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Pregnancy choices

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Regret Abortion

10 replies

BKJK · 21/05/2025 13:49

Hello,
I am 5 days post medical abortion. I terminated the pregnancy at 10 weeks - the last day possible for a MA. I was still so unsure what to do, hence leaving it until the last possible moment - my partner did not want another child (we have two wonderful children and we’re both over 40). I was worried about the idea of another child but I was open to having the baby and felt very uneasy about having an abortion, but on the other hand I didn’t want to risk the stability of our family unit if my partner was against having the baby. On the day I had to take the first pill I sat there staring at it, still 50:50, crying and not knowing what to do and then I took it, thinking I was doing the best for the family in the long run. I was so sad that day and that night cried to my partner that I thought I had made the wrong decision but that the baby was probably already dead. The next day, like a zombie I took the second set of pills and cried endlessly and knew I had made a mistake but could not stop it then. The process was more painful than I anticipated. The next day I passed the foetus and I held it in my hands and screamed at myself a deathly scream, that I was in disbelief that I had done this - it felt like I was in a nightmare. I buried the foetus in the garden - I couldn’t flush it or put it in the bin and I wanted to always be near my baby. I am devastated, I regret the decision and I fear that it has impacted my family unit more than having the baby would have - I cannot look at my partner, who offered me no encouragement or support if I chose to keep the baby - I felt backed into a corner to make this decision and I am worried I will never feel the same about him now. My other two children are sponges and are picking up on my sadness, even though I try to put a brave face on in front of them. I wish I had not taken what I thought was a convenient option of pills at home - I wish I had gone to a clinic and had to say truthfully to someone that I was not 100% on board with this and they probably would have said not to go through with it. I also think the surgical route may have been safer - the blood I am passing absolutely stinks and I’m worried I have an infection or stuck placenta, so I will have to go to the doctor about that. I am sure the hormones are not helping with these very raw feelings but I wanted to share my story that if you are in the same position and logic is telling you one thing but your gut another, trust your gut. I took the pill on a weighted average of opinion - 100% my partner for + 50% for me but I should have based this decision on the heart, not logic. I hope someone finds this helpful, as I never want anyone to feel this loss if they are in doubt of what to do.

OP posts:
Anxious24 · 21/05/2025 14:44

The same here except was November and my life is broken. I am so distressed every day. Lost my job. Don’t bond with my husband anymore.
how old are you? I was 39. Pray to me pregnant but don’t think it’ll help. It’s my due date tomorrow
I have lost so much weight, lost a lot of hair and sleep terribly

Anxious24 · 21/05/2025 14:45

Imagine was pretty developed

BKJK · 21/05/2025 15:05

I am so sorry to hear that. I hope with time it gets easier. I hope that the only good thing that might come out of this - and hence why I am sharing my experience - is that others who are undecided about an abortion get absolutely certain or avoid it, as this is devastating.

OP posts:
Anxious24 · 21/05/2025 15:24

Yes I hope so
can I ask how old you are? Worrying another pregnancy won’t happen now

BKJK · 21/05/2025 15:47

I am 40 but my partner is older, hence we were starting to feel like we’d be old parents but looking back now we’re great parents to our other young children and we could have coped. Good luck with your physical and mental recovery. I hope you’re relationship an come through the other side of this too.

One other thing I wish I had done also, just for others facing the same predicament, is gone to the GP surgery and talked it through with a doctor. I felt like that was a waste of their time - I knew the basic options - keep the baby, have an abortion, or give the baby up for adoption, but I think now in retrospect that talking to a professional, who has probably seen this situation play out many a time before, might have been useful in trying to find the best way forward for me. I regret not doing that now. Life is worth taking the time to talk to a professional, rather than ruminate in one’s head for weeks.

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Poster57 · 22/05/2025 06:55

@BKJK it sounds awful to say (as I’m absolutely pro choice) but it’s almost too accessible isn’t it? The service needs to be there for women but there are no protections in place for women who perhaps aren’t quite in their right mind when making that ‘decision’ there’s no mention of side effects or potential negative consequences like there are for other major medical procedures & the impact of it can be massive. I’m not sure what the answer is, training perhaps, mental health input but then there’s some situations where the barriers shouldn’t be in place. I for one suffered very acute and very severe peri natal anxiety but to be honest I did go to my GP at the time and I’m sad to say that the appropriate help wasn’t there, nobody knew how to handle it until well after the fact when suddenly there was some who understood the severe impact the hormones had had on me. Termination might always have been the only solution for me (and I believe it was, it’s just harder to accept the medical reasons for it when it’s your own mental health) as I was really very unwell and at severe risk of not surviving but I’d have liked the chance to have someone understand what was happening to me in the moment. I’d like to hope that’s not the same for everyone when they seek help.

It’s a lot easier said than done but please try and be kind to yourself. You’re not the first and sadly you won’t be the last to experience these feeling & this situation. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

BKJK · 22/05/2025 09:22

@Poster57 I fully agree. On reflection, even though I am also pro choice, I think access to abortion is too easy and not enough checks and balances and the explanation of the side effects and potential consequences. I think one should have to have gone through at least one counselling session / mental health assessment and have been given a full explanation of the side effects / impacts. This will profoundly impact my life now and I wish I could take it all back.

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Poster57 · 22/05/2025 15:37

@BKJK yes I’m afraid that ‘some women may experience temporary low mood’ doesn’t quite cut it. I’m hope you’re able to get some therapy in the aftermath. I found emdr very helpful but accessing it isn’t straightforward

BKJK · 22/05/2025 16:32

@Poster57 Yes, I feel so angry about it that I wrote to the BBC today, suggesting they write a recent article about the balanced views of women who are willing to share their stories - both positive and negative. I didn’t know what to believe in chat forums like this but I trusted the limited information I was given by the clinic and more fool me for doing so - I’m in hell.
I have just started counselling, thank you. I hope you are doing as well as you can ok your journey of healing.

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Clangershome · 22/05/2025 17:18

I’m agree to all and well done for writing to the bbc

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