| Caterina is 40 years old and has a live-in boyfriend of 7 years. She came to us with an unexpected pregnancy hoping to have an abortion. Although she wanted to have a baby earlier in life, this came at a bad time for the couple because she and her boyfriend were on the verge of going their separate ways due to conflict in the relationship. The couple was concerned about her age and her busy schedule as she was preoccupied with working on her Doctorate Degree.
Caterina called our center with the intent to set up an abortion date, only to realize that we were not an abortion clinic. After speaking with an advocate on our helpline, she agreed to visit our center for information before making her final decision to end her pregnancy. It was apparent on the phone that she was unsure of how this pregnancy would fit into her life at this time.
She showed up alone for her appointment and asked many questions during her counseling session. From the counseling room, she sat with a nurse and continued to ask detailed questions until it was time for her sonogram. Her sonogram showed a very early gestation with a faint heartbeat. It was too early to obtain an accurate size and date, but the heartbeat was seen and that was enough to bring tears to Caterina’s eyes. After the sonogram, she said that she had a lot of thinking to do and wasn’t sure if she was ready to set up her abortion procedure after seeing her baby’s heartbeat. She said the she would go home to discuss her options with the father of the baby to figure out her next step with her pregnancy. We offered her a follow up visit so that she could include the father of the baby for another sonogram.
Caterina showed up to her follow up visit with her boyfriend and they were both brought in for a sonogram which showed a viable 9-week gestation. They were excited to see the growth as well as a strong fetal heart motion. After much discussion, the couple informed us that they made the decision to parent and work on their relationship as well, for the sake of their baby. Caterina mentioned that she was in awe of our services and was very appreciative of the time spent with her to fully inform her of her options before making a final decision that she was not ready to make. |
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