Category: She Said


The total number of fraudulent votes for aborting the pregnancy is astounding.  I have no idea why people would go to the lengths that they did to submit fraudulent votes towards abortion.  But this all leads back to the reason for voting and how many people don’t take it seriously.  In our poll we asked people to vote on the outcome of one potential life, but at every government election the population votes for officials that make decisions that affect thousands, if not millions of people, often in a life-changing way.

When people vote during elections they often allow a single topic like abortion to determine their choice.  I don’t really care what controversial issue is being addressed; it could be the death penalty, homosexuals in the military, legalizing marijuana, universal healthcare, etc.  But when people vote based on a single topic they aren’t necessarily seeing the bigger picture.  So what if your chosen candidate is “Pro-life” if you disagree with them on every other issue?  We need to take more responsibility for our choices whether that’s choosing the future of a potential child or choosing the next leader of the free world.

The number of fraudulent votes (both for abortion and keeping the baby) made me realize that people were making assumptions about us as a couple.  We did not start the poll to remove responsibility for the decision from ourselves, we merely asked people to weigh in on what they thought our decision should be.  The poll was a tool in which to gather quantifiable data about a two-party vote on the issue of abortion.  We wanted to see how the results would stack up to “Pro-life” vs. “Pro-choice” polls when the subject of the vote was a specific potential life as opposed to just a statistic.

So when it comes right down to it, the poll was useful to us in that it gave us insight into what people were thinking even if they didn’t choose to comment.  There are going to be those who vote just to get a kick out of it.  Others that don’t vote because they don’t truly care about the outcome or don’t feel comfortable weighing in on a decision when they don’t know enough about the people involved.  And there are those people who take it seriously, give thoughtful commentary, and end up swaying the vote (hopefully) in their favor.  So if we knock out the fraudulent votes, people were overwhelmingly voting for us to keep the baby.

This vote has also taught me that you can be for a woman’s right to choose but that doesn’t make you anti-life (as the name “Pro-life” would lead people to believe).  Just like being “Pro-life” doesn’t automatically make you anti-choice, the two ideas aren’t mutually exclusive.  The titles themselves actually distract from the actual topic which is whether or not abortion should be legal and although I am firmly in the liberal camp on the issue of legal abortion in the U.S., I discourage women from using abortion as a repeated form of birth control.  

I side with the popular idea that a woman should always be able to have an abortion in the event of rape and incest, or if the life of the mother is at risk (whether that be from medical issues or domestic abuse) before the point of viability.  I also understand teenage girls and other young single women making a “mistake” and finding themselves alone and trying to get through pregnancy and the uncertainty of raising a child.  But I would also like to empower women to take more responsibility for their bodies and the potential life that they may carry. 

We all know that sex can lead to pregnancy, so taking precautions is the right thing to do.  Admittedly, even the best precautions don’t always work, which is why abortion is on the table as an option.   But if an individual finds that they need multiple abortions over time it may be the right decision for them to take more permanent measures (IUD, sterilization, etc.), but again it is always the woman’s right to choose and so it’s her responsibility to make the right decision for herself and her potential child.




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With 2,008,039 votes, we have decided to close the vote.  We will be sending them off to a third party report wizard to have them analyzed and have the fraud removed.  The rules go as follows:
  • Each IP address gets up to two votes.  (Yes, its possible multiple people live at the same house).
  • Any IP address with multiple votes weighing heavily in one direction will be reduced to two votes.
  • Any IP address sub domain containing multiple votes from multiple IP addresses will be reduced to two votes.
  • Any IP address with a split vote (coming from a college, university, or similar location) will be counted.
We will be publishing the results as soon as we get them.
Thanks,
Alisha




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Recently we were quoted by CNN as admitting that terminating the pregnancy was never on the table.  This is simply not true.  My husband may wish that that was the case, but our early disagreement about this pregnancy is what lead us to start the website in the first place.  I clearly stated this to the reporter at CNN but my opinion was not included in the article that was published.  Although my intentions about this pregnancy may have changed over the course of the last few months I definitely didn’t start out feeling confident about proceeding with it.  I was very scared and anxious that I wasn’t healed emotionally from the previous miscarriages to be in the right frame of mind to continue an unexpected pregnancy. 

