"Keeping the babies was the best decision I ever made and the Good Counsel helped me. " The Good Counsel Network is a charity of solace and help in time of need for me. I came to the Women’s Centre when I was in my darkest moments and there shone a light. I remember the first time I came to the charity. It was as if I was at the end of a walking rope and no hope of what to do next or what decision to make. I already had two daughters aged two and three years and was in good relationship with their father when I found out that I was pregnant again. It was not a planned pregnancy, but being very sick I was sent for a scan at 9 weeks. The scan showed I was having twins. I turned to the doctor and said “I don’t think that what you saw is clear” because I was very shocked and I was thinking ‘how am I going to cope with twin babies and two kids under the age of three?’ When I got home, I showed my partner the scan and within minutes he completely shut down. I asked him “What’s the matter?” and he replied “How do you expect me to cope with an additional two kids?” My severe pregnancy sickness got so much worse that I was booked in for a scan at 12 weeks. Here I was feeling very sick, with so much going through my mind. My partner’s attitude had completely changed. The sonographer couldn’t confirm my scan result, so I knew something must be up. She called in a doctor who during the scan turned to me and said “I can confirm there is a third heartbeat. - Who said you were having twins? No, its triplets!” TRIPLETS? I broke down, crying, weeping so hard. I could see that it should be a blessing, but how was I going to manage? Going from having two kids to having five kids? Especially with my partner already saying that he cannot cope and now having to tell him there is one more baby added to the twins! Then the doctor seeing how broken I was turned and said “we can offer you a chance of ‘foetal reduction’ as having five children under five it will be so difficult for you to cope”. She told me this procedure can reduce the number of foetuses from three to one or two. I called my partner from the hospital and he said “Yes, you must consider it [foetal reduction], we can’t manage financially or cope with three babies”, considering that he was the only one working. He made it very clear that if I didn’t accept the foetal reduction that he would not be there to support me. When I got home, he was still pressurizing me for the foetal reduction. The pressure was so much I remember crying myself to sleep for nights considering that option. I had to open up to a friend about what I was going through. She told me about The Good Counsel Network and gave me their contact number. I rang and got an appointment to see Yvonne. I remember the first day I walked to the centre I felt like they tied a knot at the end of the walking rope and asked me to hang on. They told me not to consider the foetal reduction, that there will be help. I can’t explain how I felt after the appointment but they guided me to see hope. Light in the midst of the dark moment. Keeping the babies was the best decision I ever made and the Good Counsel helped me. Yvonne promised to help me. They gave me money for food and bills and when the babies were born, they provided me with full support, baby food, clothes, moses baskets and basically everything. Suddenly I had someone to talk to waking up every day knowing the next food on the table was available for my kids. My triplets were born in August 2017 at 32 weeks - two boys and a girl weighing 1.2kg, 1.4kg and 1.6kg respectively, such amazing babies so full of life with such potential, with the biggest smile that keeps me going on each day thanks to The Good Counsel Network. I am still receiving support now. To everyone who gave generously to see hope, care, support, giving to someone like me, having a place that tells you everything is ok no matter how hard your situation is, a place that tells you we love you, we will care for you, I say thank you so much. I am a happy and proud mum because of you all. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!