Category: Induction/L&D

So many questions remain after a termination for Trisomy 13

Left With So Many Questions

Posted on Sabrina FPosted in Induction/L&D, Stories, Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)

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 […]

Mariana - Terminating after hydrops, cystic hygroma, and T21 diagnosis (Down Syndrome)

Mariana

Posted on gracePosted in Fetal Hydrops, Induction/L&D, Stories, Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)

It was almost like she came out in her bubble, protected from the outside world. By Andrea My husband and I were excited when we found out that I was pregnant. We have a three-year-old daughter and this baby would have been born around the same time our daughter started kindergarten. Everything happened as planned; it was a very expected pregnancy. The first ultrasound was at 12 weeks. I wasn’t very concerned. It was probably because we didn’t have any problems during our first pregnancy and our daughter was born healthy. Even though my husband really wanted to be there, he couldn’t make it for […]

Trisomy 18 - It felt to me like a message from my Stella.

A Heartbreaking Journey

Posted on gracePosted in Induction/L&D, Religious Perspectives, Trisomy 18 (Edward's syndrome)

It felt to me like a message from my Stella. By A.R. Our angel Stella Marie was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. This is the story of my heartbreaking journey as I fought against my own faith. I always knew I wanted to get married, have a big family, be able to stay home with my children and then go back to work when they were in school. That was my dream. And although my life took many detours, last October I thought, boy my dreams are all coming true, I am so blessed. I was married to a wonderful man, I had three children ages […]

Chloe Fay

Posted on gracePosted in Hydrocephalus, Induction/L&D, Neural Tube Defects, Spina Bifida, Stories

People are silently grieving, too afraid to let others know what’s going on because they are scared of judgment. By Zena Mason To the newly bereaved parent: please know that you’re not alone. I want to share my story of medical termination in Australia. This was extremely hard to write and share. In a world full of supportive people we have certainly felt alone because it’s so taboo and people are scared to talk about anything to do with the loss of a child. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we as humans are judged for what shoes we wear, what house we live in and whether […]

There are No Words

Posted on gracePosted in Hydrocephalus, Induction/L&D, Neural Tube Defects, Spina Bifida, Stories

By Holly “There are no words.” This was a response I received from one of my childhood friends when I told her about losing Heath. I had received so many other responses such as “I am so sorry for your loss” or “we are praying for you and your family” etc. and while those responses were nice, “there are no words” was exactly the response I needed at the time. You see, there are no words when someone loses a baby. There are no words when you receive the life-changing ultrasound results. There are no words when you are faced with a decision to terminate. […]

Late Termination in Wichita

Posted on MarlaPosted in Induction/L&D, Neural Tube Defects, Spina Bifida, Stories, Termination after 24 weeks, Ventriculomegaly

By Donna My son was my long awaited journey into motherhood. He was my lifeline the day my brother died and I thought the world was ending. He was the glimmer of hope that was offered to family members that horrible week that we had four family members die. He was my everything, and then he was gone. At the end of September 2005, my husband and I found out that we were expecting a child. We were excited to finally start a family. The following week my brother and cousin were killed in a car wreck, then my aunt died from cancer, and my […]

How to Make an Impossible Choice

Posted on gracePosted in Induction/L&D, Stories, Termination after 24 weeks

By Margot I cannot claim to have been naive about poor pregnancy outcomes before my abortion. My husband and I had been debating for several years about whether to pursue adoption or try for a biological child when one of our friends had a uterine rupture at six and a half months pregnant. The baby died, and she nearly did too. During the emergency surgery that saved her life, they had to remove her uterus. Most of the “cons” of pregnancy we’d contemplated previously were things like morning sickness, weight gain, and contributing to overpopulation. You might think our friends’ catastrophic loss would have given […]

Willow, Our “Back to the Future” Baby

Posted on gracePosted in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Induction/L&D, Stories

By Mrs. E. Getting the News I was so excited when I saw that my pregnancy test was positive! It was the weekend before Valentine’s day, and I decided to surprise my husband with a “My First Jaguars Football Book” which I’d bought a long time ago and saved just for this day. Giddy and bursting with happiness, I gift wrapped the book along with my positive pregnancy test. When he got home from work I said I had an early Valentine’s gift for him. He seemed a little confused by his early gift. I was smiling ear to ear. He opened the gift and eyed the test stick, still baffled. Before he […]

Survival & Strengthening

Posted on gracePosted in Induction/L&D, Multiple Losses, Stories, Trisomy 18 (Edward's syndrome), Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome)

By Anne Mellinger-Birdsong Survived is used in the sense of being stronger for having accomplished a major challenge. I have survived The death of my mother Before I was married Before I had children. I have survived The loss of 3 babies Much wanted and much loved, And that has changed me more Than anything else that ever happened. I have survived The questions and harangues From people who didn’t understand Or flat out disagreed With our decision to induce labor When we found out our baby had Down syndrome (Trisomy 21). Who didn’t know all the medical problems that go with Down syndrome Who […]

Not Written in the Stars

Posted on gracePosted in Induction/L&D, Stories, Termination after 24 weeks

By R.M. Two years ago we were expecting our third child. After a missed miscarriage at 13 weeks earlier in the year, we had gotten through what we thought was the risky part. As we inched toward our third trimester, we were excited and a little nervous to bring another baby into our lives. The 20-week ultrasound turned everything upside down. I noticed it right away on the screen:  A large, dark spot in the baby’s brain.  We were told to call our midwife. She said it may be nothing, or a cyst, or an aneurism.  We saw a specialist who told us it was a brain […]