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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

Any thoughts or advice

91 replies

Mat12345 · 26/05/2021 00:46

Hi,

Id appreciate some thoughts on my situation

Married father of 1 toddler. I've been a very hands on father and love my child very much. I've helped with as much as I can and do each day. I'm also trying to do our house up on my days off work and at weekends I take everyone out for activities whilst still trying to work on the house.
Tbh I'm pretty exhausted and feel burnt out.

My child can be very loud and emotional at times and I find it very hard to cope with the loudness and my wife is not affected by this so doesn't seem to care.

I told my wife many times that I don't want any more children as as much as I love my child I just find it too laborious and exhausting and don't enjoy it much (being inside for long periods) and now have so many things that fall on me both physically and finanically (house costs are all covered by me for repairs and doing up but we split the monthly bills roughly down the middle).

My wife had an iud after our child was born to prevent another pregnancy.

We haven't been physical much in the last year mainly due to sleeping in different rooms whilst the house is being worked on etc.

The other week my wife told me she was pregnant.I asked how as she has an iud.
She told me she took it out last year and did it out of love as she wanted our child to have a sibling.

To me this is incredibly unfair on me as I am having to pick up more of the things on top of everything else due to pregnancy related conditons where my wife can't do much.
I also have a hard deadline on the things I need to sort on rhe house (think whole house renovation for each room minus heating etc)

My wife will also quite happily contract people to do some jobs on the house but I am picking up the bill for which has messed my budget I was working to and topping up each month up causing more stress.

At the moment I don't know if I want to be in the relationship anymore and she will have days of not talking and ignoring me as I have shouted and said things when I get tired and burnt out.

Any thoughts or advice appreciated

OP posts:
RainingZen · 26/05/2021 03:08

Hi Mat,
There's a lot to unpack in your post, and I'm not surprised you are exhausted and angry. I don't entirely understand why your renovation work has driven you into separate bedrooms, but it seems to me that the strain of having a young child in the house has come as a bit of a shock to you. Don't worry - once toddlers emerge from their impossible stage, most of them turn into very nice little children and it becomes very rewarding to parent them. (Crossing my fingers here you don't have one of the really difficult ones).

Your wife has done an appalling thing in tricking you into getting her pregnant. It's a betrayal of trust, and I think you might both benefit from some marriage counselling, if you can possibly find time and money for it. Meantime shouting at her won't help - I can tell it is making you feel miserable to be losing your cool like that. Whilst your anger is understandable, you need to find better ways to disperse it.

I do think your exhaustion and anger may be stopping you from being pragmatic about your problems. You are letting it all pile up in a mountain instead of breaking it into bitesize chunks. So let's stop and think what your options are, and what immediate actions you can take.

First you need to simply tell your wife that YOU are managing the renovation so yes you'd love her help but she must ONLY do exactly what you instruct her to do. Tell her the best thing she could do right now is give you some relief from weekend and evening childcare while you break the back of the work. Can she go and stay with relatives for the next several weekends? Could the toddler go and stay with grandparents for a few days? Can relatives come and help with the renovation work?

If you do in fact walk out on your pregnant wife and toddler (which, despite what your DW has done, seems like quite a shitty thing to do, especially to your noisy-but-blamesless toddler) then the house would presumably be sold quickly. Your wife couldn't stay in a half-renovated house with no heating and two little children for long. So...If things are absolutely desperate, why not simply sell the house now, abandoning the rest of the renovation, and stay together by moving into a smaller place or a rental, which is actually finished?

Money worries. Is your wife currently employed out of the home, or is she a full time mum? Maybe when the baby is 6 or 9 months old she would consider going back to work full time, if the finances of that make sense. Sometimes it is simply cheaper to stay at home with both kids until the eldest is in school. Have a calm discussion about it and explain the extent of your anxiety about finances. She .right have some ideas up her sleeve but is afraid to mention while you are whirling around on the brink of fury and breakdown.

