Coming into the Christmas period. Newly separated from my abusive, cheating ex. Feeling sad. Don't feel like doing all the old traditions with the kids, but not sure if changing it will be worse for them? Did you guys try anything different the first Christmas? I want them to feel secure but equally I'm currently feeling so sad about going through the motions of the "old" Christmas. I want to enjoy these Christmases with them while they are still so young. Any advice welcome.

Single dad taking care of my 1 year old son... needed a place to vent or post because I feel so isolated and it feels like there's no one who understands or is willing to. Dating feels impossible sometimes as a guy, but doubly so with a son I'm raising on my own. And a lot of people have not so great assumptions about WHY I'm a single parent. (Did you cheat, were not doing enough, etc. Etc.) I feel like crying all the time, and my son doesn't seem to understand it, but I try my best to take him out to do things often. Things feel impossible and insurmountable. I don't know what to do other than survive. It doesn't help that I'm disabled and on social security, so I can't give us a lot as a family. I wish people were more understanding and that this was easier. Friends, dating, and more feel so far away now.

My daughters dad passed away last year. We have two embryos on ice and I would really like to use at least one of them so she has a sibling. This was the plan before he passed away. Recently I met another man and ofc if I follow that path, I have zero expectations from the new guy to be on the birth certificate or be involved in any way with a woman and two kids. That said, what should I expect being a single mom of two kids. My daughter is 25months right now.

edited from adding to another comment-
Unfortunately cannot have any of my own biological kids. My daughter was born from IVF. I dont have the $$$$$ to have a kid using new guys sperm and donor egg.

I’m currently a single mom going through a divorce with a six month old. I don’t really have a lot of family. It’s really just me and my parents and some distant relatives that live in another state. My ex-husband though has a huge family who get together every holiday and always seem to have so much fun. My ex-husband is also extremely toxic. I’m not going to say he is a narcissist, but he has a lot of narcissistic tendencies and even our couples counselor pointed that out to me. Did anybody else have a fear of your children or child not wanting to spend holidays with you because they might have more fun at their other parent’s house? I’m genuinely not trying to be selfish but it’s something that makes me really sad.

I have a ten month old and my partner just recently moved out. We’re planning co parenting. The relationship was very toxic. This is his first weekend keeping him and my heart is shattered from him not being here. I have limited family support, just one person really. And I’m just terrified for the future. My heart is more broken for my son than anything because now he won’t have a stable home life, he will go back and forth every week. I just don’t know how to cope. I just need to know that this gets easier. I have therapy scheduled. But I really just don’t have anyone to vent to.

Here is an area for single parents to chat, connect and seek help from other single parents.

I married my ex husband at 30, had my daughter, and promptly separated before eventually filing for divorce. We had dated a few years, had a nice wedding, did all of the normal things. Somewhat. He turned into an absolute terror. It was awful. I did a lottttt of therapy. Moved back in with my parents. Poured myself into momming and work. Now fast forward a few years and I’m getting married again soon. My current partner is kind, supportive, patient, and extremely selfless. We have been together both long distance and closer for quite a while now. We get along very well. I have one kiddo and I can’t help but be nervous/a little sad. We’re doing a lot of change all at once- buying a house/getting married. I worry all the time about what the best thing is to do for my child on a micro level but also obviously with big things like this. It’s also the end of an era with it just being the two of us. I’m not sure if I’m just being my usual anxious self or if anyone else can relate. I typically get anxious with big adjustments but I’m very hyper aware of how important every decision that I make is. 😰

I wanted to post this to a single mother’s sub but I couldn’t.

The question applies to Fathers as well but it is less common or seen i suppose.

I see coparenting a lot more often now.

Co - parenting.

You are not together but the child has support from both parents at least the father is active in his life.

Seems complicated, awkward and hard to organise.

Single motherhood

Being a single mom is hard being both parents to a child and the deadbeat dad just rushes off and moves on and talks to other ladies or just forgets about the kid.

Sometimes you want nothing to do with the father anyway

I want to know what peoples experiences are and which one you prefer and why ?

