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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

New-ish relationship but sex is dropping off

41 replies

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:04

I'd appreciate some steer on my situation. Feeling really down today about the state of sex in my fairly new relationship.

Last year while on a trial separation from my H of 5 years i met a man, also separated, who I completely clicked with, fell for quickly and it was mutual. Bit of a rollercoaster, both of us making the decision to file for divorce from our spouses and be together which has happened within 6 months including him moving 300 miles to my city so we can date (previously, we were long distance but spent several weekends and a couple of weeks together.) Now he is here i am in my own place, divorce underway and the marital home is under offer. Which is what we have talked about so much as he felt threatened by me still being married (even though he also still is.)

However it feels like sex is already dwindling. We previously would have sex every other day when seeing each other, and when we stayed the night together sex and lots of foreplay was normal. He has talked about how his 20-year marriage was mainly sexless; she wasn't very interested and he talked a lot about how that was an issue for him and made him feel unwanted. However he was obviously able to stick it out for 20 years even with their other emotional issues, and even though they had no kids. When we first started hooking up, he was a bit nervous and said it was because he wasn't used to someone wanting him. He would prefer to pleasure me than me to pleasure him, and penetrative sex would be over quite fast. I think he has a bit of 'death grip' because he masturbates quite a lot and because of how he has sex. This hasn't changed but i was happy with the frequency and that he desired me.
However now, over 7 months in, we have spent the last 4 days and 3 nights together much of that alone in my flat with a bed and no work to do as we took some days off, and we haven't had sex except once on Sunday. We took a bath together at my suggestion and he didn't seem to find that particularly sexy, we just lay there and talked. He will kiss me but we don't make out anymore. It feels weird to have had all this time together at home and him not have initiated anything. i have tried kissing him, straddling him on the sofa, or lingering in bed when we wake up, but i can tell the desire just isn't there for him, which feels early days to not be taking advantage of this time together especially since we talked so much about how we wanted to have a proper r'ship and be getting divorced from our toxic marriages. He would rather have a movie marathon in bed and eat snacks or drink tea and have long conversations. It feels like its more of a friendship in that way but when i said this he was like 'well friendship is the foundation of a good relationship'.

I brought this up, asking if he felt we had different sex drives, and he denied it at first and said we had sex on Sunday, but since he has said that he feels he has low libido at the moment due to high stress or perhaps illness, and he has even referred to it might be a problem with his 'equipment'..... so it feels like something he has always maybe been aware of. And i am thinking more and more about his long, sexless marriage and thinking, if sex was that important to him as he has prev said, why didn't he leave sooner? But he says sex is important to him. Yet can't see how it feels if i'm naked in bed with him and he doesn't want to do anything with me, or if he loses his erection as i'm touching him or giving him oral. He swears it isn't about his attraction to me. He says his therapy will resolve it. He says it is partly about the fact we both met when till technically married although separated, and he feels 'ashamed' that we were intimate up until filing for divorce- even though he wanted sex then and was able to orgasm, etc!

He is 44 but super-fit and good blood pressure etc. I am 35 and also in good shape, clean, groomed etc. If thats relevant. I dont have a crazy sex drive i dont think but i do fancy him and when we are alone together I do crave some moments of intimacy, but in the last 5 days it has just been the one time of PiV sex and a little bit of foreplay the same day. Am i being unreasonable to be questioning things? I really like him but i dont want to find myself in a low-sex relationship at 35 and i'm not judging him but i think he should be honest about his sex drive if it is low for any reason. Especially if this is a recent development. he has accused me of not being 'caring' of him possibly being unwell and/or very stressed - I feel a little bit gaslighted as though its totally normal to be naked in bed together or spend whole days together and not have sex or fool around at this point, and i shouldnt even think about it. He has said a couple times 'what if i had a motorcycle accident and wasnt able to have sex, would you leave me'? Which seems so extreme, like i'm being horrible or unreasonable.

Is this just a pre-sexless relationship 'script'?

OP posts:
regenerate · 24/01/2024 16:07

goodness to say you two moved fast would be a gross understatement

sadly it would seem that giving things time would have allowed you both to see more clearly

regenerate · 24/01/2024 16:07

any children involved?

