My Faith Told Me to Carry My Dying Baby to Term. I Wish I Hadn't
For years, I focused entirely on what was best for my unborn child. I never considered that I mattered too.
Lizzie, a woman from central Indiana, experienced a traumatic journey after becoming pregnant with her daughter, Maggie. She grew up in a loving family but faced severe health issues that prevented her from having children naturally. After her mother’s death when Lizzie was 16, she became deeply involved in her Christian faith, which influenced her decision to carry Maggie to term despite her doctors’ recommendations for termination due to Maggie's severe birth defects.
Throughout her pregnancy, Lizzie and her husband prayed and planned for Maggie's life, convinced a miracle would happen. When Maggie was born prematurely and critically ill, Lizzie couldn't accept the reality and felt immense grief. She wrote Christmas cards to Maggie and held a memorial service, feeling uncomfortable as others tried to keep Maggie's existence a secret. Maggie passed away a few hours after birth, leaving Lizzie with an overwhelming sense of loss.
After Maggie's death, Lizzie faced more losses and made the difficult decision to stop trying for children, realizing that her pursuit of motherhood had severely impacted her physical, emotional, and financial well-being. This led her to leave Christianity and pursue a master's degree while examining her beliefs. Eventually, Lizzie came to the conclusion that she wished she had terminated Maggie's pregnancy, acknowledging that her focus on Maggie's potential life overshadowed her own well-being and that abortion could be a compassionate choice for others.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
