
When I was 32 years old, and already the mother of one extraordinary little boy, I accidentally fell pregnant. I was in the ‘death rattle’ phase of a relationship with a man, who was also not the father of my first child.
I am all too aware that out of context this makes me sound promiscuous and irresponsible. Perhaps I was the latter, but I was never the former. So let me offer some context — something that appears to have been completely lacking from the recent NSW abortion bill debate.
Jessie Stephens attempts to explain abortion to ‘Uncle Barnaby’. Post continues below.
I had a child with my partner of nine years and husband of five. Sadly, we separated when our little boy was less than 12 months old. I spent the next 18 months or so getting back on my feet - adjusting to being a single working parent and living interstate from my family with very little day-to-day emotional support. My ex-husband was - and still is – incredibly involved in his son’s life and we work together as a team to support one another practically. But on an emotional level, in those early weeks and months, I was very much alone.