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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

Sex in marriage and consent...

139 replies

RenaultClio · 09/08/2025 06:07

I guess I need a sense check. I'm mid forties, been married 20 years to my childhood sweetheart. Sex is... fine sometimes quite enjoyable, other times I get it done if you know what I mean. But sometimes I don't want to have sex or I'm asleep. Last week I woke up and he had both fingers inside me (one in each place sorry to be graphic). I led completely still and then he had sex with me. I was totally silent and not moving the entire time. He finished and without saying anything got up and went away. It happened again a few days later exactly the same except I put a pillow over my head to sort of get away? I don't expect rose petals and soft music (literally never happened!) But I had hoped for more than this in my marriage.
I would like to know whether others "get it
done"? that's normal right... sometimes it's a bit of a chore but you know it'll be OK and he'll feel better and I might even enjoy it. Also I want to tell him to stop doing stuff when I'm asleep, it feels... weird.
He's otherwise a very nice man, great with he kids, does loads of housework, sorts all the money out etc. Just a bit hard work when it comes to sex.

OP posts:
wizzywig · 09/08/2025 11:08

Have you asked him in the morning about what he has done?

anytipswelcome · 09/08/2025 11:10

SquishedMallow · 09/08/2025 06:59

I believe a good portion of women "get it done" in a longer marriage/relationship- so yes, that's normal.

Be careful what you read on here. Lots of people will jump to say you were raped and to contact rape charities and domestic abuse charities and leave him, get police involved.

You need first a very clear conversation with him: that you don't like being intimately touched when asleep and that is not ok with you. Full stop. How he reacts and proceeds going forward after being told explicitly that you do not give your consent to such acts will tell you everything you need to know.

If your daughter had been in OP’s position and shared what happened with you, you would honestly say she shouldn’t jump to labelling it sexual assault or rape?

Do good men enjoy having sex with women who aren’t conscious or participating? Let alone women who put a pillow over their face when they become conscious and realise they have fingers or a penis inside them? Genuine question - do you believe good men enjoy that experience?

Iclyn · 09/08/2025 12:01

RenaultClio · 09/08/2025 10:32

Thanks for the helpful posts. I dont think I can reply any more. I'm shattered and haven't really got much to add. Maybe this thread will be useful for someone else. I hope that others can understand that things aren't always clear cut and using the boiling frog analogy someone pointed out actually makes things hard to understand sometimes. I don't think I'll return to this board, the troll hunting and enabling of that by Mumsnet was incredibly upsetting at a time when I just needed a sense check and a bit of support.
Again, thank you to those who have taken the time and effort to support.

I don't think you have been victim blamed . Many ( most ) have said it's not right that he is doing it to you . Said kindly , neither do you as you would not have posted to get support .
There will be women who get a sexual thrill out of being women up & and,are happy for it to continue , but I don't think they would post on here.
I get you don't like the responses and agree they are hard to see & read for you .
But please tell your husband not to do it as it's not something you want .
If he continues , only you can do anything about it. Take care .

SquishedMallow · 09/08/2025 14:27

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SquishedMallow · 09/08/2025 14:30

wizzywig · 09/08/2025 11:08

Have you asked him in the morning about what he has done?

Don't be silly, that's far too sensible of a starting point.

MiloMinderbinder925 · 09/08/2025 14:31

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I haven't goaded the OP to do anything but contact professionals. The fact that you think rape is something that just needs to be discussed is very concerning. I hope you're OK.

BoredZelda · 09/08/2025 14:33

jackstini · 09/08/2025 06:37

No it is not normal at all

Agreeing to have sex when it feels like a bit of a chore is one thing - it’s not great, but you’re consenting

Him having sex with you and doing other stuff whilst you’re asleep is not consensual

Why didn’t you say anything? If I’d have woken up with fingers or a cock in me I’d have been fucking furious

Yes, you need to tell him to stop doing stuff when you’re asleep - it’s not weird, it’s rape

Let’s not do that. It is not OP’s fault her husband is having sex with her, without consent.

TwistedWonder · 09/08/2025 14:35

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Ah ok so it’s down to a woman to explain to a grown adult man why sexually assaulting her on her sleep isn’t acceptable then?

God forbid we hold men accountable for their behaviour because we haven’t told them upfront not to rape us.

BustyLaRoux · 09/08/2025 15:03

SquishedMallow · 09/08/2025 06:59

I believe a good portion of women "get it done" in a longer marriage/relationship- so yes, that's normal.

Be careful what you read on here. Lots of people will jump to say you were raped and to contact rape charities and domestic abuse charities and leave him, get police involved.

You need first a very clear conversation with him: that you don't like being intimately touched when asleep and that is not ok with you. Full stop. How he reacts and proceeds going forward after being told explicitly that you do not give your consent to such acts will tell you everything you need to know.

