If you found out your unborn baby had a disease would you choose an abortion or not?
Emma
I’m pregnant and my daughter tested positive for Tay Sachs disease and I’m not sure what to do. My little sister was tested positive for Tay Sachs and my mother decided to carry her to term but for some reason she never began to show the symptoms of it as a small child like everyone expected. She’s 16 now and very bright and seems perfectly normal. The doctors think the symptoms will probably start up eventually though as late onset. But this is very rare and most of the time a child who tests positive for the disease gets the symptoms eary and dies by age five. I’m not sure what to do about my baby, I love her but I don’t want to see her die a horrible death.
carry her to term pllz dont get a abortion she deserves a fighting chance(all babies do) sometime ddrs are wrong keep her
i wouldnt bc the test are not 100% the baby could be fine once it comes out good luck:)
i dont think you should do it. god gave you that child and if it was ment to be terminated then you would have a miscarrage. my friend was told her son would be brain damaged and he was born perfect and normal.
I would personally give the child a fair chance at life. You never know . Look at your little sister. She beat the odds, there is a chance that your baby will too. You never know. Why destroy the child’s life when there is a chance ?
I know that this is a tough choice to make. I would be crying my eyes out, but I would feel even worse if I aborted my baby when I know that there is a chance of the odds being beat
It depends on how far along you are, a lot of diseases are caught early in first trimester so you have that option. My son has thalasemia trait and if he were to conceive with someone that has the same thing their baby would have sickel cell(blood transfusion everyday). In cases like that I would probably choose to not have the baby.
That’s a tough place to be in. Im sorry you are faced with this, but I personally could not abort my baby. I mean, look at the example you just gave. Can you imagine if you didn’t have the last16 years with your sister because your mom decided to abort? Doctors can be wrong…you and only you can make that decision, but if it were me, Id rather have those moments with my child than abort…GL in your decision.
I wouldn’t. Tests can be wrong and also just look at your little sister. I don’t know..but I think being aborted would also be dying a horrible death.
sorry to hear that but your sister is an example u can learn from cause she is fine so far. see honey in situations like this u really need to have spiritual help from a higher being. u need to pray for your baby to come out ok. since u know about the disease u can do all you can for your baby to have a fulling life. god bless
This is a horrible thing to have to deal with. I would say joining a support group for parents of Tay Sach children and see if that helps in making your decision. Maybe research it online a little too? Seeing that your little sister was tested positive and never showed symptoms, that means anything can happen.
do not abort
Wouldn’t you rather know your little girl for 5 years then none at all? In those years she will make you laugh, make you cry…be happy and be sad.
Your decision, and a tough one. I couldn’t make it!
I would also like to add that God will never give you anything that you can’t handle. And he will give you strength in whatever decision you do make.
well maybe it is a family error test. i would never abort no matter what. my daughter was said to have downs and spinabifida. she has neither and is a wonderful bright 11 year old. test can be wrong. good luck
This is so hard…
In general I don’t believe in aborting a baby for any reason, but after doing a quick search on TSD I can see your desire not to watch your child go through this.
If it were me and there was any chance of the disease not progressing (as with your sister), I think I would give the baby the chance to live. If you do abort you might spend the rest of your life wondering about what her life would have been like.
Good Luck, and I’ll be praying for you and your little one.. remember, anything can happen, so don’t give up hope!
You should just go on with the pregnancy. God has given you a gift and you have to embrace her with tons of love and accept her for who she is.
If you decide to keep her (which I’m hoping you will do) just enjoy EVERY single day that you will have together.
Good luck and I will be praying for you and your baby girl!
My older brother was born with Autism. Even though my mom didn’t find out until after he was born, she still to this day says that even if she had known she still would have kept him. My brother is one of my best friends and he has done amazing things with his life and has touched so many other peoples lives. I firmly believe that if you can’t love you child no matter what flaw they might potentially have you shouldn’t be having children. A mother and child love should be unconditional. What makes them any less deserving of love then someone who isn’t 100% normal. Plus who defines what normal really is.
What a difficult situation you are facing. If it were me I would have to do a ton of research to make this decision. If I knew the odds were unfavorable and that the child would die before their 5th b-day I’d probably terminate the pregnancy. I would not want the child to suffer.
I wish you the best of luck!!!
I am terribly sorry to hear of your diagnosis and my thought go out to you and your family.
