i'm really starting to believe that. she just doesn't seem to show any interest in sex whatsoever. we've had a few conversations about it. she always says she'll try and make a bit more effort but then she never does. any toys, lingerie, etc i buy her just seems to end up left in the wardrobe unused. even on the odd occasion when she wears something, her whole manner is so awkward about it all that it's not much of a turn on. i've never had this type of problem before - all my previous girlfriends have had pretty healthy sexual appetites. i don't think i'm over the top with what i'm expecting from a relationship in terms of sex, but i really don't know what to do anymore. the stupid thing is that we get on just as well as always apart from this issue. to be honest i'm starting to think that if i went and met someone else for sex i'd almost be fully justified as i feel that i've made as much effort as i can to make the whole thing work to try and stop it coming to that situation.
maybe this is a silly question, but since you haven't addressed it i'll ask anyway. have you talked to her about this? as in, a long, serious conversation? you say she's not very sexual, but when she attempts to be her manner is 'awkward' then hold that against her? doesn't sound to me like you're trying all that much. love and support can go a long way.
i say in my original posting that we've talked about this, and yes they have been serious conversations.i don't know how you can assume that i'm not trying very much from my posting. the fact that she's awkward is probably due to the fact that she doesn't make an effort most of the time so when she does you kinda get the impression it's going through the motions and therefore isn't that much of a turn on. i guess it's like a lot of things. if you play golf or something regularly you'll get good at it but if you only try it once in a blue moon then there's probably not going to be much improvement. in terms of support, i do actually give her plenty of that. it's not like when she does decide to do something that i turn my eyes up to her or say actually that wasn't very good.
we've got one kid, so, yeah, you kinda expect things to be a bit quieter in the sack. but, to be honest, it wasn't fantastic before he came along anyway
I have a suggestion. It might help and it might not, but if it doesn't help it will least stir the pot. When you're in bed together at a suitable time, ask her to masturbate in front of you and promise that you'll then masturbate in front of her. If she's self-conscious, suggest simultaneous mutual masturbation. If she says no to that, pull out your cock and masturbate in front of her anyway. Maybe she'll join in. Bring a porno in to your bedroom and just play it without asking her in advance. Ask her to watch. If she leaves the room, keep watching and talk later. If she stays in the room, stroke off in front of her. Again, invite her to join in. If she says no, keep going and have an orgasm anyway. See what happens next. In other words, don't wait for her to bring her sexuality to you -- bring yours to her. Whatever the results are, you'll learn a lot.
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Posted - Apr 13 2008 : 4:13PM
Have you tried massaging her first? It takes more than buying lingerie and toys to get many women in the mood. Sometimes it can be as simple as you doing the housework so she's happier with you (and not burdened by all the shit that needs to be done around the house.) Try sensual before sexual - cook a nice meal, wine, low lighting, massage, bath, fire. Some women use sex to relax. Others may need to relax before they want sex. Do you suck her toes, lick her pussy? What are you doing to get her in the mood?
Get couples counselling. Seriously. A good expert can find the core of the problem, whether it's biological, psychological, or a combo of both. And very likely (IMO), it's interlocked with other things that don't seem related. Fix one and you'll likely fix some other problems at the same time.
