Hope

hope

Note: The Exhale Pro-Voice After-Abortion Stories Hub includes people’s stories of their experiences and emotions, exactly as they have written them in. We do not edit these stories at all, and the content that follows this message is exactly as we received it. We know that people’s experiences are complex, and these stories reflect the many emotions they may be feeling after their abortions. From relief to grief, and everything in between, and all at the same time, we’re here for you.


Hope.

I am so, so happy I found this site. Eight days ago, I found out I was four weeks pregnant, and three days ago, I took the first pill for an abortion. I was very early on, five weeks and five days. Seeing the ultrasound helped me because I couldn’t really see anything. I knew it would be difficult, but I took comfort in knowing I’d be taking the second set of pills with my partner there. Later that day, we found out he was positive for COVID.

I woke up the next day filled with dread because what I was going to have to do was going to be done alone, by myself, in my room. I cried the whole day until it was time to take the pills. No one tells you what the bleeding will be like, it’s described as a “heavy period.” It is absolutely NOT a heavy period. It’s like a faucet turned on and I will never forget the feeling of everything falling out of me. I FaceTimed him multiple times that night, crying and screaming and begging for him to come and get me so I wouldn’t have to be alone.

The next morning, I woke up with a feeling that I can only describe as deep depression and hopelessness. It was the worst feeling I have ever had in my life. I wondered if it would ever go away. I thought I would never feel normal ever again and that I would be stuck in this hurt, not being able to function, not being able to go more than half an hour before crying uncontrollably. I kept reading about the emotions one can expect to feel, desperate for an explanation, and pregnancy hormones kept coming up. The hormones can cause everything to go out of whack, and can cause depression-like symptoms similar to insomnia and anxiety. No one mentioned this to me, either.

For anyone who is going through this, know you are not alone and know that no one will ever understand what you are going through unless they have experienced it themselves. Elective abortions are still pregnancy losses, and that is what I’ve experienced. It’s still a loss. I felt guilty at first because I made the choice to do what I did, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a loss. I miss what was in me, I have no idea if it was a boy or girl, but I miss it and I think I always will. I have hope now, though, that there will be brighter days.

I think it’s incredibly unfortunate that our feelings are politicized. Before finding Exhale, most of the info I found was that women feel “relief” after they have an abortion. I did not feel relief and thought something was wrong with me for feeling depressed and hopeless. When you start talking to people who have experienced this, you find you are not alone. Someone told me today that I’ll never forget this, but that it’s now part of my story.

Submitted by: A


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3 responses to “Hope”

  1. Dawn

    Thank you for sharing. A lot of what you felt afterwards with coming out of the fog and gloom, is similar to what I experienced. I’m only 3 days post-abortion, and was unwavering in my decision that abortion was best, but after I took the second round of pills I cried and cried. The next morning I felt similar to you, the fog had lifted, and with it a sense of, “what did I just give up?”
    I just wanted to hear how you feel about it now?

    Thanks for sharing your story.

  2. Joy

    oh my bad it was last week

  3. Joy

    I have the same experience, Last month I found out that I was pregnant and I am now on my 5th week. My boyfriend wants me to keep our child and he has a supportive family. On the other hand, my family would proabably disown me if they find this out. I secretly took abortion pills as of this moment, i am not yet done finishing the procedure, and I already feel regretful.

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