My Baby: Human Then, and Human Now
[Today’s guest post by Leena Kollar is part of our paid blogging program.]
It was a quiet Sunday evening and my husband and I were
winding down for the night to go to bed. We had contemplated going out to see a
movie at the theater but decided against it. In hindsight, I am relieved we
made that decision. That’s because my water broke that night.
winding down for the night to go to bed. We had contemplated going out to see a
movie at the theater but decided against it. In hindsight, I am relieved we
made that decision. That’s because my water broke that night.
It was
March 17th, the day after my birthday. I was 36 weeks pregnant with my first
child, who wasn’t due until tax day. I had left work that Friday ready to
celebrate my birthday at home and enjoy the time that I had left with just my husband
and me. Instead, I got a birthday surprise- my beautiful son was born. That was
the best gift I could have received.
March 17th, the day after my birthday. I was 36 weeks pregnant with my first
child, who wasn’t due until tax day. I had left work that Friday ready to
celebrate my birthday at home and enjoy the time that I had left with just my husband
and me. Instead, I got a birthday surprise- my beautiful son was born. That was
the best gift I could have received.
What breaks
my heart is that to many people, my son could have been aborted because he
wasn’t considered fully human yet. Even though he was born a month early, he
was completely healthy. He had two hands, two feet, a beating heart and
everything else that a healthy human has. The thing is, he had all of those
things long before 36 weeks, which was evident when viewing the ultrasounds
during my pregnancy. We were able to capture some amazing photos and videos of
my son in utero. My favorite is the video of when we caught him yawning. I
remember the first time we were able to hear his little heart beating. Even
though he looked like a little alien peanut, he was a living, growing person
inside of me.
my heart is that to many people, my son could have been aborted because he
wasn’t considered fully human yet. Even though he was born a month early, he
was completely healthy. He had two hands, two feet, a beating heart and
everything else that a healthy human has. The thing is, he had all of those
things long before 36 weeks, which was evident when viewing the ultrasounds
during my pregnancy. We were able to capture some amazing photos and videos of
my son in utero. My favorite is the video of when we caught him yawning. I
remember the first time we were able to hear his little heart beating. Even
though he looked like a little alien peanut, he was a living, growing person
inside of me.
As my
pregnancy went on, I felt those flutters in my womb, which
progressed into kicks and jabs to the ribs. To say that my son was not a human
at that time is a heartbreaking (and inaccurate) statement. He became human the
moment he was conceived. Science will confirm this. Maybe he didn’t have a
fully functioning brain, or a full head of hair (yet), or the ability to
breathe on his own. But you know what? All of us are born lacking a few things.
Knee caps. Teeth. Clear vision. The ability to laugh, smile or process
information. And yet we never question if those who are born full term are
“human.” At the moment of conception, our entire DNA is determined.
Our hair color, eye color, gender, everything. Our genetic blueprint is laid
out long before our physical bodies start developing. I remember one picture we
captured during my son’s 3D ultrasound. He was about 30 weeks developed and he
had opened one of his eyes. Do humans not have eyes? Maybe he couldn’t see
fully yet but he was fully alive.
pregnancy went on, I felt those flutters in my womb, which
progressed into kicks and jabs to the ribs. To say that my son was not a human
at that time is a heartbreaking (and inaccurate) statement. He became human the
moment he was conceived. Science will confirm this. Maybe he didn’t have a
fully functioning brain, or a full head of hair (yet), or the ability to
breathe on his own. But you know what? All of us are born lacking a few things.
Knee caps. Teeth. Clear vision. The ability to laugh, smile or process
information. And yet we never question if those who are born full term are
“human.” At the moment of conception, our entire DNA is determined.
Our hair color, eye color, gender, everything. Our genetic blueprint is laid
out long before our physical bodies start developing. I remember one picture we
captured during my son’s 3D ultrasound. He was about 30 weeks developed and he
had opened one of his eyes. Do humans not have eyes? Maybe he couldn’t see
fully yet but he was fully alive.
Abortion
stops a beating heart. You may have heard this before. That’s because it’s
true. By the time a woman finds out she is pregnant, her child already has a
beating heart. And developing organs like the spinal cord, liver and lungs. How
we can justify the destruction of the child in
the womb is unfathomable.
stops a beating heart. You may have heard this before. That’s because it’s
true. By the time a woman finds out she is pregnant, her child already has a
beating heart. And developing organs like the spinal cord, liver and lungs. How
we can justify the destruction of the child in
the womb is unfathomable.
It’s been four months since my son was born, and he’s as healthy and precious as ever. He smiles all the
time, he has started vocalizing and just days ago, he rolled over all by
himself for the first time. Looking into his big blue eyes reminds me of when I
saw those eyes on the ultrasound screen. I didn’t know at the time who that
little person was inside of me, but now that I know, I can say with certainty
that he is just as human now as he was then.
time, he has started vocalizing and just days ago, he rolled over all by
himself for the first time. Looking into his big blue eyes reminds me of when I
saw those eyes on the ultrasound screen. I didn’t know at the time who that
little person was inside of me, but now that I know, I can say with certainty
that he is just as human now as he was then.
As one who was born 3 months early, I wholly agree with this view. The logic that leads a person to abort and call the life within "not human" is tragically flawed.
Absolutely flawed!
I was also born three months early and I have always been anti-abortion as a result. For me it has nothing to do with religion. Abortion is wrong because it is the taking of a human life. Was I not human at 25 weeks old? I was born at 26 weeks. At what point did I become human?
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