I think it’s unfair for women facing what must be the hardest decision of their lives to now have to drive down Ontario Street and be reminded of that, and judged for it, and face more stigma about this really important decision. ~ Pamela Arnott, a resident “offended by the message” of the pro-life billboard [...]

“Surrender the Secret” follows five women on their path to forgive themselves and find healing after abortion. Geoffrey Rogers, president and CEO of KnockTV, says that the support for the online show has been phenomenal, allowing it to reach 50 different countries despite a $0 marketing and advertising budget. The best part is that, according [...]

by Carla CNN has invited mothers who have had abortions to “share your story via video, audio or text”: As much as abortion gets debated politically, rarely do we read stories of women who have chosen to terminate a pregnancy. We want to hear from anyone who has had first-hand experience with abortion. How difficult [...]

Scientific American termed the research findings another way: “Scientists discover children’s cells living in mothers’ brains.”

But I wanted to drive home a touching point: Mothers who terminate their pregnancies apparently don’t completely rid themselves of their babies. The cells of murdered children live on inside their mothers to help – or perhaps – hurt them:

Things were not going well between us and it was a mutual decision. I don’t think that it was easy for either one of us. I think it was a very difficult and poor choice and I think that there are probably regrets both ways. ~ 2001 divorce testimony of Republican Tennessee Congressman Scott DesJarlais, who [...]

I’ve previewed the first episode, and this show is a going to be ground-breaking. A description:

The baby would likely be stillborn in the seventh or eighth month. If carried, miraculously, to term, it would suffer from Trisomy 18, likely Down syndrome and heart failure. It did not possess a nasal bone….

Other women may have carried to term, or as close to term as possible, a child whose condition could allow it to live for a few days, or weeks, or maybe a few years. But faced with the impossibility of this loss, we chose to face it then, before a child had the chance to win our hearts and let us hope for the impossible.

Hand holding can be physically challenging. I have come home with scratches on my hands from fingernails, or swollen fingers that were gripped too tightly for too long…. The more challenging part is finding fresh but neutral points of conversation. I want to keep her distracted and entertained but dodge any potentially emotionally triggering topics… Hand holding can be emotionally draining. [...]

I see being a doula as a political act and I believe that abortion, pregnancy, and childbirth can be a radical act of love and resistance. I’ve held the hands of thousands of people during their abortions and the compassion and love that I’ve witnessed while supporting someone during their abortion has shaped the kind [...]

On March 20, 2007, I published a touching email I received from reader Bethany about her miscarried baby, who she named Blessing. Bethany included photos.

With Bethany’s permission, I posted her note and pictures. Not only did that note lead to a lasting friendship between Bethany and myself, she also went on to moderate this blog for several years and many of you know and love her.

In honor of Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day today, Bethany mentioned that post on her Facebook page. She wrote:

This post about Blessing somehow became so popular that it has been the number one post on Jill’s blog, for years… and if you type “‘miscarriage” in google images, my baby’s picture is the first that shows up.

As a result, I continually get emails from women all over the world who have had miscarriage, and these pictures have helped provide them with closure. (This spurred me to write a book too).

Many of the comments Bethany receives on her post to this day are thankful. Sometimes moms just need to talk. And every now and then one is so sad, like this one that was posted on October 13. I’m breaking it up into paragraphs for easier reading….