50 Million A Year... Nearly Half of All Children Aborted.
I understand how a woman gets to think about it, I really do. There are plenty of reasons as to why one would consider the "quick way" to keep control over life or to contain health issues or some inflicted damage. Some of these reasons are true heavy rocks in the stomach and I can only put a hand on my conscience.
I would not blame a woman for considering it - sometimes we are brought to our knees due to despair. Family, culture and society would interfere and influence the decision as well. I found myself in the past thinking «had it happened to me I would have aborted too», or «if that happens to me there's no chance I'm keeping it». That's why I am not here to spread hatred or judgment, rather understanding. I do not speak of experience but I encountered women who aborted and I could grasp on their traumatic pain.
Yet, while I can understand taking into consideration the thought of it - in a deep state of anguish - I do not justify doing it. And there are reasons as to why even if I cry with you and feel sorry for you - I cannot support the decision.
The Christian Perspective
While collecting information, I felt my heart sink deeper each time somewhere in the back, especially after hearing this grown man's experience. I knew I had to say something about this topic because too many christians will somehow, at some extent justify it, women too.
The ladies mentioned earlier are part of my life, their situations were violent enough for them to take this decision against their will, like how the conception itself likely occurred. Both were threatened by their husbands, one was psychologically and verbally abused, and the other was physically beaten. Both after the discovery of the pregnancy. One of these is a relative of mine, whose decision was taken in the year '79 at month 4, under frightening helplessness, while leaving four children in the house, saying sorry to a statue of Jesus before entering the hospital, alone. What's heartbreaking is that she says she had to protect herself and the children, crying anytime you'd ask her. The other woman is a friend of mine's mother who lived in a communist state: undergone the procedure in the year '96 without being asked much questions. She has never recovered and for the next immediate days she has been having dreams about a tiny skirt and a baby girl's voice, whose question would only be "why mom?". Yes. Exactly.
This would leave the woman emotionally drained and deeply depressed for years, since, to top it, she had always longed for a daughter.
Of course they don't tell you after any abortion you go through hell. Be it just physical or just psychological. A child - sure is another human being, one day is supposed to be an individual - but many women are not fully aware that the womb is part of the whole person. Weirdly enough, if the child came through post office or by laying eggs I wouldn't be making this point, but I'm sorry, this human grows inside you - therefore being part of you. So any change, damage and issue is the woman's change, damage and issue. It's not like removing a tooth: it's more like removing an organ with all consequences like bleeding, pain, traumas, and perhaps the failure of some other intended work in between.
keep in mind
- the circumstances in which life began in the womb do not determine the worth of the child.
- the father of the child doesn't have to be in your life - and that’s all right; what matters is that the child’s life began, and it has worth.
- the economical conditions and possibilities you live in can be reduced by making the most of those, law mandatory, institutions for women who can't afford child's expenses.
- meanwhile the result of a child could be ____, none of that can create life. Only God does; the child's life it's His own will. And if life was brought by Him, there's a full design and reason we fail to see.
- if you genuinely wouldn't want to undergo the procedure but you feel like you're pressured and forced to - please consider adoption institutions. You can carry out the pregnancy and then you can say goodbye - if you really can't keep the baby; you don't have to remove the child from earth and hurt yourself in the process.
I wasn’t well informed at first, but I believe many of us could gain much from proper education on this topic, especially to prevent other women from doing it. Just so you don't have to watch anything: I watched videos of the procedures knowing what I was going to go through, I just didn't know how powerful that could be. While researching among medical footage I came across this discussion between former abortionists and women who deeply regretted their choices. Their words stayed with me, hearing such honesty reinforces my belief that awareness can prevent others from facing the same pain:
«did I know those were human beings? Absolutely. I didn't care»
«it's not a week acceptable, it's not a day acceptable to take that life»
«I looked at that body parts and I didn't see the mother's wonderful right to choose, or what I great doctor I was; all I could see was somebody's son or daughter, that was the change»
the ugly part
(educational)
Let me tell you a little about how these surgical operations are done. From what I gathered there are a bunch of ways yet I wouldn't be surprised if there are more than what I saw. Depending on the week of gestation they would prescribe accordingly: before the second month is usually pharmacological and surgical after the second.
present procedures to remove the fetus
Points are listed in order of the baby’s size, from smallest to largest.
