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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 had an abortion and he left me

117 replies

Chaoticgarden · 22/01/2025 10:14

A while back I posted about being pregnant and was really struggling to decide whether to keep the baby or not. Because i'm 40, this has been a heartwrenching decision for me and a lot of tears have been shed, but in the end I decided to go for a termination.

The experience of having a termination was one of the most painful and traumatic experiences i've ever had, the pain was so intense I had to call an ambulance. I'm now recovering from it. Prior to that I spent 3 weeks in a complete panic over what I should do.

The father of the child was trying to encourage me to go through with the pregnancy pretty much constantly, it was impossible to have an impartial discussion with him, he was just completely sure that we were going to be able to do this. I am sure he is right but some of my reasons for not going through with it were as follows:

I have only been officially dating him for 4 months, I was seeing him before that and it took him two months of sleeping with me to ask me out.

In the time I've been dating him he's never introduced me to his mother or even taken me out on a date - it actually became a point of contention and I eventually had to outright ask him to.

He lives at home with his mother and is 40. He's been in this country for a year after moving from another country so I understand he's getting back on his feet, but he earns half what I do and has no savings and no assets.

In the end I felt like his frequent declarations of love just really weren't backed up with anything solid, and I couldn't risk upheaving my entire life to have his child. I felt that me having his baby wasn't because he loved me and wanted to be with me, I felt like it was a way of him getting a life upgrade, while I would have been sat at home with a baby and he could go to work as normal. Because I earn so much more, I realised how much of an impact this would have on my independence. I live in a house share at the moment because I'm still selling the house from my previous relationship which was abusive and which I had to leave.

I didn't feel like I could rely on this guy who I barely knew, despite him saying he'd marry me there is no law that says he has to do that, and no law that says he couldn't leave when things got hard. I just couldn't risk it. I am devastated. I am sure I would have been able to do it on my own but he was so hell bent on having the child that there is no way he wouldn't have hounded me and I did not want to be in a coparenting situation - I wanted a family.

After my termination he basically turned on me, told me his mother is devastated and her health has taken a turn for the worse, that I am selfish for asking for support, and that I am "pushing him for answers" on the future of our relationship. He said we're not broken up but he "needs space". He told me several times he wouldn't judge me whatever decision I made. He has text me asking how my day was but I don't get much more than that, when I've said my day is fine he's told me i'm being short with him and that asking what's going on is being aggressive and harsh.
I'm also selfish for not asking after his mother and I'm a narcissist because I am making everything about myself.

I realise that I should never have dated this man in the first place, this whole thing was an accident but I am just completely gobsmacked by his cold behaviour towards me after the termination. It was a bit like he expected me to give him a baby, he already has one in another country that he does not see because the mother apparently got pregnant and then ran off and refused to let him have any involvement in it.

He's seemed really nice and very kind (as long as it's free) but his sudden change of tune is apparently all my fault? I was not a very nice person during the pregnancy because I felt under immense pressure and stress, I barely ate or slept and cried constantly, so maybe that is why? I don't know.

OP posts:
dairydebris · 22/01/2025 10:40

I actually think you might benefit from a bit of talking therapy about this. You sound a bit confused about the reasons you chose a termination, it's almost as if you chose a termination because you felt he wasn't going to be the best partner, but that in another situation you might have gone ahead, but now it seems like you blame him for the termination? It's confused. I think you need to tease it out otherwise you risk being unhappy about this moving towards... also it's unclear whether you want to be with him moving forwards, but you did terminate against his wishes, so obviously that would be.... tricky...

Unrelated38 · 22/01/2025 10:42

I understand your decision to terminate, it sounds like the right choice for you. And I'm sorry it was an especially traumatic experience.

But it's also perfectly understandable that's he's angry you terminated his baby and is behaving this way

BeaAndBen · 22/01/2025 10:45

I wouldn’t meet him.

Block and move on. This 40 year old living-with-mummy guilt -tripper has nothing to offer you.

Chaoticgarden · 22/01/2025 10:47

Unrelated38 · 22/01/2025 10:42

I understand your decision to terminate, it sounds like the right choice for you. And I'm sorry it was an especially traumatic experience.

But it's also perfectly understandable that's he's angry you terminated his baby and is behaving this way

And that's fine but it apparently is nothing to do with my decision to terminate and everything to do with me. He wanted to marry me two weeks ago!

