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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

Please help a very sad and confused new dad

475 replies

LostBoy · 21/02/2010 11:25

Hello all
I am writing this post out of shher desperation in the hope that someone will be able to offer me some helpful advice.
I have been with my wife for 8 years and we have had what i would consider a normal healthy loving relationship, Of course we have had ups and downs and rows and disagreements but no more so than any other couple I know.
We have recently become parents (9 months ago) to a beautiful baby girl and things at first were fine we were a very happy little family and were getting along really great working as a team learning how to be a family.
Our daughter had slept in her cot from the day we come home from the hospital and would wake on average 3 times a night for feeds.
we both shared all responsibilites and were supporting one another really well and really enjoying being parents.
However when the baby was around 6 months old she got a bad cold and was very poorly and upset and would not sleep without being cuddled so we had her in bed with us which was fine and we both discussed that we would not let her get used to this and as soon as she was better she would go back to her cot as our bed is not big enough for all three of us and both me and my wife were not sleeping as well as a result.
However when the baby was well agian my wife refused to put her back in to her cot and insisted the baby sleep in with us saying that the baby would no longer sleep in the cot which was untrue as I had been putting her down to sleep in the cot but my wife was then getting her out of the cot and bringing her in to bed with us.
I tried to explain to her that I thought this was not a good thing to be doing as it was a big step backwards for the baby and none of us were sleeping as well anymore.
She accused me of not wanting the baby in our bed so because I wanted sex which was totally not the case as I love my wife very much and would like nothing more than to be able to make love to her but she has told me that she dosent feel ready too and that is fine with me and I would never ever try to pressure her in to something she did not want and I told her this and that I was more than happy to wait as long as she needed.
ut then she started to accuse me of only doing stuff for her helping her and being nice to her so that she would have sex with me, she also began to accuse me of thinking things and would make her mind up what my intentions were and what i was going to say before I had had a chance to say anything choosing always to see the bad side of whatever I said or twst my words and actions in to something really ugly,
I love my wife with all my heart and it is deeply upsetting for me to hear the spiteful and nasty stuff she says about me and accuses me of.
It got so bad thet she would not let me even hug kiss or touch her and whenever I showed any sign of affection towards her she would get angry,
She is seeing a CBT councellor for post natal depression and we have been going to relate together but she is unwilling to try to make it work and it has now come to the stage where she is saying she dosent love me and has made me move out of our flat and I an now staying with friends.
I have continued to tell her I love her and that I will always be there for her and tried to make her feel better about herself but all i get in return is anger and spitefull comments.
She is almost unrecognosible as the woman I Love and behaves so completely irratonally and unreasonably but refuses to see this and blames me for everything and gets angry over nothing and will use anything to try to start a fight with me. I am at a total loss as to what to do now.
I love my wife so much and she has given me the most amazing thing in the world all I want is to be able to love them both care for them be there and be a family. But she has got so hostile and aggressive towards me now that I am scared for her and cannot stand to be around her and see her this way.
Our daughter is upset that I am not around and although I try to be ther as much as I can my wife is making it impossible for me to vist and refuses to let me be alone with the baby.
please please help me I have never felt so sad and desperate.

OP posts:
RubyPink · 23/02/2010 22:24

how can you tell how many posts someone has made?

MadameDefarge · 23/02/2010 22:30

the "dig" at itsgrace was in response to her suggestion that people who had not lived with someone with PND should keep their opinions to themselves

Seems perfectly reasonable to suggest using the same criteria regarding parenting and experiencing PND.

theyoungvisiter · 23/02/2010 22:30

you could ask him to change back to lostboy, and post "I am lostdog" for confirmation.

Only he would be able to do that as he owns lostboy.

But I think they are the same - the styles are very similar.

Lostdog/boy I'm sorry you've had a bit of a hard time on this thread but I think much of it was because, as Dorothea says, you didn't seem to be engaging with the advice about your family situation at all. You came across as more interested in defending yourself and sparring with other posters.

This gave people the impression (perhaps wrongly, I don't know) that you were more interested in unconditional sympathy than in actually receiving advice.

You asked people to give you an insight into the situation from your wife's perspective, and then seemed dismissive or even angry when they did.

And fwiw, to those who have claimed double standards operate on MN, I disagree that people are doing this because he is a man. I think people are JUST as aggressive to female posters who are perceived as ignoring advice and failing to address questions about their own behaviour.

theyoungvisiter · 23/02/2010 22:32

"By MadameDefarge Tue 23-Feb-10 22:20:51
yes yes yes. He said so, he named changed for Dittany "

Yes but only lostdog has said he was lostboy, iyswim. So that's not conclusive proof. Anyone could turn up and say "I changed my name, I was X".

But as I said, I do think they are the same.

I haven't a clue what was happening with the nonna though - that was just plain weird!

