Has becoming a parent changed your mind about abortion?

I have two beautiful little girls. I have always been pro-life even though I got pregnant out of wedlock with my first daughter with a guy I wasn't even dating. I was devastated and my family was anything but supportive. I felt I had nothing to live for. I cried every night until I had a migraine. I had no one with me at the hospital. I just kept going through every day not knowing how I was going to take care of a baby or myself. You know, it's funny how the people that should be there for you the most aren't. People I barely knew were so kind and unjudgmental and helpful. My daughter is the greatest gift in my life. There is help. There is adoption. Think of a time in your life when you were sure there was no hope. That changes with time. I sincerely hope that this experience has made me a stronger, smarter and more sensitive to others. I hope to guide my daughters each day of their life and pray they do not make the same mistakes as I do. I believe there is an epidemic of men who weren't taught to respect women and women who were not loved enough to respect themselves. Being a single parent can turn you into a better person. Perhaps the next generation, the generation of children by single parents will be wiser; taught that mistakes happen, but you can overcome. I hurt for everyone who has or is going through what I went through. I did find a man who loved the new me and my baby daughter. We got married and had another beautiful girl. Give parenting a chance or even adoption. I have friends that have gotten abortions. They maintain that they think it is a woman's right, but they are hurting. One of them is so depressed she hasn't been able to hold a job for a year. I don't think poorly of anyone who has had an abortion because, believe me, I thought about it. I never thought it could happen to me, the good girl. But it does. So, from this experience I learned who my true friends are, what I want to do with my life and that the worst times in your life can bring about the best changes. Find someone who cares. There are so many good, strong women who have been in your position. You may be surprised that the lady who "has it all together" was once in your shoes. Abortion hurts women.

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Before I had my four-month old daughter, I always wondered if I personally would be able to go through with an abortion. I was almost sure before I got pregnant that I would have been able to. I have always thought it should be the woman's choice as there are many different reasons why someone shouldn't have a child. However, everytime I see her gummy smile, I know I could never do it knowing what that little bean on the sonogram turns into!

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Bore three children, buried one child, and my opinion has been consistent throughout: If you're against abortion, then don't have one. But it's never right for people to mandate to other women what THEIR decision should be concerning their own bodies.

Every child should be a wanted one; and abortion should remain a safe and legal option for the times that it becomes necessary.

I appreciate that this discussion has had such a civil tone, for the most part. Well done!

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Abortion is MURDER--period. I was more or less a fence-sitter before I became pregnant, but being pregnant drove it home--that is a baby, a HUMAN BEING growing in there!

Pro-aborts would have you forget that there is a human being involved. Actually, two--mother and child. Abortion STILL kills women despite it being legal! Abortion HURTS women! So how can being pro-"choice" be pro-woman? It's not!

Everyone has the inherent right to choose. The real question is--is a choice right or wrong? Abortion falls under the "wrong" category.

As far as Alito goes...I really, REALLY doubt he'd try to overturn Roe. Bush has already said that he doesn't think it should be overturned (part of the reason I didn't vote for him--I voted Constitution Party instead). Besides, all overturning Roe would do is hand the decision back to the states, where it belongs. Here in Ohio, they're talking about an abortion ban--which is GOOD.

As it says on my license plates, CHOOSE LIFE.

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Becoming a parent of my first child did not change my pro-choice views, and the birth of my second child streghthened them 100%.
As much as everyone would like to pretend that anti-choice means pro-life the truth is plain - pro-life is only fetus-love.
Show me the strides in educating children about birth control, about educating children about birth control failures, about the strides we've taken to make adoption easier and more socially-acceptable, show me the efforts we've made to insure that born children have adequate health care, food, shelter and education.
Show me the gains we've made to insure that women do not suffer financially, emotionally or physically from childbirth, or that men have to share any of these costs. Then we can talk about "life".

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Premeditated killing is still murder. The sad thing is that it terminates the life of the most innocent.

Regardless of what legislation says or how you rationalize your thought, it doesn't change the fact that a life is being terminated, whether it's early or late in a pregnancy. My opinion has never changed, and will never change. If you don't believe me ask yourself, "Where you would be right now had your mother decided to abort you." One thing for sure, you wouldn't be reading this.

It is cold, calculating, murder.

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I am kinda split on this. I have five kids ages 9 to 7 months. I was single and 18 when I became pregnant for the first time. I had a career in nursing ahead of me. All my nursing schooling and housing was paid for by scholorships. I gave that all up to have my baby. As hard as it has been to work 2 sometimes 4 jobs at one time to raise my kids (I married the loser and had 3 more with him before divorcing him) I still think that I made the right choice. In my opinion abortion should be for health issues(you have a medical condition that being pregnant and labor will probally kill you) or the baby was the product of a rape. My view is that if you are going to have sex and you get pregnant that was your choice. If you don't want to have a baby give it up for adoption. There are people out there who will house you, clothe you, feed you, and pay all medical expences (even a therapist) just so they can have a baby that they desperatly wanted but cann't have anyother way. I believe that if you are not ready then don't have sex. Period. Because you cann' rely on birthcontrole at all. My 9 year old was a condom baby. My 7 year old was a birthcontrol baby. My 6 year old was the pill and a condom. My 5 yearold was the depo shot. So I know the argument that "we used ""protection"" because we didn't want to be pregnant." The point is nothing is guarnteed to work unless you DON'T HAVE SEX IF YOU DON'T WANT A BABY.

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