- Procedure with pills: this occurs in the first weeks of pregnancy. In this case, the woman would deliver a deceased child with no surgeon's help. Alone in her own house, sometimes on the toilet, in the shower or in bed. (watch the video I linked!!)
- Procedure with a suction cannula: the device literally removes the living child from the womb.
- Suction and dismemberment: here, the suction device is used to remove the amniotic fluid in which the fetus floats. The child remains in the womb while the doctor gradually dismembers it limb by limb, leaving the head for last.
- Intact dilation and extraction (D&E variant): in this method - the darkest - the doctor may use a syringe inserted through the woman’s abdomen to inject the child’s head, resulting in death, then remove the limbs one by one.
Except for the first method which common risks are heavy bleeding, nausea, vomiting, fever and infection if some cases, all others carry risks such as: injury to uterus and cervix, hemorrhage, infection, lacerations, uterine perforations, future pregnancy complications and maternal death. Most surely, in any of these, one is immediate: pain.
In the poorest regions of the world, pregnancy often ends in tragedy - poverty and lack of medical care make survival itself uncertain. That reality should remind us how precious life is, and how urgent it is to offer support where it’s needed. In our society, perhaps the previous generation of women felt that abortion was the only way to stay safe but that is no longer our reality: we are better informed, have more resources, and more support. We can make different choices - don't take the easiest way out: seek knowledge, seek guidance and support from your parish or faith community; never have I seen a church turn away a woman in need. If you ever encounter a woman troubled with this matter, please be close to her, help her, listen to her and show Jesus' love. If it's you facing this right now: reach out my dear, you are not meant to carry this alone. A church community can help you and support you. I would ask you to pray and to think about these
If every human being has the right to life, why wouldn’t a child in the womb?
If we’ve abolished the death penalty, why would we apply it to babies?
If we are not God, why do we decide who lives and who dies?
As a woman of God, you are called to honor and protect life - not to end it. Your body is a sacred gift entrusted to your care. Your life is a journey God allows you to walk and shape through your choices. And a child is a precious soul He places in your keeping, to love and nurture. Therefore all three belong ultimately to Him.
Here is another video I'd like you to watch: the moment of conception.
🐟 reaches🥚>🥚burps🫧 zinc ions> ions 🫶 to molecules outside>💡life
happy part
(consoling)
«But, I have done it already»
..my heart aches with yours. But now, take a big breath in - it happened, it's the past - breath out.
As I said before: your past is there, over there, far away. I am sure if you did it's not something you're happy about. I believe the guilt and mourning and greed, if they kicked in, are very very deep and I wouldn't wish that on no one. It's something tough to face once you've understood what happened and what it means before God. I hope its consequences weren't too hard on you, I hope they didn't harm you psychologically nor physically. I do hope that.
For what it matters, I believe whatever brought you to it was nothing but bad feelings and you most surely didn't take it lightly - you had your reasons - wrong or inconsistent sure but, I believe besides now saying it is wrong and shouldn't be done, that you weren't fully aware of what it meant.
Church is made for us sinners not saints, no one will condemn you - we condemn the sin; and we all sin, all of us. After getting to know this topic a little deeper I have understood how a few things can twist things and ruin life, which is, by the way, a great way for the devil to torment: shame/guilt/mourning/anxiety/shock/neurosis. None of these come from God! Evidently so. They’re chains meant to keep you from His mercy - they are weapons of the enemy and they should not have power over you anymore. But let me reassure you: your repentance already disarms them. Just keep on going as you're doing, slowly but truly turn your heart to God, these feelings will go away and forgiveness will come to stay. Lastly, your child is not angry at you, we all can assure you that. They're waiting for you to go to heaven and finally meet them. What you can do is to dedicate your life - or seasons - in praying for all those women who did it and perhaps consider actively speaking to prevent it from happening.
Last but not least, if you confessed your sin and are truly repentant - you have to forgive yourself, move on stay safe.
You are loved.