Her "days of not talking to you" are probably driven by guilt, not wanting to provoke you, anger/frustration that you haven't just come round to seeing things her way, and feeling unwell. She might be terrified that you are going to walk out, and crying herself to sleep every night in the spare room. She might be regretting getting pregnant. She might be worried about pushing you over the edge and you having a breakdown. She might be feeling cross or surprised at you for not seeing things her way. She might think you are exaggerating the renovation troubles as a smokescreen so you can avoid addressing other problems in the marriage. Do you know how she feels? Isnt it worth finding out? Have you actually tried sitting down to talk this through?

Having a second child you don't want is a horrible prospect. Toddlers are immensely hard work. You have a lot on your plate. You have my sympathy. But you need to do some adulting here, take a deep breath and talk to your wife.

Your problems, frankly, are not insurmountable. So if you want to be in your kids' lives, you need to fix things.

Rember now things are tough but in future there are positives. Two young children will play happily together and that means less work for you in the long run. An extra child doesnt cost much more especially when they are close in age, although it may delay your wife getting back to work. And if you can get through this with your wife, as a team, instead of allowing it to destroy you, well I reckon you can get through anything.

BigHeadBertha · 26/05/2021 03:27

I suggest marriage counseling ASAP because this relationship seems to be unraveling and it seems only fair to fight for it. The two of you will not just yourselves to think about now but two little ones. That yelling and tension in the home is terrible for all concerned and not necessary nor helpful.

Also, please consider whatever you can do to take some of the pressure off you both, even if it seems radical at this time. Surely things like downsizing to an apartment and leaving all the house stuff until the kids are a little older is far better than a divorce, for example.

I do think your wife was extremely out of line and shockingly unfair to you to deliberately get pregnant while keeping any choice in the matter away from you. I'd imagine that would be hard to come back from and will need professional assistance. At the very least, she needs to be made to understand just how much of a wrong that was. Even if you don't stay together, you'd want to be sure the new baby doesn't suffer for her wrongdoing as well. Best wishes to you.

Sampafie · 26/05/2021 06:45

Wow. Im sorry OP. No idea what to say to cheer you up but the first step would be to STOP being intimate with her. Shes obv. Someone you cant trust

Umberellatheweatha · 26/05/2021 08:56

Tbh I wouldn't suggest marriage counciling. I would suggest splitting up (whilst you child is still young) and hopefully it will be less traumatic.

I dont think women on here would encourage other women to stay with a man who betrayed them and whom they are having a horrible time with. So why should they encourage you differently?

Yes break ups are sad but theres nothing sadder than staying together in a shit relationship. And it certainly doesn't benefit the kids.

Just be careful a. To think it through first (would a holiday to help you feel stress free for a bit make you change your mind for example?)
and b. To present it as it is what it is (not a threat about her having to choose between you and the baba).

She is going to be a mum again either way and you a dad. But the real issue is that you shouldnt be in a relationship with someone who doesnt care about your feelings and breaks your trust.

I'd be off.

But try to keep things amicable for the co parenting.

Umberellatheweatha · 26/05/2021 08:57

*(whilst your child still young and hopefully itll be less traumatic)

LivingLaVidaCovid · 26/05/2021 09:08

Wow - There is a lot going on here. Assuming you had NO idea and there was no discussion at all I would tell her the marriage was over.

I personally couldn't stay in a relationship where I was betrayed so badly. And I agree with the poster above @Umberellatheweatha
Keep it calm and keep it amiable, no ultimatums. if I sought counselling it would only be to amicably coparent.

Sorry this is happening.

YarnOver · 26/05/2021 09:11

I wouldn't be able to forgive someone who had tricked me into getting them pregnant, when they knew I didn't want to. (If I was a man) I'm so sorry op. That's absolutely awful. I wouldn't be able to trust her after having broken your trust so monumentally.

Morechocolatethanbarbara · 26/05/2021 09:20

You're glossing over the fact that you had discussed having more DC, she (clearly) wanted them and you didn't and yet you left the contraceptive burden on her shoulders.

If you were 100% certain you didn't want any more DC why didn't you have the snip &/or wear condoms?

You DW lying to you is obviously unacceptable behaviour, but you could have prevented this situation yourself and you chose not too. Surely you recognise that even if she was on contraception it's not always 100% effective.

Having sex always carries the risk of procreation, so why didn't you wear a condom or at least withdraw?

She shouldn't have lied, that's for certain, but you are still 50% responsible for creating a child and you chose not to prevent that creation.

