Today was my 18 week prenatal appointment, and I have been looking forward to it since Monday. Time off of work on a sunny day, one step closer to securing our ultrasound...I was thrilled. And then while sitting in traffic on my way to see the Obstetrician I got on the phone with a friend who filled me in on the latest news about the 'morning after pill'.
For anyone who had their head in the sand most of the week like I did, the news originates back in March when a federal judge ruled that 17-year-old women should be allowed over-the-counter access to the 'morning after pill', a large dose of contraception, taken within 72 hours of intercourse, that either prevents conception or inhibits an already fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall to grow. Previously this pill was only available to women ages 18 and up. In addition to the ruling, the judge also asked the FDA to weigh in on whether or not it thinks that these age restrictions should be lifted all together. Yesterday the FDA announced that it accepted and will not appeal this legal ruling, and it will investigate age requirements further. You can read the full story here.
So to make my long story short, my mood turned around rather abruptly after hearing this news. Sitting on the crowded highway I realized that in the same week I felt our baby's first kick, governmental bodies (no, individual people) had approved more wide-spread availability of a detrimental drug that will prevent any number of lives from ever beginning. Any number of other individual people from ever stepping into the world to make their imprint. Of course I was no longer just considering this particular event, but rather the many ways our culture acts destructively toward (unborn) life. When I finally arrived at the Obstetrician's office I was agitated at both the traffic and the news. To make matters worse I sat in the examining room for close to a hour with nothing to do but read the posters on the wall again and again. One contraceptive advertisement after another, after another, after another...
The actual time I spent with the doctor, on the other hand, was just fine. She gave me the necessary information to schedule our ultrasound, measured my belly (which is just perfect!) and let me listen to the baby's heartbeat again. It took her a minute to get a good sounding beat, but once she did the baby rolled right over and, "wa-whoosh, wa-whoosh, wa-whoosh!!" He or she laid right up against doppler and immediately grabbed all our attention with an extremely loud heartbeat. "Here I am!" the movement seemed to delcare. The doctor just smiled and said that I've got quite the little ham in there. Nothing wrong with our baby wanting to be center of attention, I thought. I left on a happy note.
Well since I made so much mention of my 'distaste' of contracepting without offering a great deal of explanation, I will do what I can in another post to unveil more of my thoughts on life. Besides, with our baby well on the way what better opportunity could there be to discuss such a beautiful topic?
For anyone who had their head in the sand most of the week like I did, the news originates back in March when a federal judge ruled that 17-year-old women should be allowed over-the-counter access to the 'morning after pill', a large dose of contraception, taken within 72 hours of intercourse, that either prevents conception or inhibits an already fertilized egg from implanting in the uterine wall to grow. Previously this pill was only available to women ages 18 and up. In addition to the ruling, the judge also asked the FDA to weigh in on whether or not it thinks that these age restrictions should be lifted all together. Yesterday the FDA announced that it accepted and will not appeal this legal ruling, and it will investigate age requirements further. You can read the full story here.
So to make my long story short, my mood turned around rather abruptly after hearing this news. Sitting on the crowded highway I realized that in the same week I felt our baby's first kick, governmental bodies (no, individual people) had approved more wide-spread availability of a detrimental drug that will prevent any number of lives from ever beginning. Any number of other individual people from ever stepping into the world to make their imprint. Of course I was no longer just considering this particular event, but rather the many ways our culture acts destructively toward (unborn) life. When I finally arrived at the Obstetrician's office I was agitated at both the traffic and the news. To make matters worse I sat in the examining room for close to a hour with nothing to do but read the posters on the wall again and again. One contraceptive advertisement after another, after another, after another...
The actual time I spent with the doctor, on the other hand, was just fine. She gave me the necessary information to schedule our ultrasound, measured my belly (which is just perfect!) and let me listen to the baby's heartbeat again. It took her a minute to get a good sounding beat, but once she did the baby rolled right over and, "wa-whoosh, wa-whoosh, wa-whoosh!!" He or she laid right up against doppler and immediately grabbed all our attention with an extremely loud heartbeat. "Here I am!" the movement seemed to delcare. The doctor just smiled and said that I've got quite the little ham in there. Nothing wrong with our baby wanting to be center of attention, I thought. I left on a happy note.
Well since I made so much mention of my 'distaste' of contracepting without offering a great deal of explanation, I will do what I can in another post to unveil more of my thoughts on life. Besides, with our baby well on the way what better opportunity could there be to discuss such a beautiful topic?
Ais,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that this tainted your exciting appointment and I'm glad you posted about it. I plan on taking from your post and elaborating on it - feel free to let others know if you don't have time to write about it in more depth and are getting questions
Dear Aislinn, my hearts breaks with you when I think of all those women & babies being lied to and betrayed, choosing to murder their own flesh and blood whether they would describe is so or not. You understand the pro-life necessity in such a deeper way when you can feel a baby moving in your own womb. And then you see him, a tiny person, and you have to wonder how it is that this unique being ever came into existence. Miracle. It's such an amazing joy these women will not be able to experience.
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