Good suggestion.This is worth trying and may be helpful, but sometimes a woman's expressed preferences in this regard are a blind. I had this experience with my wife. At one point, she said that I wasn't being [traditionally] romantic enough, so I started being [traditionally] romantic. No change in her behavior. I tried a million different things to relax her. No change. Finally, she owned up to the fact that her trouble relaxing was her problem and her responsibility and that nothing I did one way or the other had much impact. Things have improved since then. I vote for kind but firm and proactive confrontation. . [edited for spelling] Edited by - bob on 4/13/2008 8:15:54 PM
This isn't a very productive way to think about it, because it's simplistic and conclusory. Better simply to analyze and describe things as they are: (1) she doesn't show enough interest in sex; (2) she says she'll try but then she doesn't really follow through; and (3) she seems awkward and self-conscious when she does try. There can be a vicious circle with sexual problems. If your wife feels self-conscious about sex, your discussions make her feel more self-conscious. Then, she is nervous and acts awkwardly during sex. This turns you off and makes you feel frustrated, and you tell her so. Rinse and repeat. This doesn't make it your fault, but fault isn't a helpful way to think about it from her perspective, either. When you're talking, try to identify the problem that you're having sexually as a couples problem -- one that you need to work on together. It's better to be on the same side in dealing with an issue rather than staring at each other across a divide. . [edited for spelling]
Forgive me if my thoughts are all over the board on this one. My wife and I have been dealing with issues like these for a long time, and it's damn complicated. It requires patience on both your parts. One small piece of advice: Forget the toys and lingerie for now. They are undoubtedly making her more self-conscious. Save them for when your sexual relationship is stronger and you just want to spice things up. A related idea: Don't think of your sexual encounters as "events". Try to keep sex as emotionally simple and instinctual as possible. Final thing: If your child is young, it's going to make things worse. Women with young children are strung out. That's just the way it is, as far as I can tell. Being the mother of a young child is harder on a woman's sex drive than being the father of a young child is on a man's. Unless your child is older than three, it's hard to get around it. Wait it out. . [edited for spelling]
Is this the part of the thread someone pops in a mentions the online rental plans that outfits such as XRentDVD and BushDVD. If you get yourself on a plan with 8 DVDs you will be set. Usually toys does it - thanks Steph! Do you always have to initiate sex? Or does she sometimes? You can't pester her too much and just wait for the right night when she makes a grab at you or parades around in her panties.Yikes. I don't know dude.
i know, but it seemed very offhand. i would've though that would've been the main focus of your post.exactly. i think everyone else's suggestions in this thread are great and if you try a combination of them and stick with it, you can change her attitude.
There is great power in saying, "No." Sometimes, in order to maintain the power balance in a relationship, you have to find non-coercive but potent ways of saying "Yes".
in my experience when thats an issue - it is %99 anxiety about something. there is the odd one in a million person that really has zero sexual desire though. either way do something about it. talk to a relationship counselor together.
"Don't let your lava love turn to stone." 489 Posts 5/06
Posted - Apr 14 2008 : 10:00AM
If your sex life "wasn't fantastic" at the start of your relationship, why did you conclude that marriage would somehow make it better? Usually the opposite holds true.
^^^ There is a temptation to believe that sex will improve in a marriage as love and trust grow. If you really care about someone, hope springs eternal. Well, not quite eternal . . .
Have you tried a meal with two or three bottles of red wine before sex, My gf turns into a sex crazied nympho when she's drunk, sobber she's pretty boring!
Wow. I can relate to your wife, and my husband can relate to you. You sound like us. There were a few reasons why I didn't want sex with my husband. 1) I didn't have time to fantasize or be conscious of my sexual self. 2) The more frustrated he got, the more I felt pressured. 3) The longer we went without sex, the more of an asshole he became. I wouldn't want to fuck that jerk if my life depended on it. 4) I didn't like sex. The things he did to get me in the mood only irritated me. All attempts at foreplay had the opposite effect. 5) I had a need for absolute privacy, and I would not engage in sex when my kids were awake. 6) Finally, when we did have the opportunity, I felt such oppressive performance anxiety, I could barely function. It was easier to not even try. What changed our relationship was porn. I saw that there were a lot of different ways to approach sex. Turned out I didn't want a gentle, tender lover. I wanted to be pushed around and shown who's boss. I told him this, and it turned out that he liked the idea. I don't respond to traditional foreplay. To me, that's after-play. It took us nearly a decade to realize I was wired backward from the other women he'd been with. Now that we know that, I look forward to sex. I even make it a priority.
PAGODA - My significant other is currently where you were with your points 1,2,3,4,5, and 6. She has not progressed to the point where porn could have a postitive impact on her, (our), sex life, nor to the point where me playing rough would enhance her arousal. Not much hope for either. She hates porn almost as much as she hates me, and my touch, whether it be a gentle caress or a right cross to the jaw, would have pretty much the same effect. BSD
XRendDVD has a great program. The 8-DVD rental plan has replaced my porn buying completely. Much less money; much less clutter. Apparently, though, they haven't dealt honorably with Drew & Steph in paying their bills, which bothers me tremendously.
Bob, your two longer posts were insightful and helpful. If Nightowl digests those posts word for word and takes your sentiments to heart, he's got a chance.
