Today in the mail, I received a copy of "The Miracle Within" by Jack McCubbin, M.D. The book is filled with facts about life in the womb, quotes about childbirth and, most importantly, pages of photos of babies. The photos start right from the sperm fertilizing the egg and they go all the way through a baby who looks like a ready-to-be-born child.
Those photos never cease to amaze me. My midwife gave me a magazine at my first appointment that had photos of what the baby would like like each month and what was developing each month. I read those pages over and over again.
I'm not sure where I stand on abortion legislation -- it's a very delicate issue. I don't know how I could possibly decide whether I feel other people in their vast array of circumstances should have children or not. I do know that I don't think it should be used as a form of birth control. And I do know that, personally, I cannot ever see myself considering.
I know that I see photos like the ones in the book and I see a baby forming and growing. I know that when I was 3 months along in my pregnancy I heard Autumn's heart beat loud and strong. It was so amazing. I do know that at 5 months along, I saw her face on the sonogram. I know that I felt her kicking around in my belly for months before she actually arrived. So I don't think life begins at birth. I believe it begins way before and I don't see how you could see things like this and believe any other way.