A week later, she had this niggling feeling that something was wrong. She couldn't explain it. Probably just anxiety, she tried to convince herself. Her husband told her to talk to her doctor for peace of mind.
She was sent for an ultrasound. Lying there on that reclined bed, flat stomach exposed to the cold air, she watched the screen nervously as the technician quietly moved the wand over her stomach. She couldn't see anything.
The longed-for baby was, in fact, an ectopic pregnancy.
The ball of cells was 9cm long and was growing out of the top of her fallopian tube, not safely inside her uterus where it should be.
If the cells continued to grow, there was a chance her fallopian tube would burst and cause serious damage to her body. There was no chance that the cells would grow into a baby.
She was given three options: Wait and see if her body would naturally miscarry the baby, have an injection of methotrexate to stop the cells from growing, or surgical removal.
Taking the injection meant a higher chance of saving her fallopian tube, so that's what she did.
One week later, she woke up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain. She stumbled towards the bathroom and blacked out. Her husband found her lying on the bathroom floor, bleeding.
She was rushed to the hospital where a scan revealed her tube was rupturing. The injection hadn't worked and she needed surgery.
Her recovery has been rough. She is grappling with depression, not helped by the recent overturn of Roe vs Wade in the United States.
The news has meant that the word "abortion" is cropping up everywhere she turns. Debate rages over whether women like her should be prevented from seeking medical treatment.
She has one fallopian tube remaining so she still has a shot at a healthy pregnancy. But she worries about having to go through another ectopic pregnancy and losing her last fallopian tube.
The above example is from a story I read online but have changed the details to protect the woman's identity.
At least in New Zealand, she wouldn't have to worry about whether she'd be allowed an abortion if that awful scenario were to repeat itself.
There's a reason abortion is referred to as healthcare. For some people, it is – quite literally – a lifesaving operation.
Some don't have the ability to carry a healthy pregnancy to term.
Some have illnesses and health conditions that mean pregnancy would be debilitating or would prevent their diseases from being treated.
Some have mental health issues that make pregnancy and/or parenthood dangerous.
Some simply do not want to be pregnant.
There is a lot of misinformation about who the people are that seek abortions. Those who are against abortions often bring up the "abortion shouldn't be used as birth control!" argument, picturing a partying teenager who's too lazy to get on the pill and would rather kill their foetus.
The reality? In New Zealand last year, there were 13,246 abortions. Of those, 66 per cent were for people 25 and over.
Fifty-eight per cent were already parents of at least one child.
The highest number of women who get abortions are mature and are already mothers.
Another common refrain is: "Keep your legs closed if you don't want to have a baby". Imagine the outcry if every woman who did not want to get pregnant just flat out refused to ever have sex with their boyfriends and husbands, I guess until menopause hits.
Not to mention that males also have the option of using birth control, but often shun it because it doesn't feel as good.
The idea of pregnancy is some kind of divine punishment infuriates me.
Children do not deserve to live a life of punishment as a consequence of their parents' actions.
Nor is adoption always a viable alternative. Giving up a baby is hard, even for people who don't want children, and can result in negative outcomes for the child.
Some adopted children struggle with low self-esteem, identity issues, difficulty forming emotional attachments, and grief.
There are myriad reasons why someone might seek an abortion.
But at the end of the day, I firmly believe that no one should ever be forced to continue an unwanted or unviable pregnancy.
I am filled with dread at what the future holds for those affected by looming abortion bans in the US. I fear people are going to die from medical complications, unsafe abortions, suicide or even murder. Living, breathing human beings.
It may sound like an oxymoron but, in my opinion, abortion saves lives.
Where to get help:
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 (available 24/7)
• Kidsline: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
• Whatsup: 0800 942 8787 (12pm to 11pm)
• Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Anxiety helpline: 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY) (available 24/7)
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
Sonya Bateson is a writer, reader, and crafter raising her family in Tauranga. She is a Millennial who enjoys eating avocado on toast, drinking lattes and defying stereotypes. As a sceptic, she reserves the right to change her mind when presented with new evidence.
