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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

Healthy Sex Life

247 replies

ANormalHusband · 15/11/2019 20:29

Hello all, I'm sure many of you have heard all this before but I'm looking for some advice.

My DW and I have been together for over 10 years and have two children (Younger than 10). We're both in our early thirties.

Over the last year or so I've become increasingly frustrated over my DWs lack of interest in sex and unwillingness to try to spice things up a bit. Prior to this we've always had a fairly healthy sex life but I just feel like things have slowed right down over the last year or so and her interest in sex is really low. Which she admits herself.
We still do it maybe once a week. But even then it's a "quick one" which in some ways I'd rather not bother with. I also work away for a number of weeks so feel like when I'm home we should be making up for lost time.
When I'm away I try to do a bit of flirting via text to build up some excitement but she just says she's not into it and shuts me down.
All of this has ended up with me feeling pretty depressed and moody as I feel like there must be an issue and she no longer finds me attractive in that way. She's adamant there's nothing wrong and I'm just being paranoid.

I've tried talking to her, suggested different things like adult board games, etc but she just will not entertain the conversation. She just gets upset and says that I'm putting to much pressure on it, and doesn't feel comfortable talking about it and gets uptight and if I relax more then it will happen more naturally.
I've tried this, and left any initiation to her but most of the time nothing happens other than a quickie (Which I think she just does to get it out of the way) which then leads back to me feeling down and moody. It just seems like we're stuck in a viscous circle and I don't know what I need to do to get out of it!?
Other than that our relationship is fine. We bicker about little things like most but nothing serious.
She's has a great figure and I compliment her all the time and tell her how attractive I find her and she's not overly body conscious. That I know of anyway.

Am I expecting too much?
I just want a bit more fun, excitement and intimacy.
Any advice?

OP posts:
flobonobo · 15/11/2019 21:06

Reverse your roles and temperaments for a month. Let’s see if you fancy a shag?!

So sick of working my butt off doing a million things with some prick moaning about not getting his end away enough. Gooooooohhhhhhdd almigghhtttty!

Chloemol · 15/11/2019 21:08

You get moody when you get frustrated says it all. You yourself have said you think it’s a quickie for her to get it out of the way. She is the one feeling pressured into doing something she doesn’t want to and when she doesn’t you sulk

Take it off the table, put her first, find some time together and talk find out what it is she wants, not what you want then move forward

Doggybiccys · 15/11/2019 21:13

&ANormalHusband... MN is more a lioness’ den (although not a fan of that phrase) . Please post lots but don’t expect to be agreed with. Take posts as critique and REALLY think about what is being said. You are getting the input of many many women who have been in your wive’s shoes for free - don’t just dismiss because they are pointing out a different perspective .

GiveHerHellFromUs · 15/11/2019 21:14

@ANormalHusband fair play for actually acknowledging what's been said

cooldarkroom · 15/11/2019 21:16

I remember this clearly.
Pure exhaustion, not enough sleep, & "the hand" straight on my arse. No sign of a hug, cuddle, caresse, comfort, caring.
I used to freeze, not breath & pray he would just leave me alone.
I made the effort to service him, so he would just leave me alone to sleep. But it felt more like rape.
Sulking made me hate him.

ANormalHusband · 15/11/2019 21:19

Like I said earlier. The message is loud and clear. I guess I could have worded some things better and at the back of it all and the reason I posted was because there was obviously something I was doing that wasn't quite right. Pretty sure I know what that is now. It's easy to become self absorbed when it comes to sex.
Tomorrow is a new day.....

OP posts:
SheSaidNoFuckThat · 15/11/2019 21:27

@ANormalHusband do you work on the rigs?

Forumqueen · 15/11/2019 21:34

My advice would be to stop talking about sex....talk about her give her as much attention as possible...without expecting sex...cook her a meal, put the kids to bed early give her a massage...try and set the mood but don’t put pressure on it and don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen

Ilovethekitties · 15/11/2019 21:38

You're basically using her as a fleshlight OP and expecting her to be grateful for it. LOL, good luck!

ANormalHusband · 15/11/2019 21:40

I work in an industry very similar to the rigs.

OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/11/2019 21:44

*I can be moody, short tempered and distant which can be a problem but this is mainly due to this frustration"

That's why, right there. Yuck, what a turn off.

SheSaidNoFuckThat · 15/11/2019 21:46

@ANormalHusband it's hard being the one at home while the DH is away at work. The kids, the house, any pets etc etc - the list is endless, and when you clock off for the day, she's on call 24 hours - there is no end to her shift. Try understanding this a bit more, depending on DCs age she's lucky to pee in peace, the last thing she wants is to feel pressured and is feeling all touched out. I do understand it's hard working away, and I'm sure she does appreciate what you do, just try and put yourself in her shoes a bit more.

ANormalHusband · 15/11/2019 21:47

The idea that this is about being "Seviced" is also ridiculous. It's about a healthy relationship in which both people are happy. If that's the way it's come across then that is not the intention at all.
I want her to enjoy it just as much, if not more than I do. I actually get more gratification out of satisfying her and one of the biggest things that causes my frustration is that, that isn't happening and we don't have that closeness. It's not all just about "getting my end away".

