My name is Elise Picket, I live in Queensland on the Gold Coast. In 2012 when I was nineteen years old, I fell pregnant to my partner, who I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. I didn’t tell him that I was pregnant as I was scared of his reaction. I thought he would leave me because I knew he had mentioned he didn’t want to have kids until he was married. We had been together for almost 3 years.
I decided going to take the easy way out and have an abortion and just act like nothing happened, to avoid dramas or judgement. I had made the appointment for 3 weeks time. That time has never gone so fast, before I knew it I was in the treatment room getting prepared for my surgical abortion. As the process started, I couldn’t do it. I balled my eyes out and even though the nurses were there to comfort me I couldn’t go through with it. I later decided that I was no longer going through with it. I went to my boyfriend’s house I was very nervous because I had to tell him that I was carrying his child and I didn’t just want to keep it, I need to. I was sick to the stomach of what could happen with my relationship. I knew in the end if my partner truly loved me he would support my decision no matter what.
I learnt that I should never just focus on all the negatives in the situation. You have to focus on the positives too. My partner had the opposite reaction to what I thought, he was more than happy to have a baby with me! The guilt I have living inside me till this day is still with me because even though I have had the baby, I have not told my partner what happened at the abortion clinic, or what I was thinking of getting rid of our child. That is something I need to step up to and be honest with him in this situation.
A man has the right know if you fall pregnant. They are 50% responsible of creating the baby and no matter what they should always know. I wish I could just go back in time and just tell my partner that I was pregnant as soon as I found out because he had a right to know. I am here telling my story because I feel others women out there would feel the way I did and jump to conclusions and do something they may end up regretting. I am here to tell you that if no one supports you talk to someone. Talk to someone like, Kids helpline, Pregnancy Support Group or your local G.P if you are young and suffering from the same situation I was in.