Safety Exit
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Exhale

Exhale

Listen | Support | Validate

  • About
    • What is Pro-Voice?
    • Exhale History
    • Leadership Team
    • Anti-Oppression Policy
    • Press
  • Get Support
    • After-Abortion Textline
    • Support Groups
    • After-abortion Resources
    • Self-Care
  • Volunteer
    • Become a Counselor
    • Work Behind the Scenes
    • Join the Board of Directors
  • Community
    • After-Abortion Stories
    • Exhale Blog
  • Contact
    • Request Training
    • Outreach Materials
    • Contact Exhale
Donate

Later Term Abortion

March 4, 2020 By Exhale 2 Comments

Submitted by: Kate F

I have always been pro-choice, but never expected that choice to at any point be mine. We found out during our anatomy scan that our baby not only had severe bilateral club feet, but that he also had spina bifida. We opted to terminate but due to laws in our state, we no longer could and were only days away from the cut off in most other states. We had hours to make a plan, get on a plane, and go to NJ. The clinic scheduled my appointment for a few days later, on the last day it was going to be legal.

The entire experience was emotionally devastating. We knew we were making the best choice for both our baby and our current family, but that has not taken away from the absolute gut wrenching grief that I feel. It is a feeling of loss, of guilt, of emptiness and sadness. A feeling that feels like it will never go away. To add insult to injury, your body thinks you had a baby. So the postpartum hormones are also out of sorts and my body is producing milk for a baby I will never get to feed.

My abortion experience has been without a doubt, the hardest thing I have ever been through. I hope to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel soon.

Filed Under: After-Abortion Stories

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cait. says

    April 13, 2020 at 3:25 pm

    Kate, thank you so much for sharing your story. It is such a gift to the world, even if one other person reads this and feels a little less alone. I think one of the hardest things about a termination is the feelings of being the “only one”. Thank you for putting this out in the world, xx

    Reply
  2. Kay says

    March 10, 2020 at 11:13 pm

    We are all here for you. I had a surgical abortion as well very early on but still it’s so devastating. I’ve read some really good articles about mothers who chose NOT to go through with the abortion and also regretted it. Some of them had very sick children and the children suffered day in an day out, as did the whole family. Thank you for sharing your story

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Support Exhale

Help us continue to provide this imperative service.

Give Now

Footer

Contact

P.O. Box 14562 San Francisco, CA 94114
  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Twitter

Navigation

  • Privacy Policy
  • Give Now
  • Terms of Use

Join our Mailing List

* indicates required

Copyright © 2023 · Exhale

Exhale is a 501(c)3 organization (EIN/tax ID: 94-3393719)