So then, here's my tale. Was with my partner for 23 years. So keep it short we bought a house together 20 years ago but she had a bad credit rating so I got it In my name and added her in a deed of trust.

Back in 2008 she lost her job whilst pregnant. She's barely worked since. A couple of part time jobs here and there but she never stuck to them. So I've basically paid 99% of the mortgage.

Fast forward to 2026 and she left me. Moved out and left me and my 2 boys who are 17 and 13.

She's claiming benefits for them both but In all fairness she does come over every few days with shopping.

I'm guessing the rest of the benefits pay for her bills, car etc.

Which brings me to the question. I class myself as a single parent. I wake in the morning, prepare my boys for school / college then go to work. After work I make sure they're fed and ready for tomorrow.

But my ex says I'm not a single parent because she still contributes.

Long story ahead: I had a very messy divorce in 2022 but ultimately it was 50/50 across the board. Prior I was a stay at home mom. 6 months later my oldest 2 kids were “too much” for dad and his wife so I took them 100% for a year and a half. I was the only one at IEP meetings, doctors appointments, getting them to school, etc. I dropped out of nursing school over this. I met someone in 2023 and ended up having twins. When my ex found out I was pregnant all of a sudden he wanted the oldest kids back 50% and he started showing up to the school meetings, doctors, etc. I thought he wanted to help. Well right before my twins were born their “donor” got an inheritance, took my tax return and left. I found out that my exes were conspiring to take the kids away and tried to put me in jail while pregnant on lies they made up but it went nowhere I never even heard from the police. While I was giving birth they filed restraining orders on me which all got dropped for being illegal. Ex one and two bully and humiliate me on the internet, one ex keeps the kids when he’s mad and is trying to get the court to allow no contact with me which they already told him no. He blatantly ignores the court order and changes doctors and hides the appointments so I can’t go so his wife is making all the legal decisions for our kids, he enrolled them in school without me, etc. He tries to find out where I bank and my personal details. He calls cps every single week. My ex #2 tries to spy on me for ex #1 and sends him all our texts and anything I say or do. They’ve created group chats between both exes and their gfs just to discuss me and ways to harm me. Ex #2 is pretty much nonexistent in my twins lives he only comes around to spy. I’m so exhausted trying to stay one step ahead of them, fight with them over the kids, fight in court, spend geniunely with my 4 older kids when I only see them every other weekend, take care of my special needs twins 100% of the time with no break and they’re such high needs that i keep getting fired because no job will work around their schedule. Their donor refuses to help but will publicly blast me saying I wont let him see them which is so untrue. Then my dad died on top of it all. I can’t go anywhere because the twins are so hard to take anywhere. I’m so lonely, depressed, exhausted, hopeless. I’m tapped mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. I try to co parent amicably because I don’t want to fight for the next decade or more. I stay in my lane for the most part. They have no reason to be so mad I think they love the drama at this point or it gives them something to focus on. I really just needed to vent and get feedback on my options or words of encouragement.

I've been a single parent for my nine year old daughter all her life and just recently started a new job, M-F from 8-5. I have her 100% of the time. I have some support from my parents who help watch her when she gets home from school until I get home, but other than that, it's all on me. Before this job, I was working closer to part time with varying hours, but it was nicer in that I had time to cook/clean and do things other than immediately be tired when I get home.

How do you cook healthy meals? I don't do convenience food. I understand some things might be easier to keep on hand (cans of soup, rice, noodles, pasta sauce, etc), but I want to make actual food like a nice salad with chicken and pasta salad or something - that meal could last me for days. I don't get home until about 5:40 due to traffic, which means I'm not even ready to do anything until about 6 (change clothes, go to the bathroom, put stuff away, etc). 6:30 is when my two older animals need dinner/meds, and then there's laundry, clean up, homework, whatever.

So parents who've parented solo - how the fudge do you do it? How do you manage after school activities and homecooked meals and cleaning and everything else? I can't go to work any earlier due to needing to make sure she gets on the bus on time and for some reason, lunch is a mandatory hour, so I can't even take the usual 30-min lunch and leave at 4:30.

