Roe v. Wade

TW: discussion of pregnancy, sexual assault, etc.

On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade was officially overturned in the United States by the Supreme Court. Back in May, we’d heard that this decision was coming when it was leaked ahead of the official decision, so I’ve been ruminating on this for some time. However, life gets busy and goes on even when rights are being stripped away, and suddenly I haven’t posted here in a month. How does that even happen?

I don’t think I can talk about postpartum issues without addressing the overturning of Roe v. Wade though, because access to abortion, reproduction, and mental health all go together.

Another note to say I’m not an expert on any of these issues, but I do have a lot of thoughts and feelings. And you might wonder why I care, since I’m a Canadian? Well, we have a strong contingent of MPs who are anti-choice up here, and our politics tend to not be that different from what’s happening south of the border. While I would like to hope that access to abortion in Canada is protected by law, the reality is that accessing abortion is still difficult for many Canadians, particularly those who live outside of large urban centres. Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s easy to get.

Having a baby has only solidified my pro-choice stance. I had a relatively easy pregnancy, only suffering from nausea and vomiting in the first trimester, followed by a really easy second trimester and even third trimester was fine. I exercised up until 38 weeks pregnant, and really didn’t suffer too badly (except for being super pregnant in summer heat).

However, my childbirth experience was not ideal, and my fourth trimester experience was truly awful. And I had a wanted, planned pregnancy. I can only imagine the impact on my mental health if I’d been suffering from postpartum depression (PPD) after having an unwanted pregnancy. Or a pregnancy as a result of rape. Or being forced to carry an unviable pregnancy. There are countless situations, each more unthinkable than the last, and each a completely valid case for abortion. (NB: ANY reason someone chooses to have an abortion is valid. Because it’s her choice.)

Pregnancy is itself a taxing experience. There are increased oxygen demands on the body, increased energy demands, and all kinds of restrictions about what you can do, eat, or drink in order to have a healthy and safe pregnancy. There are dozens of tests, invasive procedures, vaccinations, and all kinds of expectations placed on pregnant people.

It is completely unthinkable to me that women and birthing people in a country without mandated paid maternity or parental leave are also being stripped of their right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy. Birth control fails. Not all pregnancies are the result of consensual sex. Some are, but they are at the wrong time for financial or emotional reasons. Giving birthing people a choice gives them autonomy and freedom.

So I guess to summarize my feelings: Pregnancy and postpartum are a lot to ask of someone at the very best of times. I chose to become pregnant, I chose to have a baby, and I still had a really hard time. I can imagine a set of circumstances where I would make a different choice.

I will be writing to my MP to express my support for access to abortion for Canadians.

Abortion is health care.