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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 want to cheat

116 replies

Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 13:06

Hear me out before you come to any conclusions.

Me and dp have a dc. Our dc is nearly one years old. In this whole time we have been out once together. I know that having a dc is time consuming however I just dont think this is acceptable. We are both very young and should still be , at least attempting, to have some form of a relationship together. Our sex life has dwindled since my pregnancy, initially on my behalf but now it's simply because I feel no romance there and cant go from "mummy mode" to " sexy girlfriend" based on nothing.

Recently though things have got worse. Dp is always tired. Fair enough so am I. But he is too tired to go out, or we are too broke. He is too tired to talk. When we do have a quite moment he is guilty of just sitting on his phone and doing nothing. In his words he needs "down time" and when it does come about he wants to do nothing. We dont even talk anymore.

Our routine goes as follows:
he wakes up for work
I wake up look after baby
He comes back by the evening
We tend to baby
Baby goes to bed by 7
We have dinner by 8ish
He is too exhausted to do anything else and wants to be in bed by 9/10 and is always asleep by ten.

I cant do it anymore. I have CONSTANTLY tried to communicate how disconnected I'm feeling from him emotionally. And he either falls asleep whilst I talk to him or doesnt want to hear me out because its always "late" when we finally have time to talk. I'm sick of it. He shuts me down and says this is what having a baby is. Yes it is to a degree but I think we could at least make an effort to go out once a week even if its just for a walk! We should have time to talk. Now all we talk about is the baby. It's got to the point where talking or any intimacy just feels awkward and like it's with a friend.

I feel so shrugged off and it hurts me that he has no good answer as to why we have only been out once together since dc was born given she is nearly ten months old.

We've been arguing about it alot as well. So whenever we do communicate it's pretty negative and depressing.

I'm not even mid twenties! What sort of life is this. I'm so unhappy and recently been realising this is why people start feeling neglected and pushed into cheating. Obviously I dont want to. That would be going against my own morals. But I'm desperate just to feel that connection with someone again. I dont see why, just because I have a baby someone that I must have a life sentence to a dp those does the bare minimum effort towards our relationship. I've been secretly thinking about speaking to an ex, and getting back with him. It's so wrong. What can I do though? Things dont seem to be getting better and all my life consists of is looking after a baby rinse and repeat. Me and dp had dc quite quickly together so there is still so much we didnt get to do together. Simple things like going to a museum ect...

OP posts:
Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 14:19

@1forAll74 I do want that for us. I literally sat him.down yesterday and listed ideas...
Hotel, spa day away, just the pub down the road for a drink. A meal . Anything

Everything gets met with a "dont have the time too.tired, we dont have a babysitter, we dont have money."

OP posts:
Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 14:21

I also want to add after having an arguement about it yet again on the Friday he admitted that he had something planned for us on the sunday.

And it never happened.

So yeah bunch of crap really. Apparently he saved up for us to go out for a meal but he needed the money for a payment

OP posts:
Regularsizedrudy · 02/09/2021 14:26

Errr so break up then?

possibleimpossible · 02/09/2021 14:27

There's never an excuse for cheating in my opinion, even the ones you've listed here.
If your that unhappy you need to sit him down and demand he listens to you, tell him exactly what you've said here. If he still doesn't want to do anything about it or can't be bothered then leave him.
Your right to be annoyed, fed up etc but relationships take work and the first year of being parents is by far the hardest on a relationship.

Qwerty1967 · 02/09/2021 14:28

I posted something similar to this post several months ago and received a torrid of abuse, but I'm a strong independent businesswoman and faced this all my adult life, so its water off a ducks back to me. So I applaud your courage to post a topic and hope you are not on the receiving end of the stuff I have had.
my situation is slightly different to yours, but due to ill health, the intimacy was lacking from my relationship, so I joined illicit encounters and met a lovely guy who I've been seeing for several months.
As a result, my life has improved immeasurably. I appreciate its not for everyone, but in my case it has worked out well.
Good luck to you

Journeyofthedragons · 02/09/2021 14:28

I can see every reason to separate if you are unhappy and zero reason to cheat.

Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 14:39

@possibleimpossible you dont know the amount of work I've put into my relationship. My dp even acknowledges that for the most part I carry it all. It's so one sided at this point.

OP posts:
Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 14:42

I feel like alot of people cant see past my title and are missing the point of this thread. I am not GOING TO CHEAT. However I have exasperated all options and genuinely feel like I am talking to wall because my partner DOES NOT LISTEN. What else can I do? Stay and be miserable. The depression I'm feeling is driving me to want to cheat. Again not that I would. I thought if I put this into context people could understand how desperate I am. Of course I'd prefer for my partner to just listen. I have given him plenty of "talks". Like for god sake he literally falls asleep when I talk to him!! Or basically tells me to put a sock in it so he can sleep. I've presented him plenty of options so he doesnt even need to put the effort in to figure it out. But he still wont do it. I cant believe at my young age I feel like im in a 50 plus year dead marriage

OP posts:
Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 14:44

@Qwerty1967 fair enough to you. I take it you are still with your partner as well?

OP posts:
traintraveller · 02/09/2021 14:48

@Loanne12

I feel like alot of people cant see past my title and are missing the point of this thread. I am not GOING TO CHEAT. However I have exasperated all options and genuinely feel like I am talking to wall because my partner DOES NOT LISTEN. What else can I do? Stay and be miserable. The depression I'm feeling is driving me to want to cheat. Again not that I would. I thought if I put this into context people could understand how desperate I am. Of course I'd prefer for my partner to just listen. I have given him plenty of "talks". Like for god sake he literally falls asleep when I talk to him!! Or basically tells me to put a sock in it so he can sleep. I've presented him plenty of options so he doesnt even need to put the effort in to figure it out. But he still wont do it. I cant believe at my young age I feel like im in a 50 plus year dead marriage
What else can you do? That's simple. You tell him you want to separate. You are clearly not happy so leave him.
AnneLovesGilbert · 02/09/2021 14:52

What else can you do?
That's simple. You tell him you want to separate. You are clearly not happy so leave him.