OP posts:
Firefly100 · 22/01/2025 10:49

I honestly think in time you will see you made a good decision for you. I do understand why he would be devastated though if he truly had wanted the baby. However, from what you have written I suspect that he is more angry he did not get his way than that you made the choice you did. Let's look at this objectively:

  • 'I'm also selfish for not asking after his mother and I'm a narcissist because I am making everything about myself' - an abortion IS all about you - who else? certainly not his mother!
  • 'he encouraged me to go through with the pregnancy pretty much constantly' - so given you are a higher earner, I assume he offered to give up his job to care for it then as part of that 'constant encouragement'. Yeah thought not.
  • What efforts did he make to see the child he already has? Not what the mother did /did not do - what efforts did HE make. Moving countries surely is not a helpful step towards being involved in their life. When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
  • Why did he tell his mother given you were having doubts about the pregnancy? Particularly if he knew it would affect her health if the decision was not the one he wanted. Sounds like a grade A attempt to guilt trip to me.

I would seriously question wanting to be with a man who treated me like he has treated you after one of the hardest decisions you ever have to make. In fact, no it would not be a difficult question at all. You deserve better treatment.

Slowontheup · 22/01/2025 10:52

Wanted the baby or wanted to be a kept man?

Slowontheup · 22/01/2025 10:53

if you want a baby and would have been happy to go ahead but not for the coparenting with him factor, consider a donor?

GrandmotherStillLearning · 22/01/2025 10:55

Chaoticgarden · 22/01/2025 10:15

I should add that I did ask him if we could please talk and he refused to come over even though I'm literally a 2 minute drive away. He told me he's no longer "bending the knee to me" or "bending to my demands".

Please go on line for talking therapies self referral for 121 face to face therapy and explain in triage call before they asign you something.

What you've experienced is trauma.

Please say you are struggling and processing and for now need no contact.

Elektra1 · 22/01/2025 10:56

TwentyKittens · 22/01/2025 10:23

You've absolutely done the right thing OP. Well done on being able to see through his words, realising they meant nothing, and deciding that it was the right thing to do. Especially since you've recently been in an abusive relationship.

Are you really so gobsmacked? Everything you've said about him screams a really bad reaction when you decide to do what's best for you, and not what he wants.

You're well rid of him.

Ridiculous unhelpful post. Her body, her choice. They were barely in a relationship and you think she should have had the child because HE wanted it?

You made the right decision for you, OP, albeit a traumatic one. Focus on yourself and recovering from this experience. The boyfriend sounds like a bit of a lost cause tbh.

Elektra1 · 22/01/2025 10:57

Sorry I replied to the wrong post! Meant to pick up on the one that said his reaction was fine

veraswaistcoat · 22/01/2025 11:05

You have said it was all a big mistake so accept it and have no further contact with him.

Why are you even wanting this contact with him?

No one here can tell you you made the right decision. Believe in yourself and move on.

healthybychristmas · 22/01/2025 11:06

You made the right decision. Does he have other motives for wanting a child in this country? If he wants women to have his children he has to behave in a way that shows he would make a good partner and father.

healthybychristmas · 22/01/2025 11:09

He didn't want to marry you. He says he did but he didn't. He didn't even introduce you to his mother which is something he would've been desperate to do if he wanted to get married to you, particularly as he lives with his mum. He didn't want to take you out on a date never mind marry you. God knows what's going on in his mind but he is using your pregnancy as a way to control you. I'm really glad you made the decision you did and I hope you have made a good physical recovery. I wouldn't see him and I wouldn't want to discuss anything with him.

DeepFatFried · 22/01/2025 11:15

Chaoticgarden · 22/01/2025 10:36

He's just texted me asking if i'm free this evening to talk despite rejecting my offer a couple of days ago to talk.

What do you think there is to talk about?

Have you read all the perspectives on this thread?

He wanted to marry you after a 4 month relationship?

Do you honestly want to continue a relationship with him?

If not, I would not meet him, or have further contact.

You have see how he behaves at times of conflict and difficulties.

I would walk away before he sets his Mummy on you

Chaoticgarden · 22/01/2025 11:18

I appreciate everyones perspectives and I think that I will have some therapy to process this and also to ask some questions about why I even date men like this in the first place because I must have some huge self worth issues.

Also with regards to seeing him again, after everything he's said to me, I am just too fragile at this point to get hurt any further. I cannot see what he would possibly have to say to me that would be good.

I haven't replied to his message and I won't be either.

OP posts:
northernlight20 · 22/01/2025 11:19

i know a couple of guys from non eu countries who got women pregnant here to have residence status via the child. i suspect this is why he was pushing you to continue with the pregnancy. delete and block

Hoppinggreen · 22/01/2025 11:23

I am sorry you have had such an awful time but if you can take anything positive from this the experience has shown you who this man actually is and hopefully confirmed your doubts he was a viable long term partner.
Please just focus on yourself and don't worry about dating for some time, men aren't really necessary.

