I spent the first half of 2015 pregnant and then I had a “late-term abortion.”
My husband and I decided early that year to try to start a family. I succeeded almost immediately in getting pregnant. There was obviously a healthy mix of excitement and terror. While it happened a little quicker than we anticipated, we wanted our baby.
As the months went on I consumed books about pregnancy and the first year of parenthood. I took my vitamins, I ate well, and I barely even missed my former creature comforts like wine and soft cheeses. We did the genetic testing and everything looked great. We learned we were having a girl. We started our baby registry and had chosen her name. It was shaping up to be a typical first pregnancy, right down to the occasional panic attack about our changing reality.
On June 18, 2015, we were scheduled for our 21-week ultrasound. I remember the date because it was our anniversary and we thought it would be a fun way to kick off our weekend together. As the ultrasound wore on the tech became increasingly less chatty and more serious, until finally she left the room with a picture she printed from the ultrasound machine. She was gone for what felt like an excruciatingly long time. When she finally returned, she informed us the only information she was allowed to give was that a high-risk OBGYN would be contacting us soon and we needed to see her as soon as possible. Shortly after our ill-fated ultrasound, we received a call from the high-risk OBGYN and scheduled an appointment for the following week. (More)
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A friend of mine, someone I’ve know for many, many years, had to make a similar decision with one of her very much wanted pregnancies. Sadly, the medical staff who were supposedly there to help her during this most difficult time were judgmental toward my friend making her feel even worse about her decision to ‘release’ her deformed daughter from the certain life of hell that would be hers should the pregnancy be allowed to continue. I’ve been thinking about my friend’s story non-stop these days and now your story will sit with me. Before we choose to judge we absolutely must remember there is always a back story we are not privy to. Until it is YOUR story, sit back and let those who have walked the path tend the weeds.
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Well said, Dennyho!
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Thank you Judy. No politics here, just pure human compassion.
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Right, Denny.
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I cannot imagine the pain or grief this woman and her husband experienced. She made two very brave decisions—the first to have the abortion and the second to share her story. Thank you Judy for sharing it with us.
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If the question here is whether to legalize abortion itself, there are definitely reasons that some pregnancies should not continue, and the choice should be made by the parents and their doctor. If the question is whether Federal dollars should pay for abortions, that should also be up to the parents, who select their insurance based on what they can afford and what benefits are available. This is a powerful story and should go a long way towards helping government understand the issues. Thanks for sharing it!
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Thank you for sharing this powerful story.
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Very welcome.
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Reblogged this on GettingrealwithPTSD and commented:
Important to know. I realized I was grossly ignorant till I read this story.
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Your story was very touching and i’m devastated to read your story, and hear about your lost. Thought, I don’t always agree abortion is the right decision, especially if it’s for selfish reasons, such as: not wanting a baby, thinking you can’t take care of it, or told what’s inside shouldn’t be living just because it will ruin your career. Not saying your situation was like this, I just wanted to clarify that if the reason for killing your baby is for one these, or others. I think what the President and others are doing is right. I think we should speak up for the unborn, who can not speak for themselves and to let people know that harming a precious life for selfish reasons is well….murder.
Sorry, for being so blunt, but I feel that it was only right to let people know that taking another’s life (as smell as it may be) into your hands, over selfish reasons is not right.
Thanks for sharing you experience and I hope what I seid didn’t hurt or offend you in anyway, because that was most certainly not my intentions.
Think life and God bless. ❤️
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