Jasmine Panics and Her Child Is Endangered

Jasmine and her husband imagined that another baby would be good for their family. Pregnant again, Jasmine becomes increasingly overcome with panic. She confesses to her husband that she doesn’t trust herself to have a third child. First he reacts irritated. He reminds her that she has always been against abortion. Later, he himself becomes uncertain. He isn’t able to support his wife, and finally leaves the decision up to her.

Jasmine Looks For Advice

Left alone with the decision, Jasmine looks for someone who can advise her. As she finds the telephone number of the SAMC in the internet, she grabs the receiver. In their long discussion, the counsellor encourages her and suggests that she should contrast her fears to the good experiences she has had as a mother. Jasmine mentions to the counsellor that her deceased mother would have been in favour of having the baby. Both women agree to talk again in a few days. The counsellor mails Jasmine a cute pair of crocheted baby booties and a DVD of the film «Life Afterwards».

Soon Jasmine reports that she is doing better. The film helped her to realize that she is able to care for another child. She also saw the baby’s heart beating during an ultrasound. Now she cannot terminate the pregnancy anymore.

Ominous Relapse

Jasmine’s friends congratulate her when they hear she is expecting her third child. But she can’t manage to be truly excited. Fear and doubts overtake her again. Now even her husband regrets agreeing to a new pregnancy. Jasmine contacts her counsellor again and describes how her anxieties are weighing on her.

The counsellor again directs the despairing mother’s attention towards her strengths and emphasizes that no matter what the child needs, she can provide it. Jasmine adds that she wishes her mother were there, because she would also embolden her by saying, «Keep your baby! You can do this – you are a good mother!»

The counsellor recommends that Jasmine take the advice seriously which her mother would give. The pregnant woman, however, claims she just doesn’t have the strength to say yes to her child. Consequently, she will have a meeting that afternoon about the abortion.

The next day, the counsellor asks Jasmine how her talk went. She receives the sorrowful answer that the appointment for the abortion has been fixed for the next day. Her husband, her parents-in-law pressured her to abort and also her brother who told her that he got divorced because of his third child. The counsellor reminds Jasmine about what can make her happy: saying yes to her child will bring her joy, whereas having the abortion will lead only to sadness! She offers to visit her, and to organise some relief for her.

Jasmine thanks her, but refuses. She concedes, however, that the counsellor is the only person who has encouraged her to keep her baby, just as her own mother would have done. For Jasmine, the situation is clear: she has an appointment the next day, so by then she has to have made her final decision. The counsellor gives her written confirmation that she can have help if she wants it, then leaves Jasmine alone to think.

Good News

Some time later the counsellor receives a card from Jasmine. On the day that her abortion was scheduled for, she decided to keep her baby! She found her strength and courage again, and with her newfound high spirits, she is making her family happy.

She writes her counsellor: «For your help in the past weeks I would like to offer you my heartfelt thanks. On the day of the procedure, I decided irrevocably to keep our third child. I am now in the fifteenth week of my pregnancy and don’t regret my decision. We are all looking forward to this new addition to our family and hope the baby is healthy. Thank you again so much for all your support. I am happy!»