police for advice.

53rdWay · 17/01/2019 10:09

Are you still in contact with her at all? Can you work on establishing a parenting relationship and just focus on that? Divorced or not it’s still in your child’s interests to have a good relationship with both parents, and while the separate countries thing makes that much harder it doesn’t make it impossible. It would at least be a start.

I don’t think it’s really possible for anyone here to tell you whether you did anything wrong. It sounds like she was in quite a bad place mentally after the baby was born. It also sounds like she may have interpreted things differently to how you meant them, or how you remember them. (e.g. it’s totally unclear to me what happened when the baby was hospitalised and what it was she never forgave you for - you say you offered her the chance to mix-feed, but it sounds like she reacted as if it was an order? and it’s unclear how that fitted in with what the doctors were saying, and so on and so on. Anyway none of us can tell from here and your priority now needs to be about the future.)

LondonMummy1987 · 17/01/2019 10:09

I have no advice i'm afraid, but I just wanted to wish you luck and hope you get it all sorted out amicably.

Divorcedfather · 17/01/2019 10:11

Hi Karigan195, because it is another EU country it is a bit more complicated than that. I sent here already legal papers accusing here of abduction based on the laws of that EU country. for the court to decide it can take ages!! Something like 6 months I was told. And in this country I was told that it is pointless to start legal actions from the UK. You might be right though and I can give it a try.

Hi helpmeoutout, I had this in mind too. But somehow the pnd doesnt seem applicable, because she was throwing our money out of the window she was looking happy. She didnt seem depressed, just seemed like somebody who didnt love his child and husband. No I dont believe she wants to return.

OP posts:
Divorcedfather · 17/01/2019 10:12

Just for my own piece of mind, could anybody give me his opinion of what she might had in her mind during this phase? I can still not explain it, as I did everything I could to be the best father and husband..

OP posts:
Karigan195 · 17/01/2019 10:12

That’s true enough it does take time but it’s never pointless to fight to get access to your son. Call the experts that deal with this day in and day out :) good luck

Jackshouse · 17/01/2019 10:16

You ordered her to stop breastfeeding?! Then you started taking over her life. Did you encourage her to get psychology help for what sounds like PND? I would be interested to hear her side to this.

You need legal advice about them leaving the country.

53rdWay · 17/01/2019 10:17

could anybody give me his opinion of what she might had in her mind during this phase?

She’s the only one who could tell you, if that. It might be that she didn’t care about you or the child, as you see it; it might be that she had PND (spending money doesn’t mean she didn’t!); it might be that what you saw as you “just a bit louder and tense” she saw as terrifying and hostile. No way to tell from here.

At any rate, your child needs a good relationship with you, and if she is an awful person then even more reason for you to have as much of a positive presence in his/her life.

CAAKE · 17/01/2019 10:22

What an awful situation for all of you.

I agree that you should pursue this properly through the courts, but I also think that you might exercise caution. Be mindful that your wife is clearly suffering (if not probable PND) and that perhaps the best place - for now - is for her and the child to be with her parents so that she can feel supported.

If I were you, I would visit them as often as I could. Show your love and support and make sure she knows that you understand her need to feel secure and supported. This is not to say that you were not trying your hardest to do that for her, but as you say, you are trying to work full time with all of this going on, so you effectively were not able to be there for her and the baby for all of your working hours.

Also remember - its shit having small kids. Nobody finds it easy, ok, maybe millionaires with live-in nannies and cleaners etc. do, but certainly us ordinary folk trying to work and cope without proper support find it the most difficult of times.

Divorcedfather · 17/01/2019 10:25

Hello helpmeoutout, I cannot exlude here having the extreme case of pnd. The problem is that she doesnt want to talk about it at all and I am running out of time in terms of the legal side, as the divorce will be decided next month.

Hello mrsmuddlepies, I really didnt know about the "deliberate parental alienation". The problem is that the court in the other EU said it is in charge of the situation. You think I could take here to court in the UK? The problem is my son has 2 nationalities, british and from the other eu state.

OP posts:
Divorcedfather · 17/01/2019 10:28

Hi 53rdWay, Yes we are touch and she shown me my son per skype only though.

Hi Jackshouse, no i didnt order her to stop breastfeeding. I offered a compromise so that the baby doesnt starve to death.

Hi CAAKE, Yes but if I leave here like that, we will be divorced officially and then there will be no going back. Dont you think so?

OP posts:
Queenofthedrivensnow · 17/01/2019 10:32

I think it's the op wording. I read it as 'I suggested we try combination feeding'

Nothisispatrick · 17/01/2019 10:41

You ordered her to stop breastfeeding?!

He didn’t order her to stop breastfeeding, don’t be so dramatic. Their baby was at the point of being hospitalised.

slothandsloth · 17/01/2019 10:53

What a horrible situation for you. I agree that you need professional legal help.

I too would like to hear your wife's side of things. I struggled to BF, my dd was almost hospitalised but my DH supported me, we saw a council provided lactation consultant and I BF for almost 3 years. If my DH had pushed formula and not 100% fully supported my need to BF then I don't think I could have totally forgiven him. I think there was a lot more going through your wife's head than you realise. She possibly needed support to do things, not you doing them for her. That's just a possibility, your wife is the only one who can answer your question of Why.

mrsmuddlepies · 17/01/2019 10:55

You need to seek professional advice. I think it won’t help her legally that she has taken your son and left the country. The organisation Reunite sounds like a good starting point.
With regard to legal advice, do choose a lawyer who specialises in Family Law.
Good luck. Stories like these are so sad.

mrsmuddlepies · 17/01/2019 11:00

As I understand it, parental alienation has only been made legal grounds for custody in the last year
amp.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/17/parental-alienation-divorce-custody-crackdown-cafcass

EatCrisps · 17/01/2019 11:12

Can you reach out to her family or friends?

Divorcedfather · 17/01/2019 11:50

Hi guys, thanks for your moral support so far.

Hi slothandsloth, I can tell you how she describes the situation. She says that I was doing everything, that I am abrupt and that she feels unsafe. I mentioned many times that I do understand her feelings and that I am willing to talk about them. But when I started asking about facts, you know like what did I do to make you feel unsafe, I never got a concrete answer. Every accusation she made, it was not based on a fact, it was just her feelings. Thats why I am so confused.

Hi EatCrisps, yes I can reach out to her family, but the problem is that they lack even basic education. That means that the discussions dont really make sense with them, they are just swearing at me..

OP posts:
ginandnappies · 17/01/2019 12:06

@Jackshouse he hardly ordered her to stop. I've had a family member that was so dead set on breastfeeding her child was hospitalised and very very ill for a long period of time. He was offering a fair compromise.