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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

Was this emotional abuse or just being a dick? Where can I get support now i have ended relationship

18 replies

T2heth · 13/06/2020 14:48

I have ended relationsip recently. Husband was v unsupportive and horrible in baby's first week. I had forgotten but reading through old Whatsapps it has all come back. I am in a state now because of remembering all of this. Please advise if you think it was abusive or just selfish?

Day after baby was born he was late visiting me to the hospital - said he needed to catch up on sleep. Then had ‘trouble parking’

When baby was 1 day old – as agreed we went to parents house first and my parents put on a little tea party - he was really grumpy and rude because he didn't want to stay so long. Was rude to my parents. On way to ours after the party we argued about this, I was upset and crying cos he had been so grumpy, barely speaking etc and said the homecoming had been ruined. He pulled car over suddenly and berated me, said he wanted to be like a husband and take me and the baby home, he made me cry even more.
Later in texts explained that he hungry, that was why he'd wanted to leave. He specifically complained that there was soup being served in one of his texts – he doesn’t like soup and was offended my mum had made it because he can't eat it because of IBS. (There was other food available.)

2 days after the baby was born i was struggling to breastfeed the baby and crying in pain and said 'he won't bloody latch!' And he told me off and said i was screaming at the baby. Which I definitely, definitely wasn't! And instead of apologising to me for misunderstanding he just kept repeating "you were screaming at him", and "you were shouting at him". I can remember sitting in bed just crying hysterically and saying "i didnt shout at him, i didn't! I didn't" husband just walked off so left crying by myself.

When baby was 3 days old he had a long argument with me on Whatsapp. Very circular, went on for hours.

When baby was 4 days old he went out to the shops and came home drunk (i was still bedbound due to birth injuries and anaemia) and i challenged him on this. Turned out he was wandering the streets drinking cans of cider he had bought and talking to friends on the phone. He was quite merry when he got in buy when I said he shouldn't be getting so drunk and walking the streets he became argumentative and aggressive. Went on a rant about how I had asked my mum to by pads for me, my dad to by nappies, MiL to get steriliser. Why hadn't I made a single list?? He gesticulates a lot when he is upset and I have asked him countless times not to do this, as it scares me (previous bad experiences). He was gesticulating a lot which I found very triggering and asked him to stop but he said it was unreasonable of me and juat kept ranting. Eventually he slept on sofa and I cried myself to sleep.

Baby 5 days old – burst into room and he shouted at me (in front of MiL) for 'feeding him wrong' - ie holding bottle wrong angle. Apologised later but said it was only because he cared about the baby.

Also day 5 he said he felt like a slave because i was not grateful enough for all the work he was doing for me.

He decided to give up smoking the day the baby was born and would sometimes use this as an excuse for "being a bit grumpy".

He's constantly "told me off" (can't think of another word for it) for wanting to have this baby because I had told him my mental health could stand it when we were deciding to have a 3rd child (I have history of anxiety and depression). I have unfortunately suffered unexpected MH problems unrelated to the baby being born (we had massive trauma occur during the pregnancy and my MH has been bad ever since, could not have predicted this event happenimg in any way). It seems to him that I have renaged on a deal to "stay sane" or something. He often says "you told me you could cope".

OP posts:
BananaChocolateLump · 13/06/2020 14:58

Sounds like you're well rid.

T2heth · 13/06/2020 15:00

Heh. Thanks. I can't really decide if it was the right choice or not. Feeling a bit lonely!

OP posts:
GilbertMarkham · 13/06/2020 15:16

Utterly shit behaviour.

Sounds selfish, abusive, intolerant, irresponsible, and pretty unstable.

Wandering the street drinking cans of cider with a few day old baby and partner needing help at home?? Wtaf.

He doesn't do responsibility or support well, does he?

Being rude to your family because he's hungry and can't eat that soup but there were other options for food?

Shouting at you about holding a bottle at the wrong angle.

Holy ... Birth and a newborn are among the most demanding, tiring, stressful, exhausting etc experiences a woman can go through and he doesn't sound understanding or supportive in the slightest, quite the opposite.

GilbertMarkham · 13/06/2020 15:19

He decided to give up smoking the day the baby was born and would sometimes use this as an excuse for "being a bit grumpy".

Very intelligent, wise choice on his behalf.

Add nicotine withdrawal to an already extremely stressful, demanding situation and make your partner & child suffer for it.

Plus he should've given it up long before the baby arrived.

GilbertMarkham · 13/06/2020 15:21

he felt like a slave because i was not grateful enough for all the work he was doing for me.

What a useless selfish moany wanker.

