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In a crisis - please help with your opinions

Sass2021's picture

Hi there,

 

just trawling the Internet and found this site - some of the posts I read really resonated with me. I feel like some people will have some serious judgment for me but I'm in a shitty situation and have no one (except my psychologist) to turn to...

I entered a relationship with a man about 18 months ago. It was passionate, loving and intense which is what drew me in. He was in the process of separating from his wife and the split is extremely nasty. They have a business together and 2 daughters (9 and 5). I should point out I have a 4 year old son  with a wonderful father. 
 

I am now pregnant to my partner and scared shitless. I thought I desperately wanted a baby with him but so many red flags are popping up. I hate to say this but his children annoy me - I really struggle with the fact I can't discipline them, they dress like hobos and won't even brush their hair, are both highly emotional children and in psychology therapy already (which is probably a good thing given how acrimonious their parents' divorce is....

I don't know whether I want to keep the baby or not. And just run. I feel selfish and like a terrible person but I'm just struggling to think of having to spend so much time with the girls in the home I live in. And being permanently tied to them and their mother. 
 

they don't clean up after themselves, are lazy, extremely spoilt as their mother/grandmother are very wealthy. 
 

I also struggle with the way my partner parents my son. My partner is from the country and is very old fashioned in that boys should be tough and manly and go shooting/fishing etc. so as a result he is not warm at all to my child whereas his daughter are treated like princesses. 
 

With regard to My partner - I'm finding it all so unappealing now that it's not just us on the scene. I know he is struggling in that he has my son as well, but I just am scared shitless. 
 

 

I also don't want to hurt my son with the fact I'm potentially having a baby with someone else. 
 

im extremely torn. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you. 

nappisan's picture

Welcome , you are among friends here !  super tough situation your in but all i can say is you need to put you and your son first, straight up !   I was in a very similar situation to you when i first met my parnter (now ex).  He was going through a nasty seperation that dragged on for years and years,, they owned property together and that dragged on even longer as neither one of them would do anythiing about ,,, i will say ,, i hope this man is efficient in his dealings and sorts out any assest division etc and doesnt let it drag,,,, if you feel he is already putting his head in the sand get out now !!!!   Also i can relate to being pregnant to these type of men ,, (this may be a touchy subject for some , but just trying to help)  i too also fell pregnant to this man,,i chose not to continue through with the pregancy and im so glad i didnt.  My son  from a previous relationship is about to turn 19 and we have a great relationship and if i had of continued through with the pregnacy, i would have been alone raising a young child to a man that cant get his shit together.     This man should not be parenting your son and you dont need to parent his brats.  His kids are the way they are becasue of both parents poor parenting, and this is not a job you need to take on.  you have only been with him for 18mths , my advice and most people on here are going to tell you the same thing...RUN

Sass2021's picture

Thank you so much for your reply...it means the world. I am just a ball of stress and anxiety and getting quite panicked at times. 
 

The financial stuff will be settled soon as it goes to court on 1 March so whatever the judge decides will finalise it reasonably soon. 
 

it's all made worse by the fact I just had my obstetrician appointment and he said it's such a healthy baby and called it a "miracle baby" multiple times as I have had fertility issues. 
 

im almost 36 I just worry this is my last chance to have a baby or give my son a sibling. I just also worry about how it will hurt my sons dad - even though I know I need to do what's best for me. But I just feel something isn't right....

JRI's picture

I think you should make an exit plan.  You sound scared and shaky but I think you know you need to leave.  As tough a decision as it must be, I'd not continue the pregnancy.  Take care of you and your son, those are the priorities.  Very best luck to you and im hoping for your best possible outcome.

Sass2021's picture

I'm so grateful you took the time to comment - thank you. I am scared shitless. I'm mostly scared of regret on either side. No amount of therapy is helping me make a decision, although I do have a phone hookup with the social worker from the termination clinic tomorrow...

GrudgingSM's picture

...they won't be going away. In fact, things will likely get harder. As the girls get older, they are almost guaranteed to get more difficult (dear god, teenagers...). If you stay, the BM will almost assuredly be triggered by things in your relationship and lash out (especially if this is already acrimonious). And if you continued with the pregnancy, it will be monumentally more difficult. If it was me, I would probably terminate the pregnancy and leave the relationship. Focus on your son and yourself. That doesn't make you a terrible person. Also, from my own experience, that first relationship right out of a divorce is intense (maybe too intense) and is hard to see clearly. I'm glad you see these red flags now, and I know leaving will be difficult if you decide to go that route, but it can and will be so much better. you're strong enough to do it, and it sounds like it will definitely be better for both you and your son.  

Sass2021's picture

Thank you for providing me your advice. I'm just in tears at the moment. I'm sitting here watching my sons swimming lesson and I love him so much and have so badly wanted a sibling for him - but I keep thinking I can't handle the stress and heartache. I worry I may never get pregnant again and am so scared to regret things. But then I don't want to be sitting with a new baby in my arms and having to do everything for my son while he is doing everything for his girls and just perpetuate the whole "us" and "them" mentality that already exists....

The_Upgrade's picture

My sometimes not so dear DH had a particularly nasty split with his ex wife. And she poisoned their daughter against him. Then I got pregnant with our own DD. At first I thought I found someone loving, attentive, dependable. He was funny to be around and said all the things I wanted to hear. I believed we were a team that could overcome anything. I believed it would shatter me to lose someone as wonderful as him.