What on earth do you mean “be careful what you read on here”???? Of course it’s rape. Legally actually. Stop trying to confuse this poor woman. She has been raped. By someone she trusted. She is going through hell rn trying to come to terms with this. She does not need to be confused by someone telling her everyone on here is wrong, it isn’t really rape and a stern chat should do the job. Jesus!

idontknowhowtodreamyourdreams · 09/08/2025 15:03

This is rape op. I'm really sorry. It doesn't matter whether he's your husband or not. What you describe is rape.

I would suggest you contact Rape Crisis. They will listen and support without judgement and you can remain anonymous (if you wish).

RH1234 · 09/08/2025 15:10

We all have times where “we get on with it”, ie tired after work etc !but want our partners happy.

However, if either say no, or unable to say no/ consent (asleep, intoxicated), it’s sexual assault.

With that said, I’ve been woken by my partner and vice versa, but it’s been discussed before hand and planned to an extent. But that consent can change at any time.

TinyTeachr · 09/08/2025 15:37

That is NOT normal. It is assault. Your husband used you like a blow-up doll more than once.

Yes, in a marriage I imagine many women sometimes go along with sex they weren't initially in the mood for. I have 4DC and when breastfeeding I am never spontaneously in the mood, but I know that I will enjoy it once we get going as my DH knows what I like and is patient. Certainly I have also woken up once or twice with DH clearly in the mood and waking me with some gentle foreplay - we have discussed previously what is/isnt ok as a way of waking me up. But if i said no thanks or just lay there not responding he would stop!

You really need to speak to your DH. You say he is a nice guy, so you must be able to discuss this with him. I CANNOT understand why he wouldn't stop when you put a pillow over your head. You were clearly not in the mood. A loving man doesnt pursue sex with his wife when she doesn't want it.

Please talk to him. Mumsnet can't change this, only you and DH can.

IShouldNotCoco · 09/08/2025 15:39

He’s not a nice man and he is not entitled to sex with you just because you’re married.

Doing things to you whilst you’re asleep is a huge red flag.

DiscoBob · 09/08/2025 16:04

I do understand one partner touching the others genitals to try and instigate a sleepy sex experience, if that's something you both do, only if it leads to fully consensual sex, arousal and orgasm for the woman. So it's a given that you're both happy for sex to be initiated in that way.

If you're just lying there and putting a pillow over your head, and he doesn't care, surely you can see that's not loving normal sex? He should've seen you didn't want to and stopped.

Nanny0gg · 09/08/2025 16:48

RenaultClio · 09/08/2025 06:28

Thanks for the speedy replies. This is not a hoax thread , I've been on Mumsnet for years (I can still remember that thread about an OP who was meeting someone at a bird park in Bourton in the Water) I'm sad someone would think it is.
It's just that I don't think it feels like rape? My husband isn't a rapist. He's very nice! I could have got up or moved away I just chose to be totally still.
I kind of thought it was fairly normal in a kind of lie back and think of England way. I can't be the only one surely?

If you're asleep I'm very sorry but it's rape.

And if other times you're having sex but just lying there to 'get it over' and you were awake and 'consenting', then what kind of man carries on, knowing that you don't want to be there?

There's nothing nice about him

Nanny0gg · 09/08/2025 16:51

SquishedMallow · 09/08/2025 06:59

I believe a good portion of women "get it done" in a longer marriage/relationship- so yes, that's normal.

Be careful what you read on here. Lots of people will jump to say you were raped and to contact rape charities and domestic abuse charities and leave him, get police involved.

You need first a very clear conversation with him: that you don't like being intimately touched when asleep and that is not ok with you. Full stop. How he reacts and proceeds going forward after being told explicitly that you do not give your consent to such acts will tell you everything you need to know.

If she's not awake to give consent and she's never asked him to wake her up in that way, then it's rape. And she's also being sodomised.

Tillow4ever · 11/08/2025 15:57

OP I am so sorry this is happening to you. These replies must be a shock because I suspect you were hoping to post on here and have everyone say this happens to us all so you could ignore that nagging feeling.

I’m sure a lot of us have gone ahead when not fully in the mood either to get a bit of peace & quiet, or because we think once we start we’ll feel more in the mood. Whilst that’s not great, it’s worlds apart from waking up to find your partner with their fingers or cock inside you. He is raping you regularly. He’s not thinking about you and your desires, he’s horny and thinking he can just take what he wants. He didn’t even try waking you to ask if you wanted sex (which would be gross anyway) which tells me that he wasn’t interested in what you wanted at all. Because if he had asked you, you might have said no. In his mind, he’s justified it as not being rape because you haven’t explicitly told him no. Doesn’t matter how he’s justified it, it doesn’t change what it is.

Him being a good man in all other areas of his life, doesn’t make this ok. People aren’t all truly good or truly bad - we’re all a mixture of things. I think it’s harder to call him a rapist when you think of him as being a good man. It’s a lot easier to see it for what it is if he’s always an arsehole.

