"Health Of The Mother"

I've been thinking about re-posting my story since the last debate.

I've taken quite a few posts down because I decided they were too personal, and this is one of them.

Watching McCain last week, basically tout that "the health of the mother" was something that should not be considered when it comes to abortion, that its an excuse for abortion, etc...

It really got to me, because it does hit me so close to home.

I'm Pro-Choice. I've always been Pro-Choice. I'm not "Pro-Abortion."

Is anyone?

Does anyone say to them self, "Gee, I'm bored today, I think I'll go out and get myself knocked up, and then go get an abortion?"

This is not what pro-choice means. It means simply that you do have a choice.

I've never wished an abortion on anyone. In fact I am in favor of any means necessary to lessen the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.

Sarah Palin's own daughter is a case in point.

I'd be willing to bet that there are not that many parent's out there that would go on and on about their seventeen year old daughters unwanted pregnancy.

This baby, at least will be brought into a family that can afford it (maybe). Lots of kids are not that lucky, they may not have the choice to have their family help them.

Also, look what preaching "abstinence" does. It didn't stop young Bristol from becoming pregnant.

Not all pregnancys are wanted nor planned.

My second one was not. You can read about it here.

Suffice it to say, I CHOSE to go through with my unwanted pregnancy because I felt it was the right thing to do for me.

I remember though, when I found out I was pregnant with Little Miss, Just how I was terrified I was, beyond terrified.

I thought I would die if I went through with the pregnancy.

That is what all my doctors told me would happen.

You see, I nearly died having my son. He was only a little over 18 months when I found out I was pregnant with Little Miss.

What ran through my head then, was "I can't die and leave my baby without his mother."

"Who will take care of him?"

"Who will love him the way I love him?"

"He needs me."

This very thing is what originally made me go to Planned Parenthood.

I didn't feel I had a choice.

I thought I would die and leave my baby motherless.

It was never that I didn't want a second baby, but that I was afraid to have her.

I went through just about every precaution there was to avoid a second pregnancy.

I was on the pill, I was nursing, I was over 40.

Who would have thought that I would get pregnant again?

I know I didn't, and that is why I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was already into my 2nd trimester. I was at the verge of being able to not legally have the abortion done.

I decided in the end, I couldn't have the abortion.

I had wanted this baby for too long.

I couldn't.

Thankfully, I had a choice.

What if I hadn't had the choice?

What if I had been forced by the legal system to go through a pregnancy that would nearly kill me and my baby, because that is what happened folks.

I nearly died. My baby nearly died, I hemorrhaged and lost 7 or 8 pints of blood, I don't really remember but hubby could tell you.

We had a rough go of it, I was in ICU for days after, and my little 2lb 5 oz baby was in the NICU with a hole in her heart, intabated, and fighting for her life.

I didn't see her until she was nearly a week old. I saw "the picture." If any of you have had preemies, I'm sure you know what picture I'm speaking of, the one you get to see because you are too sick to see your baby.

I am lucky, I am grateful we made it, but what if we hadn't???

What if I had started crashing earlier than I did, and really did need to have a late term abortion and couldn't have had it? This was almost my reality.

Abortion is never a good solution, sometimes though, it is the only solution. The mothers health does count.

Peace,

OC