You may think that I have selfish reasons for considering abortion, but anyone who has experienced doubts about whether they want to have a baby surely knows that it’s not an easy decision to make.  The fact that I have had major complications from the start just made me more wary and unsure.  Even this time around I had a threatened miscarriage which could possibly have made the whole abortion issue moot.  I’m the one that lost my job because of the media attention that this website has received and yet my opinions and statements seem to be discounted in favor of my husband’s.  Since I’m the one carrying the baby it seems to me that this is a terrible oversight on the part of responsible media professionals.

Pete and I are on different ends of the spectrum when it comes to our beliefs about abortion.  I’m sure I will receive considerable harassment about this post, but to me until the baby can survive without the mother (otherwise known as viability) it is not a feasible life.  So although my feelings about this pregnancy and Baby “Wiggles” have changed during the time that the website has been up and I don’t believe I could go through with an abortion now, it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in a woman’s right to make that decision. 

Many people have talked about my husband’s conservative/libertarian leanings and have made much of his pro-life and conservative posts on other websites.  But when it comes to abortion I am the one that wears the pants in the decision because in the end it would be me going through the procedure.  Even though my husband’s opinion and beliefs matter to me, I, as the one carrying the baby have the final say about my body and our unborn child.  My fears, anxiety and worries about this pregnancy have been completely discounted in favor of discussing my husband’s opinions about unrelated topics like cars and global warming.  Abortion is a serious issue and my opinion and position shouldn’t be ignored.  Your comments have helped to ease my fears and although I am still cautious about allowing myself to become attached, I am feeling more optimistic about moving forward.

Once again I would like to thank everyone for sharing their comments (even the hateful ones) because freedom of speech and the ability to state ones beliefs is one of our greatest freedoms in this country.  As we go into our Thanksgiving holiday I will be thankful for the continued health of our baby and that I live in a country where dissension and discussion about difficult topics only makes us stronger and ensures our freedoms.




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Baby "Wiggles" waves at the camera

I went in for my weekly check up and the baby’s heartbeat was at 160 bpm and “Wiggles” continues to develop as expected.  The baby was turning around a lot and waving arms (and hands) at us.  The baby continues to work its way through the produce department in regards to size and this week is comparable to an onion (not my favorite vegetable).  According to TheBump the baby’s skeleton is hardening and accumulating fat around it.  Baby “Wiggles” is also developing unique fingerprints this week.

Baby "Wiggles" gives us a "thumbs up"

I also received the news that the sub-chorionic hemorhage is almost completely gone.  It was so small in fact, it was hard to get a measurement on it.  By next week it could be gone completely.  I was given permission by my doctor to return to work after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  Thanks to everyone who is voting and posting comments, we really appreciate your interest in our poll.  Please stay tuned for more updates on how things are going for us and the baby.




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According to The Bump.combaby “Wiggles” is now approximately the size of an avocado with an average crown to rump measurement of 4.6 inches.  This week bones are forming in baby’s ears so that they can start to pick up noises outside the womb.  The hair, eyebrows, and lashes are filling in and taste buds are forming.

Baby "Wiggles" 16 week ultrasound image

At my 16 week OB check they did another ultrasound and baby’s development is still on target.  Lots of fetal movement and the hematoma was smaller once again.  Baby “Wiggles” heartbeat was at 164 bpm and I got to hear it on the dop tone as well.  The nurse even informed me how the staticky crunch noises that I hear are the baby’s movements.

16 week 3D ultrasound of our little alien

I’m getting a little bored with working at home.  I miss seeing my co-workers and with my husband traveling so much I’m tired of being by myself all of the time.  It does have its perks though.  I don’t have to pack a lunch or deal with my morning commute and the urgent care and clinic are close by if I need them. 

I also went into Walgreens with my mother and got my flu shot.  It was $29.99, but my insurance covered the full cost.  For those of you looking at getting a flu shot this season, not all insurance companies are covering the cost of the shot if it’s done at a pharmacy but may cover it if done at a clinic.  Go figure.  The CDC now recommends that anyone over 6 mos. old get the shot. 

I’d never had one before and watched my mom when she went first.  Bad idea, the length of the needle really freaked me out and then I was all nervous when it was my turn.  It turned out to be almost painless despite the needle-length and I didn’t have any type of reaction or muscle soreness the next day.

Do you have opinions or knowledge of the effectiveness of flu vaccines?  Feel free to post them here.




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View of Baby "Wiggles" head and belly

Well I made it to the 2nd trimester.  During my pregnancy that ended in miscarriage back in January of this year, they determined that based on the measurements that the baby’s heartbeat stopped around 13.5 weeks even though I hadn’t miscarried yet at my 16 week appointment.  So this pregnancy has officially made it further than the longest lasting one.