ItsGraceAgain · 23/02/2010 22:33

Well, I was describing my experiences of being a nanny for mums with PND. I'm sure any valid contributions I might have made to this thread have got lost amongst the general shouting.

MadameDefarge · 23/02/2010 22:35

yes, and you said people should keep their opinions to themselves if they had not the experience you had.

RIght back at ya.

MadameDefarge · 23/02/2010 22:38

But I'm not going to fight with you. 'Tis pointless. Just a word to the wise, don't suggest people keep their opinions to themselves based on a limited life experience of some events.

That was my point.

ItsGraceAgain · 23/02/2010 22:39

MmeD. You are right. I am wrong. I am worse than a slimy, squashed slug beneath a mouldy stone. You are a shining angel of light and wisdom. I bow before you.

Can we stop now?

MadameDefarge · 23/02/2010 22:43

No no, you are too harsh on yourself, just a tad misguided perhaps.

hobbgoblin · 23/02/2010 22:44

Flipping Nora this thread is horrible.

Psychosis involves paranoia. The DW has paranoia about the motivations of her DH seemingly.

That is all I can deduce really - there seems to be a whole lot of other stuff attached to this but it seems rather as though a load of man hating his going on for some reason which I really cannot fathom.

Utterly as to why this thread has turned like this.

Mental illness betrays people. I see an OP who feels betrayed in his relationship by the PND/Psychosis and who is trying to remain the loving husband.

Rindercella · 23/02/2010 23:42

MadameD, just a gentle word that I really don't think you have done yourself any favours, particularly in your last few posts. I much admire some of your posts on other threads, but this really hasn't been one of your finest moments on MN.

That said, I think the same could be said for many of the posters on here (including myself perhaps). The fighting and bitching and one-upwomanship has been ugly in the extreme.

MadameDefarge · 23/02/2010 23:45

Yes, I agree Rindercella. Nobody's finest moment.

AllRoadsLeadBackHome · 24/02/2010 08:53

A man! We had a man round these parts before. He was up to not good. You must be up to no good too waves pitchfork

dejavuaswell · 24/02/2010 09:05

The saddest part of this thread is that I was able to predict that the OP would get flamed and who would do the flaming!

Lostboy pay no attention to the no small minded sisterhood of "Women can do no wrong". They give Mumsnet a bad name and I wish they would at least try to take a more gender neutral view.

alypaly · 24/02/2010 09:34

Lostdog have you had any progress with OH? I wish my ex had been as emotional as you are and then maybe he wouldnt be my ex?

Try and help her through this ,just let her talk....talk talk until she has talked it out of her system.PND is a most overwhelming illness. Just try and be her rock and if you have an opportunity,tell her how its making you feel too.

Anniegetyourgun · 24/02/2010 10:30

I'll tell you why I flamed and was silly on a thread with such a serious theme. I should probably be very ashamed of myself for jumping down the throat of a young man whose wife appears to be suffering from mental illness - hopefully temporary - and who is trying to get a grip on what is happening and what he can do about it, for his wife's, his child's and, fairly enough, his own sake. But I still don't see that man, where many of you kinder souls do. I could be wrong (though my instincts nearly always are right, it's when I reason myself out of them that I feck up) but the OP never read completely sincerely to me, and his responses since have just reinforced the view.

For my part at least, it is NOT a strident anti-man knee-jerk etc. True I was married to a very strange man, about whom I have waxed wroth many times, but the OP is not him. I have four lovely sons, one of them married and two others of dating age, and would like nothing better than to practice my husband-supporting skills, with the added benefit of encouraging men to use Mumsnet for what it does best - insight and sympathy from people who have been there. I have known male friends on the receiving end of some frankly psycho women. I've also had PND. It didn't take me in the same way as Mrs Lostboy, but I know that it can.

Re the timing issue raised by Aussieng, the OP posted "I am desperate" etc on a Sunday morning, and then fecked off for a few hours while it brewed. Obviously not everybody is able to spend the day mucking about on the pc , but it is typical troll behaviour to set a hare running then leave everyone to chase it, and at the time I called him the T-word he had not posted again. The fact that he did then come back indicates that he is probably a genuine poster, though trolls do engage in threads too. However I totally agree with theyoungvisiter (yes I do get the literary reference!) that he doesn't seem very keen on listening - and yes, we get very harsh on female posters who beg for advice and then ignore it, or worse, lash back. He did get strongly challenged to explain his part in her depression, but isn't that what good therapists do? Ask challenging questions? He didn't handle them at all well.

Just to repeat what I said a couple of days ago, we have had some lovely male posters and, as far as I remember, everybody's made them pretty welcome - including quite a few of the posters who have given this one a hard time.

hobbgoblin · 24/02/2010 10:39

I'm not really interested in the justifications of mumsnetters who have been suspicious and criticial. I'm interested in the OP and his problem? Is that the case for anyone else here or is this a 6th sense/troll hunting abilities competition and I've not realised?