Take some time to take on board what we are telling you here. You don’t have to make a decision right now about your future, but you do need to do something if you don’t want this to continue. Whether you choose to talk to him and make him realise what it is he’s doing, and stop doing it (I’d recommend therapy if you choose this, for you both) or if you decide you want to report him to the police and get him prosecuted is entirely up to you. One thing to remember is that it is not your fault. If he gets prosecuted and gets a criminal record/it affects his job etc this is ONLY his fault. He chose to start having unconsensual sex with you knowing you were asleep. He even choose to continue once he knew you were awake and you pulled a pillow over your head, making it very clear this wasn’t something you wanted. Don’t feel guilty about any of the consequences he faces from making those choices. Is he feeling guilty about what he’s done to you? I very much doubt it.

Please consider speaking to a professional at least to help you process how you feel about all of this. Good luck and please remember in no way is any of this your fault, you didn’t consent, there was no grey area here, and it’s ok that you don’t know how to feel about it.

GRCP · 11/08/2025 16:06

You put a pillow over your head to disassociate from the act and he carried on. What is rape if not that? Sorry this is happening to you. It isn’t normal.
In my marriage, sex is consensual.

pinkyredrose · 11/08/2025 16:14

RenaultClio · 09/08/2025 06:28

Thanks for the speedy replies. This is not a hoax thread , I've been on Mumsnet for years (I can still remember that thread about an OP who was meeting someone at a bird park in Bourton in the Water) I'm sad someone would think it is.
It's just that I don't think it feels like rape? My husband isn't a rapist. He's very nice! I could have got up or moved away I just chose to be totally still.
I kind of thought it was fairly normal in a kind of lie back and think of England way. I can't be the only one surely?

No it's not normal.

My husband isn't a rapist yes he is.

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 11/08/2025 16:22

Freeze is a trauma response.
When raped most victims do not scream, shout, tell the rapist to get off them.
You freeze because your body goes into survival mode.
Our unconscious freezes us to protect us from further harm, which as rape victims normally means death. May sound extreme but the body’s intuition is powerful.
If you wake up with your body being invaded without your permission, it will react as if the worst is going to happen.
So it freezes to protect, and in the hope that your mind can go elsewhere until the rape is over.
It is hugely common and often used as a defence for rapists who say, well, she never said no, or she just lay there so I thought it was okay.
He knows it’s not okay. He knows what he is doing is degrading and humiliating and that he is scaring you.
He is not a nice man.

K8ate · 11/08/2025 16:40

RenaultClio · 09/08/2025 10:32

Thanks for the helpful posts. I dont think I can reply any more. I'm shattered and haven't really got much to add. Maybe this thread will be useful for someone else. I hope that others can understand that things aren't always clear cut and using the boiling frog analogy someone pointed out actually makes things hard to understand sometimes. I don't think I'll return to this board, the troll hunting and enabling of that by Mumsnet was incredibly upsetting at a time when I just needed a sense check and a bit of support.
Again, thank you to those who have taken the time and effort to support.

Forget the nut job replies on here that could put him in prison if you follow their advice.
You’ve stated he’s a good partner so the next step is to have a frank and honest discussion about what is acceptable to you.

Pregnancyquestion · 11/08/2025 16:54

This reply has been deleted

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Pretending something isn’t rape doesn’t make it true. I’m sorry if you’ve been through something similar and this is how you survive it but don’t tell someone who has been raped to just pretend it didn’t happen

MoveOverToTheSea · 11/08/2025 17:13

stayathomer · 09/08/2025 06:10

Op people get it done, but it’s been initiated while both parties are engaging with each other. Did you say it to him? You were asleep, you can’t consent while asleep, he took it from you. You need to tell him he can’t do that

Yep.
Thats why it’s called Rape.

Lets call it what it is instead of dancing around of telling him he shouldn’t really.

@RenaultClio I’m really sorry for what he has/is doing to you.
And I’m sure the posts on here won’t make easy reading either.

Do you have support around you? Maybe call Rape Crisis?

MiloMinderbinder925 · 11/08/2025 17:15

K8ate · 11/08/2025 16:40

Forget the nut job replies on here that could put him in prison if you follow their advice.
You’ve stated he’s a good partner so the next step is to have a frank and honest discussion about what is acceptable to you.

Get some help.

MoveOverToTheSea · 11/08/2025 17:16

RenaultClio · 09/08/2025 06:58

It isn't. That's actually really upsetting to hear. As I said he's my childhood sweetheart. I thought it was fairly normal albeit perhaps a bit distasteful. I'm happy for Mumsnet to do whatever background checks they do to prove I've been a normal poster over the 20 years I've been here. But thanks for making me feel even more like shit than I now do.

It’s not normal at all @RenaultClio

And Rape Crisis isn’t just about being ‘traumatised’.
Its about getting some clarity around what has happened and know what you’re accepting.

Fwiw it’s normal to freeze in such situation. It’s not because you didn’t say NO that you’re agreed to it.
It’s also not unusual to climax or at least be wet. That’s because it’s a bodily reaction. Not because you’re enjoying it or it’s not rape.