Maddy70 · 22/01/2025 11:24

You made the right decision for you. He made the right decision for him the right man for you is around the corner. It was an early relationship move on

AwaitingFreedom · 22/01/2025 11:27

Thank goodness you never went through with the pregnancy. This is not the type of man you want for a partner OR to saddle a child with. He's emotionally abusing you and would emotionally abuse a child too.

Block this manipulative toxic man and don't speak to him again.
Have therapy regarding the termination but also do The Freedom Programme as soon as you can.
You did the right thing Flowers

Chaoticgarden · 22/01/2025 11:28

northernlight20 · 22/01/2025 11:19

i know a couple of guys from non eu countries who got women pregnant here to have residence status via the child. i suspect this is why he was pushing you to continue with the pregnancy. delete and block

He's got an ancestry visa or something - he's south african. he doesn't have citizenship. I'm not sure that having a child would change that - i don't know enough about it to be honest. I know his mother has citizenship here and owns a house.
The situation with his existing child very much bothers me and who knows, maybe the mother really did just run off and refuse to let him be involved, I don't know. I've just noticed that with everything, he's always the victim, there is very little self reflection on his part about anything he could have done better or did wrong. I've come up against these personality traits before and honestly? They are just nothing but trouble.

My plan was always buy myself a new place when my old house is sold and I had my heart set on buying a cottage. I've been saving up as much as possible by living in a house share so this would just completely derail my life. If I was married, had a place and found out I was expecting then I'd be terrified but i'd go for it.
The lack of ANY impartial opinion on his part was ringing bells for me in a serious way, there was just no hestitation whatsoever, despite his living situation, despite his income, despite his lack of savings - he just constantly said we could do it and ran home to tell his mum. The pressure I felt about letting him down was overwhelming and the strain it put on me trying to decide what to do when in ideal circumstances i'd have a child was heartbreaking. I just feel absolutely flattened by the whole situation. I've only come back to work today after 3 days in bed crying.

OP posts:
TunipTheVegimal24 · 22/01/2025 11:44

It is absolutely, your body, your choice.

If I'm honest though, if it were somehow possible for someone to be pregnant with my child (I'm female so obviously it would be tricky), it would cut me up if the baby was terminated. I wouldn't stay with the person. He is not entitled to tell you what to do with your body (and should have wrapped his penis), but is also entitled to his own emotions. Emotions can be ugly and messy, especially around such high stakes situations. Just because you would like him to be supportive or neutral, that isn't how he feels.

LazyArsedMagician · 22/01/2025 11:45

Honestly it sounds like you dodged a bullet here.

TunipTheVegimal24 · 22/01/2025 11:46

He is also perfectly entitled to talk to his family, about whatever he likes, including things he is upset by.

laveritable · 22/01/2025 11:50

Many men are out there looking for FREE surrogate mothers! Be careful ladies! BLOCK him!

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 22/01/2025 11:54

Firefly100 · 22/01/2025 10:49

I honestly think in time you will see you made a good decision for you. I do understand why he would be devastated though if he truly had wanted the baby. However, from what you have written I suspect that he is more angry he did not get his way than that you made the choice you did. Let's look at this objectively:

  • 'I'm also selfish for not asking after his mother and I'm a narcissist because I am making everything about myself' - an abortion IS all about you - who else? certainly not his mother!
  • 'he encouraged me to go through with the pregnancy pretty much constantly' - so given you are a higher earner, I assume he offered to give up his job to care for it then as part of that 'constant encouragement'. Yeah thought not.
  • What efforts did he make to see the child he already has? Not what the mother did /did not do - what efforts did HE make. Moving countries surely is not a helpful step towards being involved in their life. When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
  • Why did he tell his mother given you were having doubts about the pregnancy? Particularly if he knew it would affect her health if the decision was not the one he wanted. Sounds like a grade A attempt to guilt trip to me.

I would seriously question wanting to be with a man who treated me like he has treated you after one of the hardest decisions you ever have to make. In fact, no it would not be a difficult question at all. You deserve better treatment.

I agree with all of this. His upsetness about the termination isn't about the potential child, otherwise he'd be a better father to the child he already has. His behavior to you is compassionless and self-absorbed to the point of being abusive. And if he cared about his mother and knew this would upset her, he wouldn't have roped her into his deliberately high-drama play like he did.

It's good you won't talk to him anymore, OP. there's no good coming from this guy - he has shown his ugly colors well and truly.