One PreBorn! Network Clinic in Florida saw 31 women choose life in the month of May. Two of their stories shed light on one driving factor that influences many mothers’ decision to abort—the fear of abandonment and rejection should they choose life.
Both Amanda and Mia believed abortion would prevent their abandonment by those around them, but to their relief, they found that choosing life brought their loved ones together to support and care for new life.
Florida State Law
The PreBorn! Network Clinic in Florida sees many women contemplating abortion in the first 15 weeks of their pregnancies. It continues to be a hotspot for abortions, drawing women from southern states.
In April 2023, Florida Governor Ron Desantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law that would ban abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy. It has not gone into effect yet because the Florida Supreme Court is still hearing out the ongoing lawsuit that challenged the state’s current 15-week ban. The lawsuit was filed by Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other abortion providers. Until the matter is settled, women can access abortion during their first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Amanda’s Story
Amanda was still under the 15-week limit on abortion, so she made an appointment with a PreBorn! Network Clinic to discuss her options. She was just 17 years old and she thought her positive pregnancy test would be the end of her relationship. She imagined the worst possible reaction from her parents, so she kept her pregnancy to herself. She feared she was alone in this decision, and she thought her only option was abortion.
Abortion before 15 Weeks
To Amanda’s surprise, her boyfriend stayed by her side. They were going to make the decision together, and he went with her to her first appointment. The Clinic staff gave them resources and information regarding abortion—what the abortion procedures do to a baby and their potential risks on the mother.
The two main abortion methods to terminate a pregnancy under 15 weeks gestation use medication abortion (AKA the abortion pill) or vacuum aspiration abortion (AKA D&C). When using the abortion pill, the first drug, mifepristone, starves the baby of nutrients. Then, misoprostol is taken to expel the baby out of the uterus, forcing contractions.
The D&C is an in-clinic surgical abortion performed before 14 weeks using a suction device to remove the baby and placenta. At this stage of a baby’s development, they have developed nerve cells and can respond to touch. After the baby is removed, other tools are used to scrape the lining of the uterus to ensure all baby parts are expelled to prevent infection. Physical risks to the mother include uterine perforation, cervical laceration, infection hemorrhage, maternal death, and future pregnancy complications.
Amanda’s boyfriend’s immediate response was care and concern. Learning the truth about abortion made the couple hesitate about their decision to abort.
Not One But Two Ultrasounds
When Amanda saw her baby on the ultrasound screen, her determination to have an abortion evaporated. The baby captured her heart, and she knew she was going to be a mom. The Clinic staff prayed with the couple, asking for the Lord’s wisdom and provision and for the couple’s courage to approach their parents with the news.
Amanda’s parents, whom she “could not tell,” went back with her for her second ultrasound. Their hearts were opened to their grandchild, and they were receptive and supportive in Amanda’s decision to choose life. Amanda’s fears of abandonment and rejection were replaced by a reality she did not think was possible—acceptance, love, and grace.
Mia’s Story
Mia felt she was invisible to God. Although she had accepted Jesus a few years ago, her circumstances led her to believe God had abandoned her, just like her husband, who left her to raise their three children on her own. When she found out she was pregnant with a fourth baby, she decided abortion was her only option.
After going to a PreBorn! Network Clinic, Mia had hope. The Clinic staff encouraged her and prayed with her after the ultrasound brought her face to face with the little life that was at stake. Mia made a second appointment—this time to bring her boyfriend to a repeat ultrasound. He was moved at seeing his child on the screen. Together, the couple chose life for their baby.
Mia and Hagar’s Similarities
Mia found herself in a similar circumstance to Hagar in the Bible. In Genesis, Sarai’s mistress, Hagar, fled after finding out she was pregnant. She was scorned and rejected by her master. While Hagar was in the wilderness, an angel of the Lord appeared to her by a stream of water to prophesy to her about the son she would bear named Ismael.
Genesis 16:13-14 records her response to this encounter: “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me?’ Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi…,” (NKJV) meaning. “Well of the One Who Lives and Sees Me.”
Just like Hagar, Mia found hope and comfort in her own wilderness. Where she felt invisible to God before, she learned He really is El Roi, ‘the God who sees me.’
Conclusion
When you give an ultrasound to a mother facing an unplanned pregnancy, you aren’t just impacting her heart towards her baby, you’re impacting her entire support system. In both Amanda and Mia’s stories, a second ultrasound scan brought families together. In unity, they all agreed the value of the baby’s life was more important than convenience. They would overcome difficult circumstances together for the good of these new precious lives.
You can give an ultrasound scan or multiple scans to women like Amanda and Mia today. Not only does God see mothers facing unplanned pregnancies, He is near to them. By gifting ultrasounds, you also tell mothers they are seen, and they are not alone.