T2heth · 13/06/2020 16:11

Thanks for the replies xx
I am still struggling to get my head around it and i know if someone came to me and told me these things i'd be very much "LTB" but when it happens to me myself.. It is different somehow

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T2heth · 13/06/2020 16:13

The giving-up-cigs was made to be like my fault because I was worried about 3rd hand smoke - being on clothes etc. We hadn't seen each other that much due to work etc. so I had thought he had already quit - he insunuated that he had stopped but never actually said so outright

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BabyLlamaZen · 13/06/2020 16:16

Yup. Well rid. Well done op! So sad he tried to spoil those moments for you.

PawPatrolMakesMeDrink · 13/06/2020 16:17

My ex was an utter shitehake after DS was born. And before as well. At the time I couldn’t see it. Made a post on here about it at the time and people were very much LTB. But like say, it’s different when it’s your life and you can see the nuances that don’t come across in a typed forum post.

I’d bet my money (not much, so don’t get excited!) that this is just grief over the relationship ending. The end of the hopes and dreams you had when you got together, had children, plans for the further together. That’s normal, doesn’t matter that ex was a shithead, it’s normal to feel loss when your expected life together changes dramatically.

You’ll get there love.

ThePathToHealing · 13/06/2020 16:21

Reading your post has brought tears to my eyes. You deserve so so much better than this. Both you and your baby.

PicsInRed · 13/06/2020 16:54

He very deliberately ripped you to pieces. Deliberately.

NoMoreDickheads · 13/06/2020 17:37

I have unfortunately suffered unexpected MH problems unrelated to the baby being born (we had massive trauma occur during the pregnancy and my MH has been bad ever since, could not have predicted this event happening in any way). It seems to him that I have renaged on a deal to "stay sane" or something. He often says "you told me you could cope".

How he acted certainly won'tve helped your MH and helped you cope! With a lovely, supportive partner doing all he could to care for you after the birth, you might well've been ok.

I know what you mean about threads, it's so much easier to see it when it's someone else.

But you've don'e the right thing.

Loracina · 13/06/2020 18:12

I went through something similar and after years (yes, years!) of putting up with it, I decided to ask for a divorce.

Looking back, I am now sure he was always a bit of a bully but it took me ages to recognise it and I'm sure it is emotional abuse. Similarly to you, it got worse when baby was born (we only have one, he is now 5) - from the first few days he started saying that I wasn't a good mother because I couldn't feed my baby probably and he would cry - he also wouldn't latch and would cry which was stressful. Most things I would do he would say they weren't right or not good enough for our son, and I have been constantly criticised, made to feel worthless and made to feel like a bad mother by the horrible things he would say to me for 5 years. Sadly, I actually started to believe him. It was as bad as him saying, on various occasions, that I should leave or kill myself as our son would be better off without me in his life. He would call me names, shout, refuse to help with the baby just to make my life difficult. Totally deliberate, and every time I remember the things he did I can't believe I allowed it to happen for so long.

I was so embarrassed I would just cry and not tell anyone or seek help.

As scared as I am about the divorce - which is now ongoing - I try and remind myself that this is the right thing to do, that I deserve to be happy and that things will get better.

More importantly, I know I'm a great mum and will do even better when I'm away from his emotional abuse.

:)

Muppetry76 · 13/06/2020 20:04

Also day 5 he said he felt like a slave because i was not grateful enough for all the work he was doing for me.

Wait, you'd just grown an entire new human being inside your body and given birth, yet he told you you weren't grateful enough for all HE was doing?

Wanker.

My ex (difficult instrumental birth, 5 days in hospital) waited until midnight on our first day at home to ask me what was for tea. I could have strangled him if I could have got up without my fanjo feeling like it was ready to burst open

Yes. Yes it was abuse. Probably not the only thing that has lead you to breaking up the relationship. At your most vulnerable he was abusive to you, he is a complete dick. You're well rid.

T2heth · 13/06/2020 20:35

Thank you very much for the replies ❤ I am so sad for all of us!! I have been suicidal and he has used this against me, as an example of how I "can't cope". Keep thinking how much nicer it would have been with a different partner...

I think the issue was that so much of the time it was what he didn't do - e.g. not saying anything supportive, rather than overt dickishness. There was no emotional support at all.

OP posts:
T2heth · 13/06/2020 20:40

@Loracina that sounds awful... I'm so sorry. Why are they like this?? I totally get you, I have been so ashamed, and told myself that because he hasn't given me a black eye or something then it's ok. Or it's my fault. I have told some people now and they are so shocked. One friend said she always thought he was moody but everyone else surprised he acted like this.

Good luck for your divorce. I am also trying to divorce but it is very expensive!

OP posts:
sallievp · 13/06/2020 21:07

You should be so glad you are rid of such a disgusting man!!! Re read your post if in doubt!!!

T2heth · 13/06/2020 21:08

Grin I will do x

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