Thanks, Pagoda. My wife and I aren't as far along as you and your husband are and, as far as I can tell, we've been working at it twice as long as the two of you, but things have gotten better and we haven't given up yet. I doubt our sex life will even be as open, uninhibited, and experimental as I'd like it to be, and I sometimes have serious bouts of anger, frustration, and sadness about that. But sex isn't the only thing in our lives by far and everything else about being with her is pretty wonderful. She's human; I'm human; take the bitter with the sweet; easier to say than do; worth the effort anyway.
I'd rather be a bed than a rose. I'd be around longer and people would fuck on me. If I could be a rose bush, however, that could be cool, because I could be a thing of beauty for generations and I wouldn't end up with cumstains all over my bedraggled, broken down, worn-out surface. Never mind. I'd rather be a rose. Imagine being married to a smartass like me. Frtunately, my wife seems to be not only immune but sarcastic, too. It works. nightowl - My advice, for what it's worth - and it's oversimplified and has been said before, but it works: laugh. You should laugh in bed more. Relax. Talk. Laugh. Tell her how awkward she looks and tickle her. Take the toy from her and throw it over the side. Hug. Snuggle. Then work her the fuck over like she's never been worked before - make her come with your mouth, hands and cock so many times, so hard, that she's a quivering, sweaty mass that can't even move - just breathe and moan a little and quiver once in a while. Then, you will have already won.
Thank you, red! Yes, start slowly. A grin today, a smile tomorrow. Someday, the laughter will come. And so will she. Seriously, when my wife and I were first married 17 years ago, she was very self-conscious about her body and its various workings and by-products. By the time we could laugh together about a particularly obnoxious pussy fart (hey, in doggy it happens .. a LOT), she was comfortable not only letting me go down on her but she would touch herself while I did it. Compared to the first time I ever used my mouth and tongue on her: it was the first time anyone had ever done it to her (she was but 16, after all), and at first she was weirded out by the thought of it, but by the time I'd been down there for a good ten minutes she was a big fan of the oral sex. These days, well, I won't bore you with all the gory details, but there's little I can do that she likes more. I know of women who won't let their men dive for muff. It's awful! And vice versa, won't smoke the baloney pony. I blame the parents, and the church. And all for what - my wife and I have terrific hygiene and Jesus never said licking genitals would keep you out of heaven. But I digress. Back to you, owl - it's not like flipping a switch. POOF - insta-slut! No, it takes a good, long time and a lot of communication and trust along the way. It's worth it, though. I wish you the best, sir! Try to relax and lower your expectations, though, at first. Be patient. If you build it, she will come. (Sorry for all the come puns. I really do mean well). Oh - the ADD kicks in - does she take birth control pills? Those are notorious for sucking the life out of a woman's libido? Or was she raised very conservative and churchy? That can be difficult (but not impossible) to overcome. Will she pee if you are in the bathroom with her? These little breakdowns of inhibition are key to getting closer to the level of debauchery I believe you ultimately want. Please forgive the scattershot. I'm more sawed-off shotgun than laser, I'm afraid.
I'm not, but I been in plenty of situations where one party want's what the other party isnt able to give. If that thing is important (and sex can be), and can't be worked out, then I see much more logic in breaking up and find what you need, then to continue 'for the sake of the kids' or 'for the sake of that I invested so much in this relationship'. Both are bad arguments in my opinion. The people who's parents stuck together for the sake of the kids gotten a lot more fucked up then the ones who's parents showed them that their happines is as important as that of the kids. At least in my experience. As a rational human being, it's nice to think all can be worked out, and a solution can be found for it, but as feelings are not allways logical, I doubt it's the Holy Grail for relationship problems. Or I'm just a cunt.
But when I referred to complexity, there was more to it than just the kids: You wrote:
People in a marriage generally need more than one thing. If all they needed was sex, they could get that elsewhere and with less effort. Note what nightowl himself wrote:
He doesn't seem to want to get a divorce; instead, it sounds as if he simply wants more and better sex with his wife:
Speaking only for myself -- but also as someone who has thought about this problem in very personal terms -- I've never felt that the alternatives for "just meeting someone else for sex" were very appealing. . [typos] Edited by - bob on 4/16/2008 9:28:23 PM