OP posts:
bigchris · 15/11/2019 21:53

Op I think you sound lovely and willing to take advice and put up with the lions den!

Do you have babysitters when you're home so you could take her out for a meal or the cinema?

bigchris · 15/11/2019 21:54

I know what you mean about closeness , holding hands in the cinema might help without leading to sex she might feel closer to you? Does she ever initiate ?

Ledkr · 15/11/2019 21:55

Adult board games

Geppili · 15/11/2019 21:55

Do you always make sure she orgasms at least twice before PIV?

Quartz2208 · 15/11/2019 21:57

But can you not see how even though you see it as a good thing that you get more gratification out of satisfying her it places even more pressure on her then particularly as you relayed that to closeness

All of this pressure to perform and be involved and spice it up is the biggest turn off ever. Coupled with your moodiness

You need to connect on a non sexual level

category12 · 15/11/2019 22:02

But it's not about a "healthy relationship" where both of you are happy, is it? Or the way you're handling it, isn't.

It's pretty obvious she's feeling pressured by your moodiness etc and time factors.

You see it as needing to "make up for lost time", she feels pressure to get in the mood. She's been "on" the whole time you're away and when you're back, you're not relieving the burden, you're adding extra pressure/more demands on her.

You need to take the time to reconnect with her emotionally, not just head for the pants.

ANormalHusband · 15/11/2019 22:06

Yeah she initiates occasionally, we do date nights regularly and they're great in the majority of cases.

Maybe I'm expecting too much and not in a bad situation. It's why I asked in the first place.
Paired with the advice above, I think this might be the reality check I needed.

The advice is appreciated. It's good to get a woman's perspective. I don't have any female friends other than her ! Maybe I just haven't been listening hard enough.

OP posts:
Elieza · 15/11/2019 22:11

Have you asked her how she feels about you working away and if she’d be happier if you got a job on the mainland that earned less but you would be there more to do your share with the children so it wouldn’t be so much work for her?

Have you ever looked after the kids - alone for 48hours - and that includes tidying up at your arse, doing washings, ironing, hoovering, packing lunchboxes, dealing with crises (“what do you mean you threw your PE kit in a tree, you need it for tomorrow, which tree for goodness sake...” etc) while switching the gas and electricity to a new supplier....

It’s a lot. If you’ve done it you will know. If not try it while you give her a spa weekend away as a treat with her pal or mum and see if you feel like sex when she comes back and you’re knackered, there is cat sick on the floor and the back door key is lost, come to think of it where’s the cat....oh my god it’s stuck in the fecking tree with jimmy’s PE kit.....

Yeah, sometimes sex becomes an insignificant and tiring thing mums can well do without. Perhaps she likes you away so she doesn’t se you. Perhaps your relationship is over and you need to talk. Sorry OP. Lots to think about. Sex could be the least of your worries.

Babymamamama · 15/11/2019 22:20

A lot of man sadly don’t seem to realise that unless they focus on ensuring the woman has a fulfilling (and by that I mean orgasmic) time in the bedroom then her interest will sadly wane never to return. No idea if this applies to you OP but you might want to ponder on it. I often see men on this forum complaining about lack of intimacy etc etc and I feel sure their DWs would have a different version of the events. Needs are a two way street.

Groundfloor · 15/11/2019 22:23

Op, I've been in a similar position to yourself and had similar advice given.

I took the easiest (laziest) route first and stopped chasing sex, hoping that would make a difference.

it didn't, we just went from having little sex to no sex.

This was because I didn't address my approach to the entire partnership, nor grasp or empathise with my wife's perspective.

As men, we can often fall into the trap of assuming women have a similar approach to sex and a linear libido, where no matter how tired or stressed we are, we can still use sex as a kind of therapy, a release, a medicine to our woes etc.

I've learned that most (not all to be fair, but most) women do not operate that way and their libidos are very much dependant on the emotional and spiritual environment and landscape.

I eventually came to understand this and to see things from my wife's perspective. Once I understood that when tired, unsupported and unappreciated, there is no growing sexual frustration, no itch to scratch, no build up of desire just because it has been a few days/weeks, it all began to fall into place for me. The penny dropped.

Once I grasped this and tried to ease the burden where I could, show some empathy and understanding and do as much as I could to make her life easier, she began to show far more interest in sex.

I actually felt like I was being a better husband too, which improved our sense of partnership no end.

The secret is teamwork.

If you can reach that stage and there is still a miss match in libidos, then that's a different discussion, however I sense you are far from being able to assess that in your current status.

bigchris · 15/11/2019 22:25

includes tidying up at your arse,
Doing what now ?!

Whatsthesmell · 15/11/2019 22:29

I'm with op. I'm sorry your feel a bit rejected in your marriage. I feel the same. I'm a wife with a usually disinterested husband who usually clamps up when I try to talk about our lack of sex life. Every time we do it it's only when he's in the mood and it's the same (boring) thing every time.

I get what your saying about the sulking. It's not about stamping your feet and demanding sex it's about the way your feel mentally with a constant brush off and lack of closeness. That's what impacts on the mood.

I have no solution or advice just wanted to say I get it. I don't think your post is all me me me you sound like a lovely thoughtful husband, who just wants to have more connection with your wife who you clearly love.

Good luck op