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:09

No kids. Yes, it was fast and i felt pushed along by him a lot of times, he wants to move in with me and even try for a baby but i have put the brakes on as i wanted to spent time together and date.
He also has said a couple times that his 90 yr old grandparents were not having sex but they had such a solid relationship. But i'm 35 and he's 44!!

OP posts:
regenerate · 24/01/2024 16:09

* Which is what we have talked about so much as he felt threatened by me still being married (even though he also still is.)*

is it just me that can hear an alarm clock ringing

regenerate · 24/01/2024 16:10

your update confirms

this sounds ghastly and i’d put the brakes on it.

roses321 · 24/01/2024 16:17

I was in this place 5 years ago and it didn't get any better. It was mad crazy at first, but then very very quickly dropped off and it never got any better again. He was the same age as your SO is now and I was 34 at the time.

Honestly I was questioning myself so much and in the end I found out that he was sexting other people behind my back and had bought viagra behind my back (even though he wasn't using it with me.).

I'm not saying that is the case for this guy but honestly, he seems to have issues and I also felt pushed along and things moved super fast as well. It ended in disaster so whilst i'm not saying you will be the same, what i am saying LOUDLY is listen to your gut, if something seems off it's often right. If you want more sex and this guy is putting the brakes on it all of a sudden then my opinion is that something is going on with him that you don't necessarily know about (might not be cheating but perhaps some emotional issue/impotence etc.) and if he can't be honest about it with you and compares you to two 90 year olds then ugh no. Just no.

My ex would say things like "sex isn't everything" and that i was obsessed with it, when in actuality I just wanted a healthy sex life and not to feel undesired and ignored.

MightyGoldBear · 24/01/2024 16:22

Oh slow this right down op I don't think you've been given the full story at all. Be interesting to hear from his ex her side.

You mention therapy what type of therapy is he having?

There are lots of alarm bells for sex addiction/porn addiction going on. You mention death grip and he masturbated a lot does he still do that now?
Novelty plays a big role in addiction so if that has worn off for him with regards to you (all a him problem nothing to do with you) then he will be back to acting out in whatever chosen method as he did in his previous marriage. If he has addiction then it's possible he has porn induced erectile dysfunction and is potentially concerned that the novelty of you has worn off now he is struggling to maintain an erection and orgasm because he has over years trained his body to need new stimulus.

Will he openly talk about these issues or just continues to blame you? Whilst not being concerned about your feelings?

All possibilities to explore

auntyElle · 24/01/2024 16:24

Wouldn't his ex's story be interesting?

Get out and run. He's a disaster area. And the sex will only get worse.

SamW98 · 24/01/2024 16:28

IMO you’ve rushed into a rebound, the novelty is wearing off and the reality that it’s not that great is kicking in.

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:28

He swears porn does nothing for him as he needs an emotional connection for sex. He masturbates to fantasies/he has a nude i sent him once and says he uses this. but when i am there, naked, he isn't inspired to have sex with me, and he says PiV isn't 'everything' and that he wants to 'make me happy'.... but i dont want to feel like sex is not as fulfilling for him and i guess i want us both to be excited about it, especially this early on, its not likely to get better is it?

Is it odd that we have spent 4 days together cosied up and only had sex/foreplay once? It really does feel odd. He told me i should tell him if i want to go and 'fool around' but that feels awkward to me. Forced almost.

OP posts:
bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:28

@SamW98 you mean for him, or for me?

OP posts:
Anothernick · 24/01/2024 16:29

Man here - I'm quite a bit older than you (though less than 90!) but of course if I am lying next to my naked DW I will desire her sexually. It is definitely not totally normal to spend several days together with lots of naked time and no sex.

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:29

@MightyGoldBear he has had alcohol addiction in the past but been sober 5 years, so i think there is an addictive personality

OP posts:
Caffeinedetox · 24/01/2024 16:30

"Is this just a pre-sexless relationship 'script'?"

In a word, yes. From experience, if it starts off like this it will only get worse. With my ex we ended up going for "sex therapy" as we loved each other and got on well so we both wanted to make it work. Whilst it did have a positive effect, it was only (very) temporary and soon dwindled back to how it was before. We lasted a couple more years and then broke up as we were basically just mates who lived together.

