AN OPEN LETTER TO PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS

Dear Pro-lifer,

I've quietly stood by listening to your opinions. I feel every painful assumption you make about me. You draw a line between right and wrong without hesitation, as if you know exactly what it feels like to be faced with a life-changing decision. The problem is, the picture you paint doesn't look anything like me.

YOU ARE A WARRIOR

Remind yourself to just keep breathing. 

Lay in bed and count your breaths.
-- in 3, out 3, in 3, out 3 --

Clear your mind. Focus on the positive. 

BE STRONG & COURAGEOUS

On January 5th 2016, James and I sat in a cold hospital room with both hands on my belly and said goodbye to our daughter, Grace. It was the most painful moment of my entire life. Sometimes it all feels like a horrible dream and I will wake up to find my belly full again. 

1 IN 900

I used to find comfort in numbers. That is, until I was "the 1." 

There are new DNA tests called non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) that can detect chromosome abnormalities through a simple blood test from the mother. They have been around for a few years but were mostly used for high-risk women over 35. Now, doctors seem to be offering them up to everyone. The benefit? Finding out your baby's gender as early as 12 weeks. 

PREGNANCY AFTER MISCARRIAGE

On January 5th, 2016, we said goodbye to another baby -- our 3rd child. It's been a complete nightmare these past few weeks.

I wrote this blog post on December 14th, 2015, the night before my world was turned completely upside down. I was waiting for my NIPT results (non-invasive prenatal test) to reveal the gender so I could include it in the blog post and share it with my personal Facebook announcement. I was not anticipating the results to be the beginning of the end of our daughter's precious life.