Helir-Valdor Seeder: My mother ignored the doctor's warning and decided to give birth to me

Politician Helir-Valdor Seeder has revealed in a personal video that his birth was not guaranteed, doctors advised his mother to terminate the pregnancy due to her poor health, but she chose to bring her child into the world anyway. Seeder is the father of four sons and shares his advice: three children are better than two. The video was created in collaboration with the NGO Estonian Large Families Association as part of the campaign "What if there were no third child?"

Estonian politician Helir-Valdor Seeder has publicly shared a personal story about his birth: his mother decided to have the child despite doctors' advice, despite her poor health. Seeder speaks about this openly as part of the campaign "What if there were no third child?", which has been developed in collaboration with the Estonian Large Families Association and is supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs.

A mother's bold decision shaped the man's worldview

"I am the third child in the family. When my mother became pregnant with me, doctors recommended that she terminate the pregnancy due to her poor health. But my mother went home, thought it over, threw the doctors' advice in the bin and decided to give birth to me. I am infinitely grateful to her for that," said the 61-year-old Seeder.

According to the politician, this knowledge has shaped his attitude towards the fragility of life and responsibility. "I have thought a great deal about how much can depend on one person's decision and what consequences it might have," he added.

Seeder grew up on the outskirts of Viljandi in a three-child family with his sister and brother. He emphasises that growing up with siblings gives a child something like multiple lives, and you get to share part of their experiences as your own. "Their friends were also my friends and their experiences were partly also mine. Because of that, my world was much broader, more interesting and more diverse."

A special naming tradition spans generations

Seeder's name carries an interesting family history. His mother had a dream before his birth in which a voice instructed her to name her son Helir. When the third child was born, his parents recalled that dream and the name came to life. "My father had two names, my grandfather had two names, and that is why I was also given two names. Later, I continued the same tradition with my own sons," Seeder laughs.

Today, Seeder himself is the father of four adult sons. He compares being a parent in a large family to being the captain of a sports team who lives multiple lives. "You share in what your children do, you learn alongside them and see the world through their eyes," he explained. According to him, children also bring the contemporary world into the home — new vocabulary, technology and ideas that keep parents abreast of the times.

Advice to families: three is better than two

The campaign aims to encourage families to have a third child. Seeder himself is clear on the matter: "If your family already has two children and you are thinking about a third, then based on my experience I would heartily recommend you take that step. I am the third child and I can say with confidence: three is better than two."