MiniTheMinx · 26/05/2021 09:30

This is definitely a case of the devil has a faster car, however much you toe it he will always drive faster.

Why are you doing the child care if you have to do all the renovations? What is she doing while you do everything? If you are a whizz with a drill but not too good at childcare, or even just not disposed to it, why doesn't she step in and do childcare at home? it is afterall her decision to have more children, perhaps she should take over on that front. She has unilaterally decided she wants more, so she should stop winging about pregnancy issues and get on with it.

I sound harsh, sorry. But if this were the other way we would be telling a woman to leave. She has betrayed you and tricked you, she now wants to drive you into the ground to facilitate her choices. I have known people like this, once you achieve the house renovation, it will be holidays, more things, a better car, more time off, now a new kitchen, .....and on it goes until the devil has overtaken.

I'd leave.

baileys6904 · 26/05/2021 09:35

Ffs, didn't take long for the victim blame! Some people are so focused on gender and the 'sisterhood' they're blind to everything else.

@morechocolatethanbarbara if this was a woman who'd said no to more children but left it to her OH for contraception, would you really be quite so judgemental?

OP so sorry you find yourself in this situation. I'm probably in the leave her camp
That's such a massive and deliberate betrayal. Kids are resilient and at the age, they will grow up not knowing different and you can concentrate on successfully Co parenting.

pointythings · 26/05/2021 09:39

I think this marriage is over - what your wife has done is absolutely unforgivable. In a relationship where there is conflict about more children, the person who does not want another child gets priority. Tell your wife you want a divorce and try to keep it amicable.

I do think your expectations of what toddlers are like are a bit unrealistic though. They're mad, feral creatures. It's a stage that passes quickly, but it's tough - I've done it twice. In many ways I've found the teenage years far easier!

AnneLovesGilbert · 26/05/2021 09:43

I’d leave her. She’s behaved in a horrendous way and i coy isn’t forgive it.

See a lawyer, sell the house as it is. The market is nuts at the moment.

What a fucking mess. How dare she do that. It’s unbelievably shit for you, the toddler and the baby.

You’ll never trust her again and therefore your marriage is dead.

Morechocolatethanbarbara · 26/05/2021 09:53

@baileys6904

You seem to have misunderstood.

If a woman didn't want kids, I would 100% expect her to take responsibility for contraception and prevention.

But this isn't the case here.

He didn't want kids, yet had unprotected sex knowing it may result in pregnancy (IUD isn't 100% effective) and if his DW did get pregnant, she would want to keep it.

He is not a victim here. She did not rape him. She most definitely should have told him she was no longer on contraception, I am not disputing that at all. However, he had the means to prevent pregnancy (vasectomy, condom, withdrawal) and actively chose not to take them.

It's like a person not wearing a seat belt. It's unlikely that they'll crash, but why take the risk?

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep · 26/05/2021 09:57

That is appalling.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep · 26/05/2021 09:59

[quote Morechocolatethanbarbara]@baileys6904

You seem to have misunderstood.

If a woman didn't want kids, I would 100% expect her to take responsibility for contraception and prevention.

But this isn't the case here.

He didn't want kids, yet had unprotected sex knowing it may result in pregnancy (IUD isn't 100% effective) and if his DW did get pregnant, she would want to keep it.

He is not a victim here. She did not rape him. She most definitely should have told him she was no longer on contraception, I am not disputing that at all. However, he had the means to prevent pregnancy (vasectomy, condom, withdrawal) and actively chose not to take them.

It's like a person not wearing a seat belt. It's unlikely that they'll crash, but why take the risk?[/quote]
The advice to men to wear condoms or have a vasectomy is valid advice BUT when you are a married couple it is reasonable to assume that the woman is being honest and can be trusted not to deceive her husband.

Bluntness100 · 26/05/2021 09:59

If you were 100% certain you didn't want any more DC why didn't you have the snip &/or wear condoms?

For goodness sake. Clearly becayse she’s his wife, he trusted her and they made a joint contraceptive decision.

Palavah · 26/05/2021 10:00

[quote Morechocolatethanbarbara]@baileys6904

You seem to have misunderstood.

If a woman didn't want kids, I would 100% expect her to take responsibility for contraception and prevention.

