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Relationships

Frequency

(71 Posts)
cannotbelieveiamaskingthis208 Fri 04-Oct-19 22:06:25

I am not yet a Gran but am sure I am the same age as many of you. I have a question that I am loathe to ask but I need to. I am in a long term, happy marriage. For those of you in a long term relationship (20+) years, how often do you have relations with your partner? Can a marriage be truly happy without sex?

Rufus2 Sat 05-Oct-19 12:51:07

Every day? Blimey! And there's a Feb 29 coming up next year too! grin Please don't show any photos of your DH! I'm just about to get my evening dinner! grin
Cheers wine wine wine

Cagney Sat 05-Oct-19 12:51:09

I think it is very important place that people can ask sensitive questions , I am 55 dh 59 and after two strokes which he has thankfully recovered well from our intimacy waned completely, I felt with all he had been through me pressurising him to perform was. too much
He even suggested I take a lover as didn’t want me to feel unattractive etc etc
Fast forward two years and we are back on top form
Was the one thing none of my friends have fortunately gone through so without sisters the only person I could talk to was the persons who felt was the problem
The desire was still in his eyes and that’s all I needed for then and now

Jane10 Sat 05-Oct-19 12:52:29

My comment was because the OP may be taking a rather prurient interest in the posts. Sadly people are not always what they seem.

sarahellenwhitney Sat 05-Oct-19 12:56:34

Familiarity is, without a doubt after medical issues have been ruled out and medical issues can if not all be treated, a reason for 'disinterest' in sex. As one comment says 'I did my duty as a wife and mother and would not wish for a repeat performance'.Sex is not a duty and if a marriage can be sustained without both ,unusual??, feeling the need then that is up to them.

EllanVannin Sat 05-Oct-19 12:56:43

A perv you mean, Jane10 ? Eeeuuww !

paddyann Sat 05-Oct-19 13:06:13

I dont think there is a "normal" so whatever you're happy with is normal for you.Thats both of you as the problems start when one is interested and the other isn't.Having said that I think all relationships have times when sexual activity is more and times when its less.Thats just life surely .Neither marriage nor love can be gauged by how much sex you have ,its so much more than that

sarahellenwhitney Sat 05-Oct-19 13:10:09

Cagney.You can still enjoy intimacy with H and suggest you get in touch with your GP who will advise on the help you can obtain.Regarding H suggestion ie a lover I do not dvise you taking that path.

grannygranby Sat 05-Oct-19 13:13:34

Haha I thought having relations was about inviting relatives round!

Babadon Sat 05-Oct-19 13:15:00

We Brits find sex, like bowel movements an almost taboo subject. Why? My youngish, very attractive female GP became quite red in the face when I told her that my wife and I, both 67, still enjoy sex thanks to lubricating gel.

Tigertooth Sat 05-Oct-19 13:24:06

MawB

Intrusive or what?
Do people really share this sort of information on a public forum - or even with close friends?
How about bowel motions ? Waxing? Washing underwear?
#Icantbelieveyouareaskingthiseither

Couldn’t disagree more - it’s not intrusive because you don’t need to
Participate.
There are things you can discusd here that you wouldn’t want to discuss with friends. Also you get a more varied cross section of tamales to discuss with.

Op - I’m 53 and have sex once s week to keep DH happy - I am totally disinterested and would love to be a happy celibate couple.
The thought of still rutting at 74 makes me panic - no way.

kircubbin2000 Sat 05-Oct-19 13:32:00

I suppose people talk about it here Maw hoping not to be judged. Friends usually don't discuss these things though I was horrified to find the reason my friend goes to gym at 7.30 is to avoid unwelcome advances from 80 year old at home! The thought of it! I'm very lucky I dont have that problem any more.?

Dottynan Sat 05-Oct-19 13:42:50

MawB as this forum is anonymous I think its a great place to discuss things that are worrying you

MissAdventure Sat 05-Oct-19 13:54:08

Be careful though.
Threads often end up on Twitter and Facebook, and people have been recognised before by 'real life' friends/enemies/relatives (though probably not through posting about their sex lives)

sarahellenwhitney Sat 05-Oct-19 14:10:40

Babadon Is that right? how sadYou need to get out more.

Merryweather Sat 05-Oct-19 14:18:16

Pre pregnancy probably every other day.
Now, I'm so not interested and it's once a week at best. I just seem to have lost my desire for it - not him though. I'm hopeful that I will return to normal for us after the birth. Hormones, tiredness and feeling somewhat frumpy isn't a good for sex drive, although his desire is just as it always had been. I do feel awful for not satisfying him. Not guilty as such, but like I'm failing our relationship.

Coolgran65 Sat 05-Oct-19 14:23:04

Both 70 and still active. Medical issues on both sides mean not as often as in 50s or 60s but still active about every two weeks. I agree it is not vital for a happy marriage, it’s what works for ‘you’ as a couple smile

cannotbelieveiamaskingthis208 Sat 05-Oct-19 14:23:14

Sorry. I didn’t mean to be intrusive or offensive. No one was forced to reply. I am truly in a time in my life where I wanted to see if what I am experiencing is truly unusual. I have not posted here before. I post on Mumsnet infrequently and under another name. As I said in my post I am not a grandmother but I believed there may be people of a like age on here. I will not make the mistake again. Thank you for the people who were comfortable responding. The info was helpful. Again, I apologize.

JulieMM Sat 05-Oct-19 14:29:17

I too believe it’s good to air niggly worries here as it can help to ‘normalise’ the private anxieties we have. By seeing such a cross-section of comments we can see feel reassured to some extent. smile

Caro57 Sat 05-Oct-19 14:43:19

I'm early 60s DH 8years older,coming up to 11th WA - not the first time for either of us. No sex for 2/3/4 years now - I can't remember. Started with him being unwell then I was menopausal, I think he would still like a sexual relationship but he's not well again (heart failure) and, to be honest, I don't think he could manage. I am quite happy without............

BlueBelle Sat 05-Oct-19 14:47:50

I agree with Jane10 please be careful this thread may not be what it seems

MissAdventure Sat 05-Oct-19 14:52:59

Its hardly juicy material though, is it?

ninathenana Sat 05-Oct-19 14:56:27

We are 65 and 71 respectively. He is still affectionate, kisses and cuddles, holding hands while were out but nothing more for a few years now mainly due to his meds and our aches and pains.
I used to enjoy it a lot but at our stage of life I don't miss it.
Sex dosen't have to involve intercourse........just saying.

Norah Sat 05-Oct-19 15:11:47

Switch topics to waxing, taboo in equal parts to some? grin

Saggi Sat 05-Oct-19 15:46:09

My husband has been unable to ‘perform’ since his stroke 23 years ago.....he was 50 and I was 46 . A marriage can ‘survive’ but not happily!

grandtanteJE65 Sat 05-Oct-19 16:25:08

The point is really not how often any of us do it, but whether a couple are in agreement about what they do, how often they do it and so on.

Obviously, ill health can put the tin lid on sex within a marriage or long-term partnership. Spouses don't always feel the need of the same amount, but it should be possible to reach a compromise.

If both husband and wife really mean that they no longer want or need or enjoy sex, then I see no reason why they shouldn't still be able to have a happy marriage. After all sex is (usually) part of a marriage, but it isn't the be-all-and- end-all, is it?

I'm not going to tell anyone how often DH and I make love as we regard that as too private to discuss with others.

OP, talk to your husband honestly and kindly and work something out with him that suits you both.