Reddit Thread Highlights Fear of Planned Pregnancies After Fall of Roe v. Wade

The overturning of Roe vs. Wade has some people rethinking family plans.

One person took to Reddit to share their concerns, and the comments poured in before a moderator locked the thread.

"I want to hear opinions on purposely getting pregnant with the state of reproduction rights being as it is," wrote u/cinnamon_shortstack in the Beyond the Bump subreddit. "I'm completely conflicted because I've always wanted a big family…we just had our first recently, but before Roe was overturned, we had planned to have more and close in age."

The original poster (OP) still wants more children, but they're scared. Pregnancy doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes, the fetus can have abnormalities that make it incompatible with life. Other times, the pregnant person's life is in danger, and abortion is the only way to save them.

"I'm healthy and had a completely healthy first pregnancy with no complications, but that doesn't guarantee the next one will be the same," the user continued.

The OP wanted to know other people's opinions and how—or if—the overturning of Roe is impacting their plans.

"Are you avoiding having more kids now?" the person asked. "Getting sterilized? Having kids despite everything? No judgment whatsoever. I'm just curious because this is weighing heavily on my mind."

Nearly 300 people responded, and many are having the same thoughts as the OP.

"I was doing egg retrievals for IVF when I got hit with a cancer recurrence in May. I live in a blue state that recently solidified its abortion access laws. Still, I know that as soon as Republicans get ahold of the federal government again, they will pass a national ban. With my medical history, I just don't think I can risk it…I have living children, and they need me," wrote the top commenter.

"I can't imagine ever having an abortion, but I'm sure most people didn't plan theirs either. It's terrifying to think of not having a choice over my own body…I'm really nervous and scared to have more kids. Ultimately, I don't think we'll stop at just one, but I'm still scared," said another.

"I was like 75% going to be one and done. But the door was still open. Now, the door is closed. I will not risk my life and leave my 2-year-old without a mom. My husband is understanding and will be scheduling a vasectomy," wrote someone else.

People who are currently pregnant are also concerned.

"I'm 11 weeks along. We made the decision before we knew anything about Roe v. Wade being overturned. We also live in Texas, which has a very strict trigger law, making all abortions illegal except for ones that 'threaten the life of the mother.' I've become increasingly nervous about what this could mean," replied one poster.

"I'm pregnant with my second and didn't ever want three kids anyway. But the thought of having an IUD after this and still ending up with an ectopic pregnancy is damn near horrible to even imagine," commented another.

These comments reflect a terrifying new reality that people are grappling with in light of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe. It also highlights how necessary abortion is for the health of people who can become pregnant and their families.

A D&C (Dilation and Curettage), a procedure to remove tissue after an early pregnancy loss, is considered abortion. Ectopic pregnancies, which are not viable and threaten the life of a pregnant person, require abortions. Sometimes, families must make heartbreaking decisions to terminate pregnancies in later trimesters because of fetal abnormalities not compatible with life, or a pregnant person's life is in danger.

The bottom line: Abortion is healthcare, and there's less access to it now than there was last month—and it has people literally fearing for their lives.