I've been with someone for 18 months now and from day one the sex was amazing and has got better the more we know each other. We're both on the same page, fancy each other like mad and both make the effort to take initiative. I'm certainly not bragging as I had almost 10 years of a sexless relationship (!) and never thought I would find someone I would be so compatible with.

I do know a few couples who have a sexless relationship and I would say that none of them seem particularly "happy". In two cases I am aware there have been affairs - most likely because one partner isn't on the same page sexually.

Ultimately if it isn't important to you or your DP / DH and never has been then you're good. If it is important to you, don't sacrifice it and "settle" because somewhere down the line it won't be enough.

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:30

@Anothernick there hasnt been much naked time, as he has just wanted to drink tea/watch movies etc. Naked time only at bedtime and we have had sex once. He admitted he didnt feel the desire and he wished he did, but he is stressed/maybe depressed. But its just too many excuses.
He says he is asking me to be 'patient' in case it is illness/stress/a physical issue. But no timeframe or he isnt planning to get himself checked out.

OP posts:
ladykale · 24/01/2024 16:31

Sex once in a 5 day period isn't odd imo, but the other things you mention are the potential red flags. Possible porn addiction?

But I think once past the honeymoon stage, sex once a week when people are busy isn't that weird. Once in 4 days when at home with no kids and nothing else to do is a bit stranger

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:33

@ladykale thats what i think too - we aren't at work this week, no kids, it's been freezing and icy where we live so been cosy at home, but it's just been hours of talking, eating, watching stuff. even the bath wasn't a sexy experience.

OP posts:
randombloke15 · 24/01/2024 16:35

Is he on any medication?
Stressed/divorce after a long marriage/ depressed.
Has he been prescribed antidepressants which are affecting his sex drive ?

Anothernick · 24/01/2024 16:38

I agree that when you are juggling the kids, work, etc etc once a week is normal - good even - but if it's just the two of you lazing around with no distractions then once a day would be nearer the mark surely?

muchalover · 24/01/2024 16:39

Externalizing blame.
Turning on you.
Blaming stress.

Not qualities for problem solving in the future.

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:40

@randombloke15 no medication. he is physically healthy, recently had a physical. He was sick just after xmas but is still able to exercise, etc. He only works part time, from home. So it's a little confusing. I do think he has stress over the end of his marriage and the fact he is afraid of losing me (As he has said many times, despite my reassurance) which all may affect the sex drive but it has only just started to be like this.

OP posts:
Motnight · 24/01/2024 16:40

I think he has lied to you about why his marriage was largely sexless.

randombloke15 · 24/01/2024 16:48

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:40

@randombloke15 no medication. he is physically healthy, recently had a physical. He was sick just after xmas but is still able to exercise, etc. He only works part time, from home. So it's a little confusing. I do think he has stress over the end of his marriage and the fact he is afraid of losing me (As he has said many times, despite my reassurance) which all may affect the sex drive but it has only just started to be like this.

The reason I mentioned it was, when I was on an anti-depressant, I had a low sex drive, ate a lot and talked a lot, (which is entirely the opposite of what I'm normally like!!)
and that's what your partner seems to be doing!

Tricky one, unfortunately not got huge amounts of advice to give, so wish you all the best

auntyElle · 24/01/2024 16:49

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:40

@randombloke15 no medication. he is physically healthy, recently had a physical. He was sick just after xmas but is still able to exercise, etc. He only works part time, from home. So it's a little confusing. I do think he has stress over the end of his marriage and the fact he is afraid of losing me (As he has said many times, despite my reassurance) which all may affect the sex drive but it has only just started to be like this.

You are accepting responsibility for his lack of sex drive? Already? Despite everything people have bothered to post here?

You do sound rather naive and vulnerable, OP.

bananadrama8 · 24/01/2024 16:49

No i am not accepting it, more just repeating what he said to me yesterday when we discussed it, and i do know he is stressed. But i am also very conflicted about this issue hence why i made the thread.

OP posts:
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