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“So in summary, I was in lockdown, not talking to anyone, and burying myself in my thoughts. I felt super super alone and this went on for a VERY long time. Fortunately, I broke down in front of my partner and he helped me stabilize my emotions. After that weekend, I essentially started on a journey of self love and self care. I’m very grateful and fortunate that my experience led me down that path.” Read more.

“I knew like no one else can that I had no ability to be a mother as I could hardly function or even think like an adult. In fact the only time I acted with self care in my youth was when I got myself to clinics to get my abortions. After getting free of my addictions, I had two children when I had the stability to care for them and to be a mother. I am proud of myself for knowing when that time was.” Read more.

“My third abortion happened after my divorce. I meet a guy and we were talking. We seem very compatible and we discussed everything before we even got intimate. This including children and if I get pregnant he would want to be part of the baby’s life. We both had good jobs, income and we were mature. I was 33 and he was 36. There were some yellow flags that turned red in the months I was dating him. I tried to break up with him, but he would ask me to give us a chance.” Read more.

“When our child was around two years old, I got pregnant for the third time. We simply knew we did not want any more children, and it was quite honestly an easy decision for me to choose a medical abortion. I still didn’t have a lot of emotional support, but I was fortunately in a safe living situation this time around, and had learned a lot more about sexual health through social media.” Read more.

“We had a very emotional conversation that day, and my mom had the ultimate courage on telling me about her two abortions. My mom was 17 when she had her first abortion, she had me when she was 21, and she had her second abortion at 26. This was something I never knew about, and it was something she never talked about, but that conversation helped me in making my choice.” Read more.

“A friend recently reminded me that shame dies in the light. So many of us have either had or know someone who has had an abortion and yet we still struggle and keep our stories in the dark. Sharing this isn’t easy for me either, but I hope my story might help someone else cast off that suffocating shame or stand taller, speak up and speak out.” Read more.

“I know being wanted isn’t a guarantee of a child’s happiness or success, but after I got sober at 25, I went back to school and got a degree in social work. I worked in child abuse investigations for 20 years, and I can’t count the number of children I saw who had been targeted, scapegoated, tortured, and vilified because they were unwanted. The most basic gift we can give children is to be wanted and loved. Every child should have that starting out.” Read more.

“Not once did I entertain having a baby. Sometimes I think about how old they would be now, but not much more. Those 3 abortions were not difficult decisions for me. I have also yet to encounter someone that doesn’t sit with me while I open up and talk about it. To anyone feeling alone, like I did during my first abortion, you are not! You have thousands of people in your corner.” Read more.