Corinne’s path from fear to happiness

Questions suddenly arise in her mind: What will all be different with a child? Does she even want a child? Completely unprepared for her new situation, she is overcome with fear. Corinne is completely confused and doesn’t have any idea what to do. She finally makes an appointment for an abortion. Not sure if this is the right way to go, she looks for advice, finds the SAMC and dials the number for the hotline.

Torn back and forth by fear

Corinne immediately pours her heart out to a counselor. She explains that her situation and her partnership are not ready for a child. Her boyfriend, the father of the child, leaves the decision about the child entirely up to her. This, however, is a burden for her. She feels left alone. What would it be like if things got difficult with the child? Would she then have to look after it alone? She knows a few couples in her circle that have had problems since having children. The counselor replies that it is not simply fate how things go in one’s own life. She could continue to organize her life very well even with a child. The SAMC would help her with this. There are also many couples with children who have a good, solid relationship.

The counselor notices how Corinne is struggling to make a decision. She is plagued by fears and the upcoming abortion date puts her under even more pressure. So she asks the pregnant woman how she feels when she listens closely to her heart. Corinne replies that she actually feels deep inside that she wants the child.

So now the counselor offers Corinne tangible help from the SAMC and tells her that she can call again anytime. The young woman thanks her for the helpful conversation. Not long afterwards she informs the counselor that she has spoken to her partner, and they want to keep their baby.

The old doubts return

Unfortunately, Corinne’s crisis is not yet over. She is suddenly worrying again whether she and her boyfriend will be able to cope with the stresses and strains of having a child while keeping their partnership happy. She now frequently contacts the counselor, who tries to address her questions with great compassion. Corinne also asks for a personal meeting. The very next day, the counselor travels 100 kilometers to a larger Swiss city to meet with her.

Now the counselor recommends that Corinne not only listens to her heart, but also to her reason. She should also consider how an abortion could have negative consequences on her relationship. She shares that in her experience as a counselor, having an abortion often damages a partnership to the point where it then frequently collapses. On the other hand, having a child together can strengthen the bond between parents. The counselor also tells Corinne to think about how realistic it is, based on her age, to wait for a better moment for having children, which may never come. As they say goodbye, Corinne thanks for this input, and promises to seriously consider it.

Decision and Happiness

A few days later, Corinne writes her counselor that she and her boyfriend decided to keep their child. Now they are both looking forward to the baby. She would like to stay in contact with the counselor and thanks again for the helpful support in her difficult time. Shortly after the birth of their healthy baby daughter, Corinne tells the counselor just how thrilled they are and that they could not imagine giving her away. She is so sorry to have ever thought about abortion and thanks the counselor again for the strong support during the time when she had such doubts, and for the encouraging conversations.

The SAMC is supporting Corinne in the beginning of her life as a new mother with financial help and continues to be there for her if she needs further counselling, free of charge.