The Souvenir

Last night I asked my mother if she would have let me get an abortion if I were raped and impregnated around 15 or 16 (if my body was physically capable of carrying a pregnancy, but I didn't want to carry it). She said she didn't know. She said if her  or 10 year old daughter was raped and impregnated it wouldn't be a question (as it would destroy her body)...but if her daughter were 15 or 16, while she could understand why she'd want one...she doesn't know if she'd allow it because she thinks it's "just wrong". Okay, her opinion. Got it.

But this is what baffles me: Before I was born, my mom got pregnant (she was 30-something), and started bleeding. By the time she got to the hospital, she was bleeding profusely. Ectopic. She had to have surgery right away. Problem: The baby was still alive. Of course, there is 0% chance of a baby surviving an ectopic pregnancy...and if left untreated, it can easily kill the mother too. Of course she had to terminate, have surgery, and have the bleeding stopped. I mean, geez, she had 3 of her own kids to think about, plus my dad's four from a previous marriage. It was a no brainer.

What I don't understand is how someone can so strongly oppose abortion, even in the most extreme cases. Rape, incest, ectopic, fetal abnormalities...especially when they've had one themselves for one of the same reasons.