Viviane to her counselor: "The conversions with you helped me a lot."
Viviane’s Courage Leads to Welcome Change
Viviane (23) and her boyfriend are going through a rough time. They are both unemployed and fear a financially bleak future. This is reflected in their increasing irritability. Their relationship is put to the test. Viviane becomes pregnant during this particular crisis. All her troubles are now compounded by the worrying question of whether her relationship with her boyfriend, the father of the child, will last. She wonders whether she should keep the child, especially as she wants to get back on her feet professionally in the near future. Feeling the need for clarification, she seeks advice and finds the SAMC helpline.
The fear of being a single mother
Soon she has an intensive contact to a counselor at the SAMC, and tells her that she has no desire to have children now. She and her boyfriend are focusing on other issues, in particular their unemployment and improving their financial situation. There is no real support for the child from her boyfriend. Rather the opposite: because of the tensions between them, she is afraid of becoming a single parent. For these reasons, she is considering an abortion.
The counselor gives her an overview of the various support services offered by SAMC for women in her situation and assures her that it is always there to help. The pregnant woman feels somewhat relieved after the counselor’s explanations and wants to continue having contact with her.
Torn back and forth
From then on, Viviane communicates extensively with the counselor by phone, email, social media and in personal meetings.
For weeks she thinks about having an abortion. She tells the counselor that she would like to have children, but not in this current situation. Sometimes she feels so overwhelmed by questions that she even contacts the counselor privately at night and on weekends to talk about it. The counselor recognizes how necessary personal support is for the young woman in this phase of her life and spares no time for the numerous conversations with her. Viviane repeatedly thanks her for them: the discussions do her good and help her, she says.
Viviane is also concerned that she can only expect limited help from her family when it comes to childcare. The counselor says that in her experience, in the vast majority of families, the joy of having a baby comes naturally, at the latest once the child is born.
As far as finding a job is concerned, the counselor boosts Viviane’s self-confidence. She reminds her that she has completed her training and has good prospects of finding a job soon. In general, the counselor repeatedly makes it clear to the pregnant woman how important it is to not only look at the worries and problems, but also to consider the resources and opportunities that are available.
Saying yes to the child changes the situation instantly
Shortly thereafter, Viviane contacts her counselor to let her know that she and her boyfriend want to keep the child! The couple now visit the SAMC and pick up various items for the nursery. When the couple’s family learns of their decision to keep the child, they actually start to feel excited about having the baby.
With the perspective of a becoming a family father, the boyfriend is now looking for work with more enthusiasm and soon finds a job. This reassures Viviane, as the financial situation may also change for the better in the foreseeable future. What is more, the boyfriend is more balanced now that he is working. The tension in the relationship eases and Viviane’s fear of becoming a single parent subsides.
All’s well that ends well
Viviane subsequently gives birth to a healthy daughter. On the very day of her baby’s birth, she informs the counselor of the exciting news and immediately announces that she will be coming over soon for a visit in order to introduce the baby.
The SAMC will continue to be there for the couple and provide Viviane with financial support as she starts her new life as a mother. The couple’s family is thrilled about the new arrival and is happy to help look after the child. Viviane is therefore confident that she will be able to return to work part-time after her maternity leave. She is now the happy mother of a child who brings her and her family a lot of joy.