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TW Abortion - Struggling with abortion from 20 years ago

3 replies

Missycoops · 21/11/2025 17:09

Posting for similar experiences. I had an abortion 20 years ago when I was 17. I’ve since had another child who is now 13 and then struggled with secondary infertility.

I have never had any doubts that the abortion was the right thing to do at the time. I was in a very unstable relationship with a man who I can now see was abusive, I went down a bit of a bad path as a teen and would have been in no position to raise a child.

I went on to meet a great man who I am now married to and have a lovely teenage DS, we are very happy.

But for some reason as time has gone on my feelings of sadness over the abortion have started and gotten worse. I imagine the sibling my DS would have had, as he grows and becomes his own person, I wonder who my other child would have been.

I realise it’s a pointless feeling and that I should be happy with what I do have. My life would likely have been very different if I had kept the pregnancy when I was 17, and probably for the worse.

Sometimes I think I deserve to have this feeling hanging over me because of what I did those years ago. Not really sure what i am looking for, maybe just someone who has felt similar, how did you over come the feelings or come to accept them. Not everyone in my life knows about the abortion so I don’t have many people I can speak to IRL. Thank you

OP posts:
Sillysoggyspaniel · 21/11/2025 17:36

It's a huge sliding doors moment. It will probably always weigh on your mind, but realistically you wouldn't have your DS had you kept that pregnancy. Hugs.

W0tnow · 21/11/2025 17:38

Your would have been very different. It is likely you wouldn’t have had the child you have now, had you gone through with the pregnancy. Had you considered that?

Missycoops · 21/11/2025 19:36

Thank you for your kind replies. I am able to be rational about it and don’t regret it becuase I know that choice led to a better life for me and my child now. I suppose I was worried that there was something wrong with me for feeling this way after all this time, it has definitely helped to just put it all down in words.

OP posts:
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