Turns out with time his ex got no less crazier and he had the choice to be a doormat to see his daughter or develop a spine and never see her again. He chose doormat. After countless lies about money he'd diverted to fund his precious princess who only picks up the phone for money I've lost the respect I used to have for my husband. I've also found it especially hard to ever trust him again. Where once I thought I wouldn't be able to cope if he wasn't in the world, nowadays I'm just apathetic. 

Your own partner will always be the rope in the tug of war game. Torn between daddy divorce guilt to his precious princesses and trying his best to be disney daddy of the year and his relationship with you. You will always be put second because you're the dependable one vs the volatile first family. The double standards will grate on your son's relationship with him and eventually with you for bringing him into this not so blended family. My point is that this situation you're in won't change. Up to you if you want to bring another life into the mix but having babies don't fix problems. They bring forth more. If I thought SD and DH's ex couldn't get any crazier they certainly proved me wrong after my DD was born. 

Sass2021's picture

Far out everything you say sounds so spot on. He is being stung for extremely expensive school fees and she wants an extra $50 grand a year in child support. Meanwhile she is a millionaire as a result of her access to family money. She just wants to ruin him financially. 
 

she has turned up on the doorstep once when the kids let slip my partner was at the football and they were home alone with me. She knocked on the door with one of her friends and basically ripped them out of the house. 
 

i hate the fact that I don't "delight" in his children and he doesn't "delight" in mine. Don't get me wrong he has watched him solo a few times and he plays with him and looks after him well. It's just all the other things. Like saying he is too clingy to me, criticising his development with toilet training....

one time we were in the car on a long drive and he took a tally of the number of times my son said the word "mummy", apparently it was 200+, but he literally counted it out loud every time he said it. 
 

Everything in my head tells me to run...something just doesn't feel right and I feel like I should be listening to it.....

The_Upgrade's picture

Is the thought of never having a second child worse than bringing a child into the mess that is steplife with this guy? And also consider that if you share a child with this guy it'll never have as much as his daughters. The finance pie is only so big. More people means smaller slices for everyone. Only nothing says those slices will have to be equal. You can bet that those skids will be making a racket if they receive anything less than what they feel they're owed. Sometimes steplife feels like you're working hard to see your money fund his ex and kids. I feel like I always have to be on guard.

tog redux's picture

I'm very pro-choice, but that's a big decision to make given that this is a wanted child. You can leave and keep the child - will it be stressful to deal with the child's father? Yes, but not impossible. He won't likely get any type of joint custody until the baby is at least 2 or so, as most states don't see it in the child's interest to be passed back and forth as an infant. You aren't saying he's an abusive father, so your child spending time with him won't be dangerous.

I don't think your choices are stay or terminate the pregnancy, I wouldn't think about it that way.

Dogmom1321's picture

Before you make a decision about terminating, I would have an honest conversation with your BF. Let him know your concerns, but also lay out some options. Would he be okay with signing over his rights? 

justmakingthebest's picture

Babies rarely, if ever, make things better. There is some temporary bubble of love that happens upon arrival but that bubble bursts rather quickly. 

I also don't think that you should be worried about how your son will feel about you expanding your family and having another child. That is not his choice and parents should not allow their kids to have that much power. 

I don't know if I am prolife or prochoice anymore- I am just thankful that I have never had to be in the situation where I had to think about it. That being said, in my opinion abortion shouldn't be an "oops, I changed my mind and don't want this baby anymore". 

Live apart. Establish your own home and routine again. Nothing you said indicates he is a horrible father, just a lazy one. You can come up with a good parenting plan together to give that baby the best life possible with 2 parents that love him/her, maybe just not each other anymore. It takes work, but it sounds like you already have a good relationship with your son's father, so you know how to do it. 

When it comes to your stepkids, you are upset about how they appear and aren't allowed to discipline- that is most of the step parents in this world. I would do anything to be able to cut off the stupid mullet that my stepson has. I have to create a fuss over my other SS bathing almost everyday. If you want to stay and you don't have the power to change the kids- disengage. 

Let them stink, let them be dirty. Don't cook, don't clean, don't do anything. If they leave things around after they go back to their mother's house, dump it in their rooms or clean it up by putting it in the trash. It is passive aggressive but also a lifesaver technique. 

CLove's picture

Take some time out alone. If you can. Reach inside yourself and listen to that inner voice. If you pray, pray and listen.

I am 53, with no bios, so my opinion would be keep the baby. But this is YOUR life and you need to do what is best for YOU and your SON. The fact is that you are not compatible with this man. You can twist yourself into a pretzel in several different ways to "make it work". It wont be impossible, but is it going to be miserable for you and your son? The skids will probably get worse over time. Their parents are failing them, the BM is super toxic and out for destruction, but at the core of it, this guy wont allow you in there, doesnt accept you as his partner, an equity partner. He is critiqing your parenting and your child. Hes not accepting your son.

Id bail and keep child, but again, you need to listen to what your heart is going to tell you. Talk it out here as much as you need to.

((( HUGS)))

Rags's picture

Please do not continue to sacrifice yourself on the alther of your SO's crappy parenting and failure to be your equity life partner.

Do what you have to do to leave and take your own child(ren) with you.

TheBrightSide's picture

Is it possible you've made your decision and feel guilty about that decision and looking for validation?   

Your body, your choice.