I will never forget the words, “I’m sorry, but we can’t find a heartbeat.” It was August of 2009. I was at the doctor’s office for my first ultrasound with my second pregnancy. I was devastated, to say the least. The doctor let me know that we needed to go home and come back one week later for another ultrasound. During that week, it was expected that my body would naturally expel the remains of my deceased baby. That did not happen. I went back to the doctor, and they scheduled an immediate dilation and curettage (D&C).
As I was lying in the hospital bed, heartbroken, a nurse came into the room. In her peppy nurse voice she said, “OK. So you’re here for the abortion.” For the second time in a week, I felt like all of the oxygen had been sucked out of the room, and my heart stopped. No – I was not there for an abortion. I did not want this to happen to me and my baby! I have been pro-life my entire life. I would never voluntarily take the life of my baby.
What I did not realize was that many first-trimester surgical abortions are completed using a D&C. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Dilation and curettage (D&C) is a procedure to remove tissue from inside your uterus. Health care professionals perform dilation and curettage to diagnose and treat certain uterine conditions — such as heavy bleeding — or to clear the uterine lining after a miscarriage or abortion.”
I did not know this information at that time. I just knew that I did not want to be there having that procedure. Fast-forward several years to the overturn of Roe v. Wade. That was such an exciting day! Yes! Finally! The decision that finally made clear there is no constitutional right to an abortion in the U.S. Constitution. What a day to celebrate … and then the drama started.
I started seeing stories come up on my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (now X) feeds about how women who had miscarriages were going to die because their bodies did not naturally expel the deceased baby, so it would become toxic to their bodies. Other stories about how doctors would be arrested for performing D&Cs on patients who were having or had just had a miscarriage. This is simply not true. A D&C to remove the remains of a deceased baby is not illegal in any state. This is a necessary medical procedure. There is no ending of life with this procedure – it is, in fact, dealing with something that has already happened to save the mother’s life.
Just last week, we had someone contact Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) offices extremely upset that we would advocate for the death of a mother with an ectopic pregnancy. This is yet another lie from the left and the liberal media. There is not a state in the United States that does not allow for the surgical procedure to remove an ectopic pregnancy.
According to the Mayo Clinic, an ectopic pregnancy must be removed. “A fertilized egg can’t develop normally outside the uterus. To prevent life-threatening complications, the ectopic tissue needs to be removed. Depending on your symptoms and when the ectopic pregnancy is discovered, this may be done using medication, laparoscopic surgery or abdominal surgery.”
Again, all 50 states allow for the removal of a miscarried baby and the removal of an ectopic pregnancy. When we stand against abortion, we are not standing against this. Both of these procedures are saving lives, not ending them. It is easy to get caught up in the emotion of the moment when someone tells you that they believe they would have been left to die due to their state’s laws and our stance on the sanctity of life. If I thought my state (which is a very pro-life state) would have left me to die after my miscarriage, I would be one of the first on the Capitol steps to protest. But it is simply not the truth.
Don’t let yourself be manipulated by pro-abortion activists and the media. Know the facts. Be kind but firm with people who have bought into the lies. They are passionate because they care. Research the law in your state and be prepared with a loving answer.
No state will arrest a doctor for performing a D&C to deal with a deceased baby or removing an ectopic pregnancy. CWA does not advocate for the harm of a woman with a deceased baby in her body. Those are all lies meant to manipulate you into compliance. Don’t be fooled. Know the facts, and do not be afraid to stand for the truth.