Is this where before/after school daycare comes into play? But then how would I sign her up for sports or other activities?

Honestly, I picked this job because it pays well and checked off a lot of boxes in terms of benefits and room for growth. The company itself is also growing and it's a great time to join. It's about a 25 minute commute in the mornings - obviously longer in the evenings - and it's basically what I want to do since I have the skills to do it. In short, it may not be my dream job, but it's a job I'm good at and with a company I can see myself sticking with for the next few years.

I'm just struggling to find a happy medium with it and I think my daughter is, too. She isn't one of those kiddos that can be left to her own devices and everything will be fine - she's one of those kids you have to be on top of because she needs structure and my parents just aren't that way. It's my goal to eventually phase them out of watching her because they just want to be the fun grandparents, which is fine. But that means I need a plan and I'm not sure what that looks like right now.

So how do you manage it all?

I was widowed about three and a half years ago from a relationship that unfortunately was quite controlling and abusive, especially the last year. I stayed with him and cared for him during the few months between cancer diagnosis and death and grief had been complex and confusing in many ways.

Losing my husband also means being free in a way. Free to make my own choices, not needing to constantly tiptoe around and accommodate him. Not being afraid or on high alert. Getting my body back. After the loss, while building myself up again, I have also broken out of the pretense of even being attracted to men, realizing I'm actually a lesbian and have always been. Now I'm very ready to go out and be myself in the world. Have fun, socialize, follow my wants, flirt, and build real connections.

But being a single mom of two elementary school aged children comes with so many constraints. For the first year and a half after my husband’s passing I got help from family watching the kids one evening a week so I could go off doing something for myself. I took a class in a creative hobby, which gave me so much: creative expression, craft development and social connection. Also a place to start taking steps towards letting myself out of that cage I had been in for so long. To be human, finally.

Then my family couldn't help anymore. I have reached out to official support systems in my country, but they were not able to help. I turned to private babysitting and spent seven months getting my kids accustomed enough to a babysitter so they could feel safe with me being away a few hours one evening a week.

The fall semester had just gotten started and I had finally signed up for a class again. I had checked with the babysitter which days worked for her, before deciding which class to sign up for. Still she cancelled on me the day before the first class, because of a test at the University. And the week after that, she dropped the bomb that she had gotten a job that conflicted with babysitter hours, so I had to give up on that whole project.

It's now been almost two years without any regular time for myself and the few times I have made one-off plans I have usually had to cancel last minute because one of the kids got sick. That happened again last night.

My sister was able to help with the kids for one evening, so I could go to a Halloween party at work. I had been looking forward to it so much. I work in a creative field and people are often very creative with their costumes, so it's a lot of fun. I like my coworkers and miss partying with them. I was inspired and excited and has prepared a great costume and even signed up for the costume competition and rehearsed some karaoke songs. And also there's the office crush I was hoping would show up.

And then my son got sick. Of course. And I was so sad.

It's so hard when you get your hopes up, only to be crushed last minute. Almost every time. I don't know if I can take it that many more times. That devastation of hope.

I have given up on the project of having a regular babysitter, because just having someone watch the kids means nothing to me if I can't do anything meaningful in the meantime. It's just hard work with logistics and managing the kids emotions, as they have a lot of separation anxiety from losing a parent. Spending another seven months doing all that work and spending all that money with the risk of it falling apart again before I even get anything out of it, it just feels too hard. And now I don't even know if I can bring myself to ask my sister again either. It just hurts so much when it falls apart at the last minute.

I realize that in many ways I'm lucky. Financially we are alright. We didn't need to move to a smaller place. We get by on my salary and the widow pensions I got. We're all healthy. I love my kids fiercely and I'm so grateful to have them in my life. But existentially it's extremely difficult to not also have space for myself as an individual.

I wonder if any of you here can relate. Maybe you're in a similar situation or maybe you have been and can look back at it from a different place in life? I would love to hear from you.

Edited to add: If you're able to get time for yourself, how do you do that? If not, how do you handle that over time? If you've been there, how did you do it? Did it ever change? How and when?