But this isn't the case here.

He didn't want kids, yet had unprotected sex knowing it may result in pregnancy (IUD isn't 100% effective) and if his DW did get pregnant, she would want to keep it.

He is not a victim here. She did not rape him. She most definitely should have told him she was no longer on contraception, I am not disputing that at all. However, he had the means to prevent pregnancy (vasectomy, condom, withdrawal) and actively chose not to take them.

It's like a person not wearing a seat belt. It's unlikely that they'll crash, but why take the risk?[/quote]
What rubbish. Sex with an IUD is not. 'unprotected sex'.

If the sexes were reversed then OP's partner could be subject to prosecution.

Morechocolatethanbarbara · 26/05/2021 10:10

But it WAS unprotected sex, because she didn't have an IUD.

In essence I agree with the other posters, the wife should definitely not have lied, the marriage is irreparably broken and that's very sad for the DC involved.

But the bottom line is if you don't want kids, use contraception, sex always comes with a risk and 99.9% protection still means 1 in 1000 women will get pregnant.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep · 26/05/2021 10:16

@Morechocolatethanbarbara

But it WAS unprotected sex, because she didn't have an IUD.

In essence I agree with the other posters, the wife should definitely not have lied, the marriage is irreparably broken and that's very sad for the DC involved.

But the bottom line is if you don't want kids, use contraception, sex always comes with a risk and 99.9% protection still means 1 in 1000 women will get pregnant.

Contraception failure is one thing. Deliberate deception is something else. I'm as radfem as they come and absolutely believe in holding men to account for their reproductive responsibilities but it's more than reasonable to expect that a married couple can rely on one form of contraception because trust should be there.
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 26/05/2021 10:24

So, you made a joint decision that an iud was your preferred means of contraception. Your your wife's unilateral decision to have it removed without discussing with you was/is dreadful behaviour.

Those saying that the op should have used condoms or had the snip if he was sure he wanted no more kids - I think this misses the point. They are in a settled serious relationship, in which either party should be able to trust the other party. They made a decision. Without his consent, she undid that. It's appalling.

The other thing that strikes me is that there doesn't seem to be much balance in the relationship. Where is the give and take? What does your wife contribute? Is she also working? Is she juggling childcare during the week?

You seem to be carrying an awful lot!

Morechocolatethanbarbara · 26/05/2021 10:26

@Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep

But if there was a contraceptive failure, the OP would be in the same situation.

Presumably his wife wouldn't want to abort a wanted child and no decent man would put pressure on a woman to go through with an unwanted abortion.

Again, she's definitely in the wrong here, but I genuinely don't understand why men who are so adamant that they don't want kids and who should know that female contraception isn't 100% effective do not take steps to prevent pregnancy themselves.

pointythings · 26/05/2021 10:28

That OP's wife did is the exact equivalent of a man deliberately poking holes in a condom to keep his wife pregnant. Morechocolatethanbarbara would you defend that?

AnneLovesGilbert · 26/05/2021 10:31

But if there was a contraceptive failure, the OP would be in the same situation.

BUT THERE WASN’T. Stop being ridiculous. It was a deliberate deception. Whether or not it was “done with love”, which is one of the most outrageous bits of manipulation I’ve ever seen on here.

AnneLovesGilbert · 26/05/2021 10:32

@pointythings

That OP's wife did is the exact equivalent of a man deliberately poking holes in a condom to keep his wife pregnant. Morechocolatethanbarbara would you defend that?
Almost definitely. I’m sure it would have been her fault for not getting sterilised Hmm
Palavah · 26/05/2021 10:36

@Morechocolatethanbarbara

But it WAS unprotected sex, because she didn't have an IUD.

In essence I agree with the other posters, the wife should definitely not have lied, the marriage is irreparably broken and that's very sad for the DC involved.

But the bottom line is if you don't want kids, use contraception, sex always comes with a risk and 99.9% protection still means 1 in 1000 women will get pregnant.

That's the whole point: he didn't know he was having unprotected sex.

Why are you trying to argue the toss for a hypothetical situation rather than the situation that has actually occurred, which is a wife lying to her husband in a way which, if it were the other way round, would be criminal?

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