Intro

Hi everyone! My name is Stephanie, and this is my pregnancy experience that led to a triploidy diagnosis, and our termination at 20 weeks pregnant.

I wanted to write this blog as a reflection on all my husband and I went through during this turbulent pregnancy. Through the painful journey, I found that reading similar stories written by women were sometimes comforting, but sometimes also made me feel a little less strong, or a little more alienated. I wanted to write out my experiences for my benefit, and also to hopefully give women one more voice to identify with. I was raised Catholic, but I don't really consider myself a person of a definitive faith. I feel that is a major source of alienation for me as I read other women's experiences and how heavy they relied on their faith to get them through.

I also had a lot of internal struggles with termination. I went to Catholic school, and I remember going to an anti-abortion prayer service in 8th grade with a few other girls, as part of a retreat requirement. We were surrounded with pro-life propaganda, saw pictures of aborted fetuses, and were sent home with pamphlets and bumper stickers. I can't even use that word abortion in this experience. I do understand the pro-life position, but there is a ton of couples out there that may not have the choice, due to medical reasons affecting the baby, or the mother, or both, like I experienced. I feel like this is widely unrecognized, since I never even thought about it as a possibility. I was lucky enough to be close to a hospital that would perform the procedure. Some women have to travel hundreds of miles to receive this care, and some hospitals may not perform it because of Catholic affiliation. Some women have to travel to other states because they’re past the window their state legally allows pregnancy terminations. Some women don’t have insurance to cover such procedures and care. This is scary, especially when you think about all the issues coming against places like Planned Parenthood. I guess I just want to emphasize that terminations aren’t just for unwanted pregnancies, sometimes they are necessary to save the life of someone you love. 

I'm writing this blog in parts, trying to remember the experience as it happened. I wish I had blogged about it along the way, but I was expecting a very non-eventful pregnancy, as all women probably do! I wanted to write it for myself, but I hope it can help give a perspective to anyone in a similar situation, you aren't alone. xoxo

I have strong respect for everyone and their beliefs, and I just ask the same from you.