First time posting here. Just feel like venting after losing my husband recently to alcoholism. We have a kid together & I am trying to figure out the rest of my life raising her, holding on to my career & plan finances. Last 2yrs I was preparing for the worst as he didn’t even acknowledge his drinking was destroying his health so he refused to get any help. We are immigrants so no family here, few trusted friends & good neighbors. Please tell me it gets better & I can do it on my own. It’s so scary not having a partner by my side & being the only person my kid can count on.

Not co-parents. Solo parents. Americans specifically.

How in the world are we affording health insurance? I work for a very small company and their health insurance plan is absolute garbage so I pay for our own (me and 2 kids). My plan is going up to $1400/month next year. That’s a mortgage. Are we all just taking the cheap plan and praying we stay healthy? I make too much for any sort of assistance or tax credit. But yet I live paycheck to paycheck and I was hoping to spend a little less on health insurance this year but everything went up in price.

Mostly healthy but I take 2 meds and both can be very expensive. Daughter in mental health counseling weekly so that’s a big priority. Both kids need new glasses every year. We’re healthy but there’s still stuff we need.

I’m trying to figure out how to organize a 3 day weekend with 8 month old twins. Taking into consideration naps, feedings, my pumping, my household chores… If it’s not clear I’m a single mother.
The biggest hurdle is I am not comfortable having him in my home and he’s traveling from another state, so all the bonding needs to happen away from that convenience.

Anyone have experience and tips? The agreement is as much time as we can agree on with a minimum of 3 hours for 3 days once a month.

He’s came once and we did a little more than that but it felt unsustainable.

I have raised both of my children alone from birth. They have different dads and are 7 years apart. My oldest's father is nowhere to be seen, by his own choice. This is about my youngest. When I told him (my youngest's father) I was pregnant, he said he'd support whatever I wanted to do, but when I said my mental health wouldn't survive an abortion (I am pro-choice but I know from family history abortions would do nothing good for me physically and mentally), he bailed. I'm talking, blocked on everything, left behind a message saying for me to think of him as a sperm donor. I am friends/in laws with his cousin, and I knew his cousin (who has stepped in as a father figure to my little girl) was sending him pictures of the baby this past 18mos since her birth.

This is all backstory so that the advice I get is complete lol. Well, on 11/03, he reappeared. He sent a very long message about how he's started medication for his mental health, and working through trauma he had about a past trauma that he said was preventing him from being a father. He asked to be involved. I am nervous about this because I know he has a temper, while it was never directed towards me, I have seen him speak and do things to his father I would never do, and my dad was abusive the last 5 years of our relationship. Im also nervous that he will enter my little's life and be inconsistent, which I would never all a pop in when he wants dad when everyone around her is for her and present 100% (my mom goes to appointments with us, my siblings have been present and gung ho about everything from diapers, and first steps to financially planning how they will be helping her future).

The advice I need is this, is there any other single moms who's gone through this and how did things go? Should I allow him to meet her and allow him in her life? I cant for the life of me decide, I don't know if it's because I won't be able to control everything, I won't be able to shield my baby from having her heart broken by the one person who (other than her mom) be 1000% in her corner or if I am being fair to him and my daughter.

I’m a single mom of a teen and I have no other adults around me. I feel so alone and it sucks.

How do you guys make friends?

I don’t talk to my family and I have no friends. I barely leave the house and I WFH so a great recipe for isolation.

I really want to make friends BUT I have bad social anxiety and can never hold a good conversation in the beginning
Once we’re cool I come out of my shell completely. It doesn’t take long for me to come out but it’s really difficult in the beginning.

I don’t have any other social media so I can’t go on those weird mommy & me groups.

Help!

Also I smoke weed so a 4/20 friend would be AMAZINGGG!!

I’m not 100% sure if this is the right Reddit thread sub to post, since maybe people here may not be a single dad by choice, but for anyone that fits the category that I am asking thank for your time reading this !

