Our Heartbreaking Choices: Forty-Six Women Share Their Stories of Interrupting a Much-Wanted Pregnancy

by Christie Brooks

This book is about abortion, but more specifically, about abortions sought due to a poor prenatal diagnosis or due to serious maternal health complications. This book contains 46 personal stories, each one from a woman who decided to interrupt a much-wanted and oftentimes much-planned pregnancy. There is very little societal support for parents who make this decision, which leaves most parents to deal with their sadness and grief alone.The purpose of the book is to share our stories in the hopes of helping other parents who have undergone a similar loss to feel less alone, less isolated, and less stigmatized. We hope to give a voice to all who have suffered a similar loss and to show that there are situations in which abortion is the most moral option.Although the focus of the book is to provide support to those who will make or have made a similar decision, we don't cast judgment on those who choose abortion for other reasons or those who choose to carry a pregnancy to term despite a poor prenatal diagnosis. We support all parents in choosing the path that is best for them. We support ALL choices.

420 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2008

Reviews

[Katie P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important read if you are part of the TFMR community. I found myself reflecting in many of the stories, and for the ones I did not find myself in, I found equal compassion for the women who experienced them. Every experience is different. Every experience is valid. And this is a community that is vastly misunderstood in most circumstances. Kudos to all the women who shared their losses. I see you, I hear you, and I am so sorry.

[Kelli Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a compassionate book about different TFMR stories to help normalize and validate these experiences. Highly recommend for clinicians and patients.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time sympathizing with some of these women. They all say they aborted because they loved their babies, but to kill a child because they have down syndrome or some other disability isn't loving in my eyes. Many times it was the mother who did not want to live with the burden of a disabled child. They paint a lovely picture of their babies playing happily in heaven, but the truth is, they had their babies killed- often brutally.

[Bans.Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend to all parents going through or gone through a baby loss for medical reasons. Found it was empowering and I could talk more about it and have certainty and peace about our decision. So many stories give so many different points of view, thoughts and processes that can be related too. Provides a community of support even without knowing any of the authors.

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful, personal and heart breaking.

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for anyone voting on women’s rights. Absolutely heartbreaking and eye-opening.