Close up view of baby's head and tummy

I rented a fetal heart doppler from storkradio.com, so I can listen to the baby’s heartbeat on a daily basis.  That way I won’t be surprised if I get to my weekly ultrasound appointment and they can’t find a heartbeat.  At the 14 week appointment Baby “Wiggles'” heartbeat was 166 bpm and I’m able to count just around 160 bpm myself at home on a daily basis.

3D Image of Baby "Wiggles"

These 3D images always look kind of weird to me.  Although in the non-3D images above the baby still looks weird because you’re seeing the top of the head as Baby “Wiggles'” chin is tucked down to the neck, so you’re seeing the two halves of the brain instead of a profile from the side.  Everything is looking good baby-wise although my hematoma hasn’t decreased in size at all.  I am still working from home and watching the birds come to the window feeder.




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Close up view of baby's nasal bone and back of neck

According to What to Expect When You’re Expecting (4th Edition) by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel the “First-trimester combined screening involves both an ultrasound and a blood test.  First the ultrasound measures a thin layer of fluid that accumulates in the back of the baby’s neck, called nuchal translucency (NT)…  Then the blood test measures for high levels of PAPP-A (pregnancy associated plasma protein A) and hCG, two hormones produced by the fetus and passed into the mother’s bloodstream.  These levels, combined with the NT measurement and the mother’s age, can provide a risk assessment for Down syndrome and trisomy 18…  First-trimester combined screening is performed between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy.” (p. 60-61)

"Baby Wiggles" moves hand up to face

The doctor that performed this ultrasound was also looking for the presence of a nasal bone.  According to the book some studies have shown that the lack of a nasal bone at the end of the first-trimester is an indicator of Down syndrome while other studies have shown no correlation, so this type of screening is still controversial. (p. 60)  As “Baby Wiggles” displayed both a nasal bone and a NT measurement of 1.77 millimeters (3 mm or greater is an indicator that more testing should be done), the ultrasound indicates a low likelihood of Down syndrome.

Close up view of baby's hand by mouth

 The other thing that this ultrasound revealed is that my sub-chorionic hematoma had spread to encompass about 50% of the placenta.  Since my regular OBGYN is on vacation another doctor in the group looked at the images sent over and informed me that I should not be traveling this week; and in fact I should be on bed rest or at least working from home in a reclined position.  So my employer was forced to find a last minute replacement for this trip and I am doing my best to be productive from home.  At least at home the restroom is MUCH closer…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKAi6SB7IbM

This is the video of the NTT Ultrasound and I just got my blood test results back today, everything was normal.  No risk factors were found.  So that eliminates one possible reason for choosing abortion.

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"Baby Wiggles" waves hello

 This is the ultrasound image that was taken a few days after my trip to the ER.  Baby’s heartbeat was at 166 bpm.

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This is a 3D Ultrasound image (another first for me) that was done at 10 weeks gestation.  Heartbeat was 175 and “Baby Wiggles” was approximately 1.2 inches in length.

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Restful Computer Work

So today I’m back at work.  The bleeding from my sub-chorionic hematoma has almost completely stopped.  My OBGYN indicated that at this stage in the pregnancy (11 – 12 weeks) the studies show that a decrease or increase in activity has rarely  made any difference in whether a miscarriage happens or not (hence my return to work).  I was able to get a written note allowing me to work from home (which my boss was REALLY great about) and I enjoyed not having to make the commute to and from work for a couple of days.  With the gas prices climbing once again it was more economical to work from home if for no other reason.

Things are pretty low-key around here as most of the management is off at a conference for a few days.  I’m lucky that I have a desk job that allows me to work from home occasionally if the need arises.  It’s nice working for a small company where the emphasis is on getting the work done and not where or during what hours that happens.  It certainly gives me a lot more flexibility to be able to make it into my ultrasound and OB check up appointments without having to use up all of my PTO.

I have another ultrasound appointment this afternoon where they will most likely check in on the size of the hematoma and make sure that it’s not getting any larger.  If it does, there is a possibility that it can spread around the entire placenta which would most likely cause the placenta to detach from the uterus and lead to a miscarriage.  If everything goes well at today’s ultrasound we will probably have another video to post as well as some additional ultrasound pictures.  If not, we’ll probably have one more  post each and then the site will come down because the vote won’t be necessary anymore.  If everything looks normal then please continue to vote. 

I just want to thank everyone who has followed along with us so far and we will let you know what happens.

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