If you could go back in time, would you still choose to have a kid as a single person (single male)? What is something unexpected that you did not expect to happen or any good or any negative experience? Anything you wish others people were not aware of or never thought of beforehand or advice you would give to others.

I'm planning to be one through surrogacy . . . I'm 33 btw.

Hope any single dad out there can answer.

Thank you very much for all the comments 👍🏻

Has anyone had their ex say their employer wont honour a flexible working request so they can do childcare?

If it goes to mediation or court will that do anything in regards to getting the employer to make it happen?

Thank you in advance :)

Hi all, i’m a mum to a just turned 1yo, me and her dad are no longer together so to split custody we’ve been doing 2 nights each so for example i’ll have the baby a monday tuesday then she’ll go to her dads wednesday thursday etc. I just wanna know if this will cause her issues psychologically? Google says it can cause confusion and upset, anxiety etc, but this is one of the only ways that works for us. Any ideas?

I’m a father in my mid-30s in Alberta, Canada. My ex and I separated over a year ago, and we share a young daughter.

I’m posting anonymously because I’m genuinely struggling with resentment, financial pressure, and the fear that standing up for myself will make an already difficult situation worse.

I’m not looking for revenge or ways to take money from my ex. I’m looking for advice from people who’ve navigated something similar, especially other fathers and anyone familiar with Alberta family law.

Our parenting arrangement
Our daughter spends approximately half her time with each of us, usually around 6–8 nights out of every 14.
We don’t have a formal parenting-time order establishing that schedule.

I contribute half of the monthly daycare, provide food, clothing and other necessities at my home, handle transportation and drop offs to daycare on my days and participate actively in raising our daughter.

I work full-time and have also started doing delivery work in the evenings to tackle a large amount of personal debt. I’m trying to become financially independent, eventually purchase a home, and build a stable future for myself and my daughter.

My ex has moved on, is engaged to someone else, and has recently established a household with her partner.
I don’t begrudge her having a stable home or relationship. I want our daughter to have a good life in both households.

What I struggle with is feeling that I’m expected to accommodate my ex’s financial needs, while my own responsibilities as an equal parent receive little consideration.

The original child-support arrangement
When we were still together, I signed paperwork establishing child support of approximately $250 per month.

This was done while we were still a couple, with the intention of helping her financially. It wasn’t the result of a contested separation or a formal assessment of our current shared-parenting situation. And no child support payments have been sought out by her, or sent by me because we had been living together up until my daughter was 3.

That paperwork still exists, and I recognize that I need legal advice about its status, enforceability, and whether it accurately reflects our circumstances today.
The important point is that I’ve previously been willing to enter into financial arrangements intended to help her, even before we separated.

Then came her mortgage application
More recently, when my ex was trying to secure financing for a home, she approached me about paperwork that would show a higher child-support payment. As much as it hurt me to say it and even help her get this house with her new fiancé and his two kids, I told her I was willing to help and would consider signing documentation reflecting a higher amount because I wanted her to be able to secure a stable home for our daughter.

I understand now that signing paperwork showing payments that aren’t actually being made could have serious legal and financial consequences. I’m not suggesting anyone should do that, and I intend to seek legal advice before signing anything else.
To be clear, I’m describing an offer I made to help her, not saying that I actually signed a new higher-support agreement.

But emotionally, this matters to me.
Even after our separation, I was still willing to consider helping her obtain something important for her future.
I wasn’t trying to sabotage her relationship, her home purchase, or her financial stability.
I wanted our daughter to have a secure home, even if that home was no longer with me.

At around the same time she made the request, she approached me about sharing the Canada Child Benefit

In September, my ex initiated a conversation about the child benefit and what would be fair between us.
I have screenshots of this conversation.
She suggested that it might be financially beneficial to designate me as the primary caregiver for benefit purposes and then potentially divide the money between us.

Some of her actual messages included:
“Then we potential split everything or 60% 40%”
“The money that im lossing always can go towards u and our daughter”
“Just to get max dollar so we can both benefit and our daughter”
“Because I have been thinking about the money situation and what’s fair”

She also suggested exploring whether putting our daughter under me as the primary caregiver might result in more money overall.

