All in Later Abortions

"I aborted twice. The first I realized when I was 20 years old and 4 months pregnant." ~ "Aborté dos veces. La primera me di cuenta cuando tenía 20 años y 4 meses de embarazo".

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Two Abortions, Mexico, Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 16 Weeks

“I did not know because every month everything was normal. My boyfriend insisted that I take a test because he felt that something was wrong. After a long time of insisting, I gave in and did the test and surprise: I was pregnant. I did not hesitate to go and buy pills that same day.” Read more.

“No lo sabía porque todos los meses todo era normal. Mi novio insistió en que hiciera una prueba porque sentía que algo andaba mal. Después de mucho tiempo de insistir, cedí e hice la prueba y sorpresa: estaba embarazada. No dudé en ir a comprar pastillas ese mismo día ”. Lee mas.

"A part of me wanted this pregnancy even though I knew abortion was the right choice."

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Two Abortions, Later Abortions, 13 Weeks, 2nd Trimester, Mexico

“I was farther along than they had thought (13 weeks) so I had to have extra sedation to be relaxed enough for the procedure. The drugs made me fall asleep and I don't remember much. My boyfriend was able to stay in the operating room with me so he held my hand and woke me up when it was over. I was relieved not to be pregnant but also felt regret.” Read more.

Listen or Read: 5 Different Stories of Later Abortion -- "Maybe talking about my abortion can be healing not just for me, but for people around me."

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, Twins, 15 to 23 Weeks, Multiple Abortions, U.S.

“I realized I was pregnant pretty late into my pregnancy. I had developed an eating disorder in high school and that eating disorder got bad in college so I left school to go home and get treatment for that. And that's an issue that's important because one of the symptoms of having an eating disorder is losing your period. Amenorrhea. And so we didn't know when I lost mine that it was because I was pregnant. We thought it was because of the illness. I was also on birth control at the time. I had been on birth control for quite a while. And so that was another reason why we didn't even think about it. By the time I realized I was pregnant, I was quite a few weeks in. “ Listen or read the transcript.

"It was a strong emotional blow and something that helped was to mourn." ~ "Fue un fuerte golpe emocional y algo que ayudó fue el duelo".

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 15 Weeks, Guatemala

“This time we contacted the wrong person. He was a scammer, and despite applying the pills, I did not have an abortion. That’s why the pregnancy remained normal. I felt nauseous in the morning. I didn't feel hungry. And that's why we decided to do an ultrasound. And yes, I was still pregnant, only this time I was 15 weeks along.’ Read more.

“Esta vez contactamos a la persona equivocada. Él era un estafador y, a pesar de aplicarme las pastillas, no me hice un aborto. Por eso el embarazo siguió siendo normal. Sentí náuseas por la mañana. No sentí hambre. Y por eso decidimos hacer una ecografía. Y sí, todavía estaba embarazada, solo que esta vez tenía 15 semanas ". Leer más.

"Test results confirmed that our baby had a significant likelihood of having some kind of abnormality that would likely cause him to suffer."

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 14 Weeks, 18 Weeks, U.S.

“My husband and I faced pregnancy loss a total of four times. We terminated two very wanted pregnancies — one at 14 weeks and one at 18 weeks. And years after delivering our living son, I miscarried twice. While still stigmatized, miscarriage is the more palatable kind of pregnancy loss that might generate sympathy and condolences. However, termination for medical reasons (TFMR) usually carries stigma and shame that run so deep, you have to either whisper it or justify your choice.” Read more.

"We picked out names, talked about him/her. We planned everything. At this point I was 3 months pregnant."

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 15 Weeks, 17 Weeks, Florida, U.S.

“I unfortunately found out he had lied to me about something pretty big. Now I was faced with an awful dilemma. There was a chance he was going to be sentenced to jail time for something he did long before he met me. In that case I would have to drop out of school, and be kicked out of my dad’s house. But my boyfriend isn’t making it into a big deal. He told me if I have an abortion we would not be together anymore. I felt so backed into a corner. I wanted this baby. But I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t trust my boyfriend anymore, and I was scared I couldn’t do it on my own.” Read more.

"He tells me that I’m 16 weeks pregnant and that he won’t perform an abortion: he says it’s against his beliefs. "

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 16 Weeks, New York, U.S.

“For my mother and me, this is shocking information. I’m shocked that I’m pregnant to begin with and we’re both shocked that his beliefs have anything to do with whether or not I can obtain an abortion. My mother is a lawyer. She’s enraged. Abortion is legal. My doctor sends me to a clinic on 59th Street between 5th and Madison. The place is well-run and professional and I am treated with dignity and compassion.” Read more.

"We met with our OB who subsequently told us that the ultrasound showed our child’s brain ventricles were nearly twice the size they should be."

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 21 Weeks, Maryland, U.S.

“My husband and I faced another agonizing decision. I would not wish this on anyone; once---let alone twice. On August 13, 2010, we decided once again to terminate the pregnancy and said goodbye to our second child, this time to our daughter. We were able to choose a surgical option due to the gestational age in Washington, DC. After a series of tests and doctor consultations, the best guess was that our losses were the result of a recessive combination of genes: one from each of us. This means that there is a 25% chance of reoccurrence in each subsequent pregnancy.” Read more.

"From the moment I got pregnant, it was a difficult experience. I forget the name of what condition I had, but I wasn’t able to keep anything down. "

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 17 Weeks, Location Unknown

“I don’t have any regrets. To this day my husband and I are the only ones who know and it will most likely stay that way. I guess I just want to let anyone who has had or will be having an abortion know that it’s okay. You’re doing what’s best for you. You will get through it. I understand. You’re valid. And you’re loved. And you have support right here if no where else.” Read more.

"I wasn’t having super regular menstrual cycles because I had an IUD, so that didn’t warn me. I didn’t think to check if I was pregnant. "

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 13 Weeks, California, U.S.

“You had to go in, get a sonogram, wait the mandated 24 hours, then come back in for the procedure. Given that there was a two-and-a-half-week wait for just the first appointment and given that my job situation was what it was, I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to make one of those two appointments and everything would be pushed back another three weeks, minimum, as a result. And we also have a 20-week ban here. I was really nervous that my circumstances would push me over the ban.” Read more.

"He lost his job when I was 12 weeks pregnant and we eventually got evicted. I was in a shelter."

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, 18 Weeks, Location Unknown

“I don't regret the abortions exactly; I know with my soon-to-be ex-husband it never would have been good life with a dad like that. I know that as a recovering drug addict I could never have raised them alone. I know with my first three I was too immature and not thinking of what I should have all for the wrong reasons. But they were all so avoidable and I feel I failed my kids by getting pregnant with them in those situations. I am guilt stricken and so much of me has died because of this.” Read more.

Podcast -- "My mother said she thought I was pregnant and I said, 'No, Mommy, no. I'm not pregnant.' "

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Later Abortions, 2nd Trimester, New York, Audio

Content warning: In this audio, Gail shares her memories of having a 2nd-trimester abortion when she was just 15 years old. She tells of not only being uneducated about sex, but also of being kept in the dark every step of the way throughout her abortion experience. “I knew nothing. Nobody told me anything. I was uniformed about what I was about to go through. I had no support. no support at all.” Listen.