A Second Option

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! ~Psalm 139:16-17





A woman sits in the doctor's office after her 12 week ultrasound and learns that her baby won't every see it's second day. The doctor offers the first solution: interruption of the pregnancy.

"Do you mean abortion?" the woman asks.

"Yes, it is still early enough in the pregnancy for it to be a minor procedure. Only a couple hours, a couple days recovery and then you'll be fine."

Shocked, the woman shakes her head and says, "What is my other option?"

"Option two, is you go through with the pregnancy and the fetus still dies."

As tears begin to well up in the woman's eyes, the doctor tells her to make another appointment with the front desk for tomorrow and hurriedly leaves.

What would you do? If you are truly pro-life, that may the first thought, but when it came time to decide what would be easier in the long run, maybe your views would to waver.

Online searches will reveal most of the information is on grieving the loss of a baby, not how to go through with a pregnancy if you knew the sad ending. Realistically it's more troublesome to carry the pregnancy since strangers will always ask about the baby's due date and bring to mind that it may be the baby's only day. And it would be easier to claim a miscarriage to friends and family than a fatal prognosis.

What it comes down to is what is best? A death now, or a death later? For me the question also involves how I would want to die. There are so few meaningful gifts we can give our children, shouldn't a dignified death be one of them (if that is all they will have?) Fact: A newly developing baby can feel pain at the age of 8 weeks. And it's been observed that the baby will move in order to get away from the mother's uncomfortable backbone if it is lying on top of it (my source). Whether the baby never takes it's first breath, or will take just a few as it's being cuddled in it's mother's arms and kissed by it's daddy's lips, that is the life that is deserved.

I encourage you to visit the website String of Pearls for a clear picture of the beautiful, caring death experience that these parents gave their daughter. This is also a place for encouragement and resources for anyone who may be going through this life changing experience. And I am glad that there is another option to the world's opinion on what is best the mother.