It looks like your sister may have a milder case of Tay Sachs disease which can develop into her early thirties – symptoms include slurred speech, an unsteady gait, tremors and, sometimes, mental illness.
Your mother did not know of the severity it would affect your sister and as you said she is bright and normal so what is to say that this may not be the case for your unborn little one.
Please keep the baby as you do not know how he/she will be affected. Give them a chance to grow and show you love and take one day at a time as this baby is wanted and loved.
hard decision! i wouldnt abort, your baby could be fine. the tests are not 100% positive. and look at your sister…you had 16 years with her and who knows how many more!
good luck with your decision and i definitely dont envy you for having to make it
For me, I will choose to carry her to full term and let her have a chance to live even if she’s to die early. Let her know what’s like to be alive and loved. At
That’s why for me i didn’t choose to do down syndrome test at all because no matter what i will still carry my child to term. Also, sometimes the test might be wrong. But ultimately, it’s your decision. All the best!
I was told that babies can test false positives for almost anything while in utero. They should have told you that before the test. It is always why I am not getting an amniocentesis for any reason unless I absolutely have to. I would give the baby a fighting chance. If your sister was positive and is fine, it could be something in your bloodline that triggers falsely. I mean, anything can happen, that’s what they said before they did my HIV test. They said some people carry certain cells that can trigger false positives, so it’s probably the same with everything else.
carry her to term. your sister is living proof that miracles happen right
Month 1 Mommy, I am only 8 inches long, but I have all my organs. I love the sound of your voice. Every time I hear it, I wave my arms and legs. The sound of your heart beat is my favorite lullaby.
Month 2 Mommy, today I learned how to suck my thumb. If you could see me, you could definitely tell that I am a baby. I’m not big enough to survive outside my home though. It is so nice and warm in here.
Month 3 You know what Mommy, I’m a girl!! I hope that makes you happy. I always want you to be happy. I don’t like it when you cry. You sound so sad. It makes me sad too, and I cry with you even though you can’t hear me.
Month 4 Mommy, my hair is starting to grow. It is very short and fine, but I will have a lot of it. I spend a lot of my time exercising. I can turn my head and curl my fingers and toes, and stretch my arms and legs. I am becoming quite good at it too.
Month 5 You went to the doctor today. Mommy, he lied to you. He said that I’m not a baby. I am a baby Mommy, your baby. I think and feel. Mommy, what’s abortion?
Month 6 I can hear that doctor again. I don’t like him. He seems cold and heartless. Something is intruding my home. The doctor called it a needle. Mommy what is it? It burns! Please make him stop! I can’t get away from it! Mommy!! HELP me!!
Month 7 Mommy, I am okay. I am in God’s arms. he is holding me. He told me about abortion. Why didn’t you want me, Mommy?
Every Abortion Is just . . . One more heart that was stopped. Two more eyes that will never see. Two more hands that will never touch. Two more legs that will never run. One more mouth that will never speak.
I know its scary, but you have the chance to give this girl a wonderful life. If by some chance it is a short llfe atleast she has lived and you loved her. Give her the chance, You could have a perfectly healthy baby only to see something else tragic happen. This is life so please let her live it and enjoy her.
Also might i add that you said YOU dont want to see her die a horrible dealth, but aborting her is a horrible dealth as well. Even if she is on this earth for 5 years you can make those 5 years awesome.
If the disease was going to cause the child pain and suffering and death then yes I would probably feel differently but if my childs disease was not life threatening then no I would not abort. I am not real sure unless I was faced with it myself. Answers may change. Good Luck and God Bless
no tests are 100 percent. if you abort her then you dont even give her a chance. even if she has the diease she doesnt deserve to die from abortion, that is the horrible death. You should just pray , and God will work out. just wait and give her a fighting chance.
I would keep my baby, and i think you should to. Every unborn child deserves a chance no matter what. Who knows, your baby girl may very well turn out perfectly fine just as your sister did. Give her a chance. I hope you do the right thing. Good Luck
Think about your baby, not yourself. You are the grownup here, and you can get through anything. Be strong.
If the quality of life is going to be low (as it in Tay Sachs) it would be selfish to have the baby as other posters say “To give her a chance” or “to get to know her”. The child would have no real quality to life and be in severe pain. I know that I would rather have never been born than deal with that.
ETA: Don’t let anyone here make you feel bad for considering abortion.