So, any chance you could stop the waffling on about yourselves and talk about the OP's problem? Just maybe?

DorotheaPlenticlew · 24/02/2010 11:03

hobbgoblin, people put loads of time and effort into trying to advise him futher down thread. Lots of posters took the time to talk at length about his problem. He didn't seem very interested though.

giveitago · 24/02/2010 11:26

Aussie - congrats on your pregancy and do not let mn put you off - relationships threads do bring out extreme reactions in people.

You are the mum to your child and you and your dp will no doubt thrash out who does what etc.

Lostboy/dog says the nonna post is not real - perhaps thisstory is so common some other mil thinks it's about her daughter!

Hope everyone in the situation is OK.

TrillianAstra · 24/02/2010 12:41

Please note: Trillian is not me. I have no particularly strong views about co-sleeping. And I have not read the thread. Thank you.

dukeofhazard · 24/02/2010 13:00

"Please help a very sad and confused new dad"

Should stopped at "very sad".

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...

Bloke has a girlfriend...
They have baby together...
Girl goes through some shit...
Bloke is an un-empathic control freak...
Bloke gets dumped by girlfriend...
Bloke doesn't get sympathy from anyone in real world...
Bloke goes on a site girlfriend browses, makes up load of crap, claims she's insane, claims she's a bad mum...
Bloke revels in newly achieved victim status awarded from anonymous web users...
Bloke's tactic's backfires as people still see through his bu11shit...
Girlfriend hasn't replied as she is too proud to stoop that low - some of her friends aren't that proud...

Why else would a bloke sign up to a site called mum's net, other than in a pathetic attempt to anonymously hurt that person who is the mum? If they want advice and sympathy, go on [email protected] and post in the "victimised man who's been dumped by his cruel, cruel girlfriend for no reason" thread... oh yeah, she won't see that will she? They probably wouldn't believe him either...

Gotta admit, restores a bit of faith in humanity that so many people weren't fooled, by such a lame and pathetic action.

piprabbit · 24/02/2010 14:10

Dukeofhazard, we MNers can't have it both ways. We can't tell a Dad asking for support to knob off because we are mum's net, while on a concurrent thread be telling someone else that MN is an inclusive supportive environment for anyone who wants to take the plunge.

thumbwitch · 24/02/2010 14:52

what piprabbit said.

AllRoadsLeadBackHome · 24/02/2010 16:03

Dukeofhazard, do you know the guy in RL?

mathanxiety · 24/02/2010 16:56

I have been thinking about the timing thing too, Annie, from a different angle. The baby is now 9 months old. The co-sleeping started when the baby was 6 months old -- has the tussle over who sleeps where been going on for 3 months? I am musing about this in the context of the OP's remark about his wife trying to pick fights with him. I am also wondering exactly how long the OP has been sleeping at the friend's place. Was he kicked out recently or has it been a while?

Another reference from the OP that I see -- when someone says he is more than willing to wait for his wife to be ready for sex, it would come across to me that this was hanging over me, that despite the possible intention of being a patient husband, you are actually going to come across as someone waiting around, looking at his watch, tapping his foot, wondering if she was ready yet. A bit like the DCs in the car asking "are we there yet?" When you say you're willing to wait, you're also saying you're waiting, IYSWIM. You're stating a goal that you assume your wife is also aiming for.

Goals seem to be a matter of some importance to you, Lostdog reading through your post again I see you refer to the baby sleeping in the bed as a backward step. I see that sleeping better despite having a baby is a goal of yours too (and I get that, believe me, having lost about 10 years of sleep myself, but I also think it's an unrealistic goal) and now I am getting an impression from your quick posts that you are able to focus on only one goal at a time, i.e., work during the week, post looking for help on the weekend is it possible that in your focus on the goal of sleeping, you dropped the relationship ball? You seem to have some sort of tunnel vision thing going on.

You have the time to come back and say you haven't the time to say anything. The polite thing to do would be to think a little about what has been advised (if indeed the problems you have described are a priority to you), and also to answer some of the questions that have been asked. Focusing on one thing and one thing only at a time is an annoying trait, imo.

Again, to refresh your memory and save you the time it takes to scroll through the thread, here are a few things I want to know what sort of support system does your wife have in RL? Does she have family around her? Friends? Is she English/ does she speak English? Do you have friends in common are you sleeping with people who are friends of hers too? Have you told your joint friends what you posted here? Have you used the same language, made the same contrasts between your reasonable behaviour and her lack of same? Point here is to ascertain if she might be isolated and how you could help her in this area, and also how you might have contributed to it. Support in RL is important for someone who has PND. I hope you have not taken support away from her.

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