Lately I have seen so many posts, and articles on Planned Parenthood, and why it is a horrible place. I have read page after page of how they should be shut down and defunded by the federal government, but nowhere have I seen actual facts about what they REALLY do.
I want to share some of my own personal thoughts and experiences on the issue of planned parenthood facilities.
Let me start by saying I am in no way for abortion, but I am also not against it. I, personally, would never have an abortion, but I do believe there are some circumstances that should allow for the option. I will go further into that shortly. For now I want to tell you a story.
When I was younger, I had a son. He will be 13 this year, but I will not get to be a part of that experience. He was adopted early in life as I was a very unprepared mother and had no support system in place. I had no idea who to go to for information and avoided Planned Parenthood because at 18, when someone tells you the only thing they offer is abortion, you cringe. His father was no good, and my family wasn’t any kind of help.
I am now married and have another son, who I will get to see grow up and I was completely prepared this time around, thanks to Planned Parenthood here in my community.
“Never once during my time going there did they pressure me to kill my unborn child so baby body parts could be harvested.”
Our local office is called Women’s Care Center, and they do so much more than just “killing babies”. Upon my first time going in, yes, they did tell me abortion was an option, but that was NOT the first thing they said to me. First they offered me a pregnancy test to verify I was indeed pregnant. Then they asked me if I had a plan and a support system in place. I told them I had a support system, and wanted to keep my baby since I was married and we had been trying to conceive. I was there for help and this is what they told me:
“We can offer you many options here. If you are planning to keep and raise your baby then abortion and adoption are not for you, but they are available options if needed. Since you are planning to have your baby we can offer you parenting classes and support. When you come to a class, you will receive vouchers you can save towards purchasing things from our little baby shop here, made available by donations from the public. 99% of the items are brand new, and we have everything from clothing to cribs in there. We will also give you 10 newborn or size 1 diapers with each class you attend, and 10 more if your husband or significant other attends as well. That’s a total of 20 diapers each time you both come in. We can give you referrals to other places in the community for assistance if needed. We also have groups a few times a month and would love for you to come and meet other moms. We are so glad you came here and we are very glad to have you!”
This was my initial conversation with the women there. They also have a doctor there, and have ultrasound equipment if needed, among many other amenities and services.
Never once during my time going there did they pressure me to kill my unborn child so baby body parts could be harvested. They did offer me birthcontrol for after the baby was born, but my doctors office took care of that and instead they gave me tons of condoms!
With my parenting classes, I learned many things I have used with my son such as soothing techniques, how to swaddle, I learned about breastfeeding & babywearing, and I even learned how to bathe my little guy appropriately. I also bought a brand new crib, crib mattress, a stroller and an infant car seat with all of the coupons I earned from the classes. I got a few outfits, and some other odds and ends with what was left over.
When I hear people say these amazing people that work at these places are all about abortion it makes me angry. Yes, there are some facilities that offer abortions and ONLY abortions, but from my own personal experiences, I would not have had everything I needed when my son was born if it had not been for them. I was on strict bed rest, and my husband was the sole breadwinner in our home. With the ups and downs of hours each week we struggled, but he always made time to be at those appointments with me, and even played with the “baby” they brought in for us to practice swaddling and breastfeeding holds. Now, we are okay, he has a full time job and I am able to stay home with our son, thanks to the support and donations from the Women’s Care Center.
When you think of Planned Parenthood, please stop thinking of it as a bad place, because there are so many great things they have to offer other than abortion. Researching something fully, pays off!
As far as my views on abortion, I feel that it should be an option but only when medically necessary, or when the woman is a victim of rape. I do not think it should be an option for irresponsible women that can lay down, spread their legs, and make a life without fully considering the impact it truly has. It should not be a “way out” and they should be using birthcontrol of some type.
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In the end, I am thankful for my own experiences and being able to share them with you, and I hope that my readers will understand this was solely for the purpose of educating people and not trying to tear anyone down in any way. Like I said, researching something to the fullest can go a long way, and when it comes to something like this, it can be a huge help to young moms that can’t get what they need, or have no one to help them, or teach them how to be parents.
Please comment below, and tell me if you have had an experience like mine, or your views. I ask that you not be derogatory, but be honest. There is a difference.
love how open this blogpost is from abortion to condoms. it is indeed important to know these things. brave you are!
I think Planned Parenthood is a great place for women to get the care they need, including abortions. Birth control fails. Abortion should not be available just for when it’s medically necessary. No one can or should force a pregnancy on a woman. Regardless of abortion policies, women will still have abortions no matter what. Women have the choice to not be an incubator. Choosing abortion, for any woman, is a hard decision. Adoption is not always best. Pregnancy is a dangerous thing and take a serious toll on women’s bodies. It permanently changes your body and can permanently damage your body. As a woman you should have every right to decide when and if you are going to have a baby regardless of how you got pregnant.
I wish I could comment and say I had a positive experience with my local Planned Parenthood. Sadly, PP pretty much ruined the rest of my teenage years. I went in and had an abortion when I was 16. (Although deep down it’s not what I wanted.) Felt everything during the procedure and ended up being diagnosed with something similar to PTSD. I fell into a deep, dark depression. Had suicidal thoughts and just felt like I didn’t deserve to live. It took a long time to find forgiveness within myself to move on. Lucky for me I was blessed with my oldest 2 years later. I can’t help but wonder from time to time who that baby could have grown up to be. I personally would never wish what I experienced on anyone… not even my worst enemy. I am very happy that you chose the adoption route and that you had a positive experience with them. I also respect your opinion and commend you for opening up about such a personal topic. Thank you for sharing with us!
Thanks for sharing your experience. You are so brave.
I am glad you shared your story with us. You are very brave! I loved hearing about your opinion.
You’re so brave to share your story with us. I believe in Planned parenthood.
Thank you for sharing your experience and story to us. I think there is a proper way and planned parenthood.
I don’t like the thought of abortion either, but I stand with you. There are certain situations that call for it. And then there’s also adoption. I believe in planned parenthood and that everyone should be given a choice. I think people learn their lesson, especially women, after the first time anyway.
Thank you for being brave enough to share your story. I am an advocate for all women’s health resources, including Planned Parenthood.
Thank you so much! I was actually scared to write about the topic at all as many people get easily offended these days. I felt like people need to know it’s not al bad though, and that I had a wonderful experience. They have so much to offer and no one even realizes it!!
How did you find out about the Women’s Care Center? In some ways, you are fortunate that you have a planned parenthood system in your community like that. Many women from all over the globe don’t have access to the right information and most especially, maternal care and support system.
I actually found out about it by riding past there one day, and then googling them. I seen the sign out front and was a few weeks along. Things weren’t going great for me and hubby financially, but when I called them they set up the appointment and we went in to see what resources they could help us find. They ended up becoming our best resource and I have referred many women there. You can always Google women’s care programs in your area, or planned parenthood in your area. You should get everything within a 50 mile radius.