Happy Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is the day we celebrate women who brought us into their families, cared for us, and have supported us through our ups and downs.

This is also a great day to celebrate choice. I celebrate the people who chose to be moms, but I also celebrate the people who didn't choose to be moms or become a mom again. I celebrate the women who took on the challenge and those that knew they could not. As About A Girl has said, parenthood is hard work even when it was deeply desired -- imagine how much harder when it wasn't -- and deserves to happen with all the readiness and support it can. Motherhood should be voluntary, freely and happily chosen, not forced.

At the time of their appointment, 61% of abortion patients have one or more children; so the majority are mothers, and the vast majority of the others will also become mothers at some later time in their lives. And many of the people who care for them or advocate for them (at clinics and local funds, and at policy organizations) are also moms. When you know this, it's hard to think that abortion is about "hating children," either for patients or for abortioneers; abortion is just one possible part of making a responsible choice about being a mom.

Being a mom is one of the most amazing, and I think sacred, things a woman can do, and she shouldn't take it lightly or be forced to do it. Society, too, shouldn't take motherhood lightly by implying that it is the obvious choice for all women who find themselves pregnant. I celebrate all of the moms out there and their ability to CHOOSE to be moms -- may you be celebrated all year 'round -- and may we work to make it a truly free choice for all.

Happy Belated Mother's Day

"The reasons women give for having an abortion underscore their understanding of the responsibilities of parenthood and family life. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or resposibility for other individuals; three-fourths say they can not afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school, or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their current husband or partner."

Some may think this is an odd forum for mothers' day wishes. However, I feel strongly that appreciating mother's is a major part of being an abortioneer.

About sixty-one percent of women who get abortions in the U.S. have one or more children. This means that more than half of the women in this country who have abortions are mothers or have at least given birth. When I talk to women in the process of obtaining an abortion I speak to mothers, and lots of them. I also speak to women who would like to be mothers eventually or under different circumstances. So often I hear the question, "Will I still be able to have healthy children in the future?" or, "What are the chances I will be sterilized?" The answer is that women who have safe abortions ARE able to carry healthy pregnancies to term in the future.

In the last week alone I have spoken to multiple patients who were mothers and made a decision to terminate an unintended pregnancy because of their desire to care for their children. One woman came in for a free pregnancy test and, upon hearing she did have a faint positive, broke down crying and exclaimed, "I already have babies, I do not want any more babies right now." Another scheduled her appoinment and as I routinely said, "Please don't bring any children to the clinic," she went into crisis mode because she doesn't have anyone to watch her child. Each day abortioneers everywhere serve mothers.

The very first blog post I ever wrote was titled "A Pro-Family Choice". I said it then and I will say it again, women often choose to have abortion because they want to care for the children they already have. So, as an abortioneer part of what I do every day is celebrate mothers. I remind women that they have the power to make personal decisions about how to care for their bodies, lives, and families. To all of the womyn who identify as mothers or who help care for children, Happy Mother's Day!