Well yes. I’m not sure why splitting up isn’t your top priority. You hate him, he seems depressed and disengaged.

Just dump him, someone needs to move out depending on whose family you’re living with and then you can claim benefits, find work, meet someone else in time.

You’re in the same boat lots of people are in, the sensible ones split up.

Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 14:56

@AnneLovesGilbert I dont know where this hatred is coming from? I'm frustrated with him but never once claimed to hate my dp. If I did I'd leave no questions asked. I'm trying because I love him and want us to be together. His lack of seriousness towards what I'm saying makes me feel like he doesnt

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 02/09/2021 14:56

Can you tell us why you won't leave?

Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 14:58

@girlmom21 I just mentioned in my post above why. I love him. I love our family together. I am not the problem here, so why would I want to leave?

OP posts:
AnneLovesGilbert · 02/09/2021 14:59

Whose parents are you living with?

girlmom21 · 02/09/2021 14:59

[quote Loanne12]@girlmom21 I just mentioned in my post above why. I love him. I love our family together. I am not the problem here, so why would I want to leave?[/quote]
But he's useless, won't communicate with you, won't give you any affection...

You're far from happy and he won't discuss anything with you or work with you to improve so things won't get better. How long will love be enough for you for?

Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 15:00

@AnneLovesGilbert it's not parents. We live with dps family

OP posts:
Motnight · 02/09/2021 15:03

You are young Op and in the wrong relationship. The baby has just bought all the issues into high focus. You know that you need to split up with your partner. Do it before any drama re unfaithfulness is involved.

ThanksIGotItInMorrisons · 02/09/2021 15:05

Why don’t you arrange a date? Arrange a babysitter? Make an effort with a nice ( or romantic if you prefer) meal? You say you make suggestions and they fall on deaf ears, but maybe doing something instead of ‘discussing’ it is a better option? Why does HE have to make the effort but you only have to suggest it?
Think you’re too immature for the situation you now find yourself in unfortunately..

Thingsdogetbetter · 02/09/2021 15:05

A relationship should never be one person doing all the work and having to carry it. He was an unemployed manchild, cocklodger who got himself into debt and lived off you before you had the dc, but you had the emotional and physical energy as well as financial ability to carry him. Now you have a baby and your emotional as well as physical energy is being spent on your baby, you are realising that he is weak, childish and not engaged in this relationship or in building a relationship with your child at all.

And basically he's sulking and punishing you as he is no longer your sole focus. He's making such a huge drama about being tired because he's sulking he's had to get a job. He's basically playing the martyr. He's not contributing to this relationship in any way, emotionally, physically or financially. He's not even pretending to be your friend or housemate, let alone your partner and father to a child.

Do not look back at how hard you worked for this relationship as a reason not to leave it. Thatcwas a mistake in the first place. That is sink-cost thinking.

Are you living with his relatives or yours. If the latter, kick him out. If the former get advice from.CAB or Shelter.

This relationship is already broken into tiny pieces and you can't fix that on your own. Its pointless to hope he'll realise how awful his attitude and behaviour is. He already knows I promise, he just doesn't give a shit. There are no words you can use to make him give a shit. Accept that and plan accordingly for you and your baby.

Loanne12 · 02/09/2021 15:12

@ThanksIGotItInMorrisons of course I can do that and I have. I bought us something to do together and he was COMPLETELY disinterested. Again it all became one sided and even though he said he wanted to do what I organised it was always me asking him to do it and became me nagging

Why am I going to go out of my way to book something he doesnt want to do? That isnt the problem here..I know I can do that and so does he. What I want to know is that HE can do it.

OP posts:
QuentinBunbury · 02/09/2021 15:12

Sounds like he doesn't love you and is checked out.
There is nothing you can do to fix this on your own. Having an affair won't help except to distract you and possibly give you organise for a few months.
I think really your only option is to tell him you will leave if he doesn't start interacting with you, and maybe relationship counselling to get to the root of why he's checked out and if there is anything you could do to help him interact more.

QuentinBunbury · 02/09/2021 15:13

Orgasms! My phone is a prude

Thingsdogetbetter · 02/09/2021 15:13

Be honest, do you love THIS family together as it actually is now, or the family together that you wish it would be?

I don't think you're the problem at all. He is. And you can't magically change him into the person you wish he was. You don't have that power. Love is NOT enough to sustain a relationship, or a family unit - especially when it is one sided. You need MUTUAL respect, support, affection, commitment, shared values and so much more. Do you think he is willing to give you those aspects in return?

SarahBop · 02/09/2021 15:18

What I hear is resentment talking.

How has he got into debt if you live with family?

Why can't you move out and stand on your own two feet?

Mean this in the nicest possible way...but you said you're suggesting spa days etc, then he's saying you can't afford to.
Sounds to me like he is TRYING to get you into a better financial position, he's working and paying debt off...whereas you are looking to spend and trying to find happiness in spending money.

You can work. You can express ebm, you can look into universal credit to top-up earnings and help towards nursery fees, or work evenings around your DPs job.

It sounds like you are looking to him for all your happiness and you've both been shocked by how relentless and exhausting parenting is.