Author: JD

Diagnoses, Hydrocephalus, Induction/L&D, Neural Tube Defects, Stories

It was our choice. To us, it was the only choice.

Our choice - our only choice - Ending our babys life for multiple brain anomolies

It was our choice. To us, it was the only choice. By Erin It has been almost two weeks since we had to end our sweet baby’s life. I hate saying it like that, but to me, that’s what we did. Even though it was the right choice. It was our choice. To us, it was the only choice. I’m 32, my spouse is 30. When we found out we were pregnant in September of 2019 we felt scared, excited, and nervous. But we never thought anything could go wrong and soon we were just overjoyed and elated. Telling our family and friends We told our […]

D&C, Diagnoses, Stories, Turner Syndrome

Giving Sorrow Words

TFMR for Turner syndrom Ending a Wanted Pregnancy

Though the act of scheduling the termination—and the thought of actually showing up voluntarily to have it done—felt impossible to me, I didn’t ever really doubt our decision. I knew what we had to do, even though the thought of doing of it broke me in a way I didn’t think I could feel broken.   By Roseanne It was a Tuesday, my day off, and naptime when the phone call came. I was reading one last book to our daughter, cuddled up under a blanket in our bed. I didn’t recognize the number, but it was local, and I knew that maybe it was […]

D&C, Stories, Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)

My World Ended With That Call

I began to love this little baby inside me. And I was sure it was a girl—I even came up with a name. By Anonymous I am 34 years old. I’m originally from Russia and I just got my U.S. citizenship. I am married (it’s my second marriage) and I have a wonderful husband who is originally from Iraq. We have a five-year-old daughter together. I have no other kids. My First Pregnancy I have never gotten pregnant with my husband without wanting to. It took us almost five months to conceive our daughter. This only happened because I read somewhere that Mucinex thins mucous secretions and allows the embryo to implant […]

Anencephaly, D&E, Diagnoses, Neural Tube Defects, Stories

No Fear or Regrets

D&E, No Fear or Regrets - an abortion for anencephaly

I was little more than life support for her and within minutes or possibly hours from birth, she would die, without any sense of me or anything around her. By Sara This is my story of ending a wanted pregnancy. I’m putting in lots of details because it’s what I was looking for when we first decided to terminate, but couldn’t find a story like mine. The Anatomy Scan—The Diagnosis My husband and I and our two-year-old live in Japan. My husband is active duty and got stationed here about three years ago. In late July, I was about 21 weeks along with our second child […]

D&E, Religious Perspectives, Stories, Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)

No Miracle From God

miracle from God

After all, I did not get a miracle from God. But God gives me the support to live through it. By Irina Like many women here I had never imagined that I would have to have an abortion. I thought I would always choose to keep a baby despite any financial situations, or not having a partner/husband to support me. But it never occurred to me that a child could be sick and the decision to terminate a pregnancy would happen because of this. Deciding to have a second baby With my first child, my son, the pregnancy went smoothly. I was 40 when our son turned three years old […]

D&E, Interuterine Growth Restriction (IUGR), Stories

Differing Doctors’ Opinions, Very Little Research

Doctors' Differing Opinions

The most confusing part of this was our doctors’ differing opinions, and that there was very little research about this condition. By Penelope Our first real sign that something was wrong with my pregnancy was when the first-trimester screening results came back abnormal. The NIPT test was inconclusive, and the other result showed that I had very low PAPP-A levels. These two results made the doctor very suspicious that the baby had Trisomy 13 or 18. However, I did the CVS, and the results came back normal. At my 16-week appointment, the doctor thought the uterus was measuring fine. We were able to relax, and […]

Induction/L&D, Other Diagnoses, Stories

The Worst Rollercoaster Ride

Not Mild

This is Not Mild By Anna As you read this story you might notice that the tone I’ve chosen is a little less conventional than most. This is the way I want to share my story: with a dash of humour, curse words, and sarcasm. Grab a glass of wine, unless you are fortunate enough to be pregnant, then (hiding my resentment and in all seriousness) I am happy for you—non-alcoholic wine sucks so enjoy your water, here is the story of my first pregnancy. Synopsis: I was told baby would survive, then not survive, then survive(!), then not survive…so my full story is long. […]

Induction/L&D, Religious Perspectives, Stories, Turner Syndrome

Our Daughter, Gabriella Grace

Gabriella Grace - Termination for Turner Syndrome

I believe in mercy, and that’s what we hopefully gave our daughter. By Chelsea “Not Compatible with Life.” Crushing words, that confirmed our worst fears. I remember blinking my tear-filled eyes, praying that by some chance of a miracle our daughter would survive. After 20 weeks of pregnancy, and exhausting every possible avenue of testing, willing and praying for our daughter to survive, we were faced with the reality that she would not. The cystic hygroma and fluid had overtaken her body and she was struggling to survive. The Ultrasound I’ll never forget sitting in the OB’s office around my nine-week appointment, excited to hear the heartbeat […]

Congenital Diaphramatic Hernia (CDH), D&E, Stories

Kind, Compassionate Care When We Needed It Most

Abortion for CDH Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

So much information was being explained to us. But I only heard the scary keywords: deformed, suffering, uncertainty of survival, termination. This was the most difficult news of our life. By Lillian Adam and I have been together for eight years, happily married for more than six, with two beautiful, healthy and extraordinarily happy and capable daughters. When we found out in June that I was pregnant with our third child, we were overjoyed. My pregnancy felt like all the others—morning sickness most of the day, exhaustion, lots of heartburn, and so much to look forward to. We were thrilled to add more love and […]

Induction/L&D, Stories, Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)

Left With So Many Questions

So many questions remain after a termination for Trisomy 13

So many questions remain. Why do I feel like I’m in someone else’s life? Why don’t I recognize myself anymore? What can I do to help myself get better? By Malky It was a storybook pregnancy: perfect timing, smooth pregnancy, I was feeling great, and I’d gained minimal weight. Then we went in for the second trimester ultrasound at 22 weeks and nothing was perfect anymore. Trisomy 13. No chance of survival. Possible dangers to me if I carry the pregnancy to term. The doctor’s advice was “Stop the pregnancy as soon as possible.” Just like that, everything changed. No warning. Six days later it was over. The baby was […]