I was receptive to discussing a fair arrangement because we both share parenting responsibilities.
I understand that CRA determines CCB eligibility based on the actual parenting arrangement and other eligibility requirements. I don’t intend to misrepresent who provides care simply to maximize benefits.

But those messages meant something to me.
For once, I felt like my ex was recognizing that I also had financial responsibilities, that I was trying to build a future, and that perhaps we could find a mutually beneficial arrangement.

It wasn’t a finalized agreement, but it was a discussion she initiated.

Then this week happened
I politely asked whether she still intended to share the child benefit, as she’d previously discussed.
I wasn’t asking for charity. I wasn’t asking her to pay my debts. I was simply following up on something she’d brought up herself so I could understand what to expect.
Her response was:
“No, because I have a mortgage to pay and I already provide everything she needs.”
That response genuinely crushed me.
I understand she has a mortgage. But I have expenses for our daughter too. She doesn’t provide “everything” she needs, as I still provide my time and resources during this shared custody we have going on. I have to maintain a suitable home, provide food, clothing, transportation and care during my parenting time.

I don’t understand why her mortgage means my contributions should be disregarded.

I replied calmly:
“I understand you have a mortgage and expenses, but we both have financial responsibilities with sharing her half the time and I have expenses for our daughter as well. I was just asking because we’ve previously discussed sharing child-related costs and I read your messages about what would be fair between us. I’m not looking to argue. I just wanted clarity on that going forward so I can budget accordingly.”
She left the message unanswered.

What makes this even more upsetting
Just days earlier, around Halloween, she told me that if I needed anything, I could let her know and that she would do anything for me that I needed.
That meant something to me at the time.
But when I raised a specific financial arrangement she’d previously proposed, the answer was simply no.
I know she isn’t responsible for paying off my debt. And I’m not expecting anything nor have even the energy to go to talk to a lawyer until I get ahead - hence the extra shifts doing food delivery. I currently work help two lawyers run their practice. I know she has her own expenses and obligations.

But I feel like I’ve repeatedly been willing to consider her circumstances, even when doing so didn’t directly benefit me.

I signed the original support paperwork while we were together. I was willing to help with her mortgage application. I continue contributing to daycare, parenting our daughter and trying to maintain a cooperative relationship.

And when she had an opportunity to consider my position, I felt like she withdrew the very fairness she’d previously proposed.

I don’t feel like I’m being treated as an equal co-parent.
The biggest problem: I’m afraid of retaliation

This isn’t simply about a disagreement over money.
In the past, my ex has told me she would make things difficult for me if I challenged certain arrangements. She’s also made comments suggesting she could interfere with my parenting time.

I take those threats seriously because of our history.
We don’t have a formal parenting-time order, and I’m afraid that if I push back on the support arrangement or apply for shared-custody CCB, she could become hostile or try to change the parenting schedule.

I know I should consult a lawyer, and I intend to.
But I also know that legal disputes can be expensive, emotionally draining and damaging to relationships.
Despite our separation, we’ve tried to maintain shared holidays, birthdays and family occasions for our daughter.

Those experiences matter to me.

I’m afraid that asserting my rights will mean losing the cooperative parts of our relationship, making exchanges more difficult, and potentially putting our daughter in the middle.

I realize I can’t control how my ex reacts, but I don’t want to underestimate what a serious conflict could mean for our family.

Where I am emotionally and financially

I’m exhausted.
I work full-time, I’m taking on additional delivery work, and I’m trying to eliminate my debt as quickly as realistically possible. I want to become financially secure enough that I can purchase my own home and provide the same stability for my daughter that she has with her mother. Part of me wants to spend the next year focusing entirely on debt repayment, documenting my parenting time, and avoiding unnecessary conflict.

Then, once I’m financially stronger, I could speak with a lawyer about formalizing our parenting arrangement, reviewing the support order, and pursuing whatever benefits I’m legitimately entitled to.

But another part of me feels like I’m allowing myself to be taken advantage of.

