These are things that real women have said as they sat across from me, many of them shedding fresh tears for their babies.
"I didn't believe in abortion but didn't know what else to do."
"My boyfriend said he only wanted me—not me and a baby."
"My dad said he would drive me and pay to have an abortion. He said I couldn't raise a baby."
"It's been over a decade, and I'm still processing the loss of my baby."
"I want my baby back! I didn't want this… it wasn't like they said it would be."
"It didn't feel like my choice. I wish I had done what I wanted and kept my baby instead of what everyone else said I should do."
Women are repeatedly told, "Your body, your choice," regarding a baby. Yet, we encounter so many women who are on the other side of abortion and feel like it wasn't at all what they wanted.
The pressure women feel to have an abortion is overwhelming. They get it from baby daddies, parents, aunties, friends, and even doctors.
If you listen to the people around you, you might find yourself walking through doors you never wanted to even get close to.
As a woman, you can be empowered and make a choice that you are confident with, but it isn't easy.
Take the time to really process what it is you want.
We want you to know the facts about the various kinds of abortion and how they might affect you.
We want you to know about parenting—how empowering it can be even through its trials.
We want you to know about adoption—how it can be a difficult but beautiful choice.
We know firsthand the intense grief that abortion can cause—from our post-abortive staff and hundreds of post-abortive women who have reached out to us. It can be traumatic and lonely. It isn't a one-and-done experience. The memories, the pain, the longing, and the "what-ifs" all linger with you.
If you're considering abortion, take time to imagine your future. Take time to work through what you want, and don't give in to anything that feels like someone is pressuring you to do. Think about how you will feel if you go through with it—no one knows that better than you.