I’m 24 years old, have a decent job, live on my own and have a steady, wonderful boyfriend that I love dearly. We have so many plans and goals. In fact, a week before I found out I was pregnant, we booked our flights for a vacation in Europe later this year. We want to travel and enjoy each other. Obviously, a child is NOT in the plans. I was taking birth control, and just as a precaution he was withdrawing. Somehow, I don’t know how, I became pregnant. I was terrified. Depressed. Hopeless. It felt like everything I was hoping for and striving for was all going down the drain. To many women it’s joyous news to learn of conception. For me, it was like being sentenced to life in prison. I don’t particularly like kids. In fact, I can’t stand them. I know that may seem cold, but it’s true. I don’t want kids, ever. That’s why we were being so careful and taking the measures to not get pregnant. So there I was. I could have given it up for adoption. However, with my family that would have been impossible. My Mom wants grandkids in the worst way. She would have never let me give that baby up, and if I did it would have caused great friction in the family. A big family, I might add. I’ve always been extremely close with my family and didn’t want that to change, so adoption was completely out of the question. I chose abortion because it was private, no one but those I chose to tell had to know. My boyfriend told me he would stand behind me in my decision. So I called and booked an appointment. Luckily I live in Canada and they told me the procedure was completely free of charge.

Two weeks later, there I was at the clinic. Not upset, not feeling guilty, but excited with a little tinge of nervousness. After waiting for about 45 minutes, the nurse called my name and I kissed my boyfriend and followed her to the back. She sat me in an office and described in detail what was going to happen, then asked if I had any questions. We then discussed different forms of birth control (needless to say, I have completely lost my faith in the birth control pill). She was very nice, and incredibly understanding. She then took me to a change room where I put on a kind of skirt. I then had my ultrasound done which showed I was 7 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I shivered when she told me that. Looking at the ultrasound it really didn’t look like anything, just a tiny little blob. I was then placed in another waiting room where I was surprised to find five other girls. All waiting for the same thing I was. Some taking it better than others. Women of all ages. I think one woman was in her late 40’s, which I found surprising. I don’t know why, but I did. Finally my name was called and I began to get really nervous, as you would before any kind of procedure that you’ve never been through. The nurse laid me down in the bed and started chatting up a storm. I found it kind of awkward at first considering the skirt I had to wear was hiked up around my hips. For some reason though, I actually found it funny, and we had a really good talk. She calmed me down quite a bit. Then the doctor came in and she gave me an I.V. and told me to lay back. So I did. I remember wondering & hoping that the anesthetic would kick in before I could really feel anything. The next thing I remembered was the nurse sitting me up and telling me I was all done. I couldn’t believe it; I had slept through the whole thing. I stood up and went into the recovery room feeling absolutely fine. After about 15 or 20 minutes they told me I could go get dressed and go home.

I’m about to switch to a Mirena IUD as my birth control, and if that fails me I will absolutely, without a doubt get another abortion. I will never regret getting an abortion. I think it is absolutely absurd for a woman to be made to feel guilty for making a decision that was best for her. Which is exactly what I did.