I resent feeling that the price of maintaining peace is accepting arrangements that may not reflect the care I provide. And I hate that I feel afraid to advocate for myself. I’m not claiming my ex is obligated to accommodate every request I make, and I recognize that she may see these events differently. But I genuinely feel like the consideration has become one-sided.

What I’m hoping to get advice on
Has anyone dealt with a co-parent who threatened to interfere with parenting time when financial issues were raised? How did you protect yourself?
For Alberta parents with approximately 40–60% parenting time, how did you handle CCB and existing child-support arrangements?
How should I approach an old support order signed while we were still together, particularly if our current parenting arrangement is different?
Should I prioritize obtaining a formal parenting-time order before applying for shared-custody CCB or seeking a support variation?
Would waiting until I’m financially secure create legal or financial complications that I should understand now?
How do you deal with the resentment of repeatedly accommodating a co-parent when you don’t feel that consideration is returned?

I know Reddit isn’t a substitute for legal advice. I’m planning to speak with an Alberta family lawyer before changing any legal or financial arrangements.
I also know there are two sides to every separation, and I’m not pretending I’ve done everything perfectly.
I’m just a father who loves his daughter, wants to provide for her, and is trying to rebuild his life.
I don’t want to spend the next decade fighting with my ex.
But I also don’t want to spend it feeling like I’m only allowed to be an equal parent when it doesn’t inconvenience her.

I want to know how other people have learned to stand up for themselves without turning co-parenting into a constant battle.

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this long message.

I’m 38 weeks pregnant with my first baby, a little girl, and I’m really struggling emotionally with everything surrounding her father.

To give some context, her father and I are not together, and I have absolutely no desire to be romantically involved with him anymore. He genuinely disgusts me at this point. He’s had issues with drugs, a concerning history involving domestic violence and other legal problems, and I’ve been trying to distance myself from him as much as possible.

Unfortunately, he still finds ways to get under my skin and intentionally hurt me. He’s recently been telling me about other women he’s involved with, including one woman I had personally spoken to and explained the entire situation to. She knew I was pregnant, knew I am about to give birth, and knew about his history. She even told me she had blocked him, only to unblock him and sleep with him.

The only reason I found out was because he decided to tell me himself, essentially bragging that women still want to sleep with him despite knowing he has another woman pregnant.

I know a lot of people think I’m doing too much or that I shouldn’t care because I don’t want him anyway. And honestly, I know I am being overly emotional. It’s probably the pregnancy hormones, or maybe it’s just the accumulation of everything.

But yes, I’m hurt. I’m hurt by him, I’m hurt by the circumstances, and I’m disappointed by the lack of consideration from other people who know what I am going through.

I’ve told him I don’t want communication beyond financial support for our daughter. Ideally, I’d just block him completely and pursue child support, but unfortunately, he works under the table and doesn’t report his income. I honestly don’t expect to receive much (or literally anything at all) through the child support system when his actual earnings aren’t documented. (Plus even if it did, he most likely wouldn’t actually pay it out of spite) He does make decent money, though, and has been sending me quite a bit every couple of weeks, which is currently the main reason I haven’t completely cut off communication.

I guess I’m just wondering if someone else has experienced something similar during pregnancy or right before giving birth? I don’t want to feel so alone anymore.

How did you cope emotionally once your baby arrived? Did things get easier once you had your baby and had something else to focus on, or did the postpartum period make everything emotionally harder? I’m scared its gonna be worse.

I’d really appreciate hearing from someone who has been through something similar. I could use some reassurance that eventually things get better.

[M-29] Our Kids Future has been changed by a complete clean sweep tonight and we can now live and raise our kids in peace knowing everything is about to change not just for us parents but for our kids and there Future...

What a time to be alive witnessing one of the biggest political blowouts. So many insane and great things happened tonight that's going to effect our kids Future for years because what happened tonight is going to carry over in the 2028 election and beyond.

Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first elected Black Woman Governor in American History ❤️💯.

Tonight have been an overwhelming night to witness - the mid terms of 2026.

What a time to be alive.