Bridezilla Outs Matron Of Honor's Secret Pregnancy In A Rage, And The Internet Has Feelings

Weddings sometimes bring out the worst in people. Even your best friends. And the worst is, sometimes it really reveals their true colors, to see who these people are under stress. And it's not pretty.
u/anonmoh laid it out for us:
My [31F] best friend [30F] is a mega bridezilla and just revealed that I’m pregnant, when I haven’t even told any of my own family yet, and even though I may miscarry.
I'm the matron of honour in my best friend's wedding. When she asked me over a year ago, I was so psyched. My own wedding was very small and low key, and hers is anything but - and I was so happy to be a part of it. I love hosting parties, so I was especially looking forward to the shower and bachelorette that I could throw her.
This wedding has brought out the absolute worst in my friend. It's been an endless source of drama for the past year, and not in the way that all weddings are - it's crisis after crisis, and it came to a head this week.
I'll spare you the details of past dramas, because this post would stretch for miles, but in summary: nothing anyone does is good enough, so much work has been thrown my way that I feel completely used and burnt out, and the world revolves only around her. Example: my mom is going through chemo for a very aggressive cancer. My friend never asks how she's doing; her sole topics of conversation is the wedding and how much she hates her future in-laws. I don't expect my mom's shitty cancer to monopolize our conversation, and I'm more than happy to talk about the wedding for hours, but seriously, an inquiry to see how my mom/I am holding up would be grand.
Getting Into It
Ok, onto the actual issue. I'm eight weeks pregnant with my second child. Planned pregnancy, and the bride knew we were trying months ago and it wasn't an issue then apparently.
I told her almost as soon as I knew I was pregnant - I wanted to get ahead of it and not surprise her when we go to a dress fitting, for example, and I refuse champagne. When I told her, I swore her to secrecy. I told her I wasn't even telling my family or my husband's family until we're out of the first trimester because we've had a few miscarriages and man does it suck to have to tell your family you've miscarried. She said she understood and would keep it quiet. The wedding is in two months and my dress is a loose empire waist - no one will know I'm pregnant there, and I was happy keeping it that way.
Earlier this week we're off doing wedding things and she says casually that her future mother-in-law thinks I should be demoted to bridesmaid since I'm pregnant. My immediate response: how the hell does she know I'm pregnant? I think she was surprised I'd caught her, and she stuttered out that her fiancé told the mother-in-law. I don't think that's true, as I was on the phone later that day with her mother, who congratulated me. So now both sides of the wedding know.
I'm so incredibly pissed and hurt. These people don't know my family, so I'm not too concerned about it getting back to them, but my immediate concern is what happens if i miscarry. I'll presumably have people congratulating me at the upcoming shower, and I'll either get to grit my teeth and say thanks to avoid drama/making the shower about me, or I'll tell them what's happened and make it the shittiest shower ever. I'm so pissed right now I'm leaning to option two. Obviously I'm hoping this pregnancy sticks, but with a history of miscarriages, this is where my mind goes.
I feel betrayed. I haven't confronted her because in the moment she told me I was so shocked I froze, which is my go-to stress response. She doesn't know how hurt I am. I've realized that this is the last straw of this friendship - the entire wedding has strained us, and this event did it in.
The Plan
My initial plan was ghosting after the wedding. I'll be a good matron of honour because it's the right thing to do, but after she leaves for the honeymoon, I'm going to fade away. She's so self absorbed I doubt she'll notice. But then my husband suggested I just walk out, tell her I feel betrayed, leave the wedding, and end it now. And I can't help but admit, I really, really want to - I am so angry that the thought of attending the wedding and hosting the shower makes me ill. It's complicated by the fact that despite the wedding's size, the wedding party itself is just me and the best man - there's no obvious next bridesmaid to step up if I walk.
Thoughts on what I should do? Burn this mother fucker to the ground and moonwalk outta here? Or act like a civilized human and go through with the wedding?
TLDR: mega bridezilla told everyone in her wedding I'm pregnant, even though I haven't told my family, and even though I'm at risk for a miscarriage. I'm very concerned I might have to tell all of these random people I've miscarried. More than that, I'm betrayed and hurt by her behaviour. I want to do a runner on the whole wedding and end our friendship in flames. Should I?
Edit: because there's some confusion in the comments, the bride doesn't actually want to demote me, unfortunately. That is what her mother-in-law wants, and it was told to me in a "can you believe she'd think that?" sort of way.
Edit 2: thanks all for the responses, I super appreciate it. I went into this thinking that walking was obviously the wrong choice, but I've come to feel it's justified. I'm drafting a polite, graceful-as-I-can-manage email about how I'm hurt and can't in good conscience be her matron of honour feeling like this. Again, thanks all!
Here is some of the advice she got.
One
You have more important things in your life right now than a selfish bridezilla who betrayed your trust. Walk away so you and your husband can focus on your pregnancy and time with your mother.
Two
I'm so sorry she broke your trust that way. That sucks and I wish you a happy, healthy pregnancy. And I'm sorry about your mother, I hope she's responding to treatment.
I'm with your husband, walk. She's been a terrible friend to you. Do what's best for your mental and physical health, walk and don't feel any guilt over it.
Three
"Friend, I asked you to keep that a secret. You know about the miscarriages, you know I'm upset and afraid and you told people anyway. honestly, between that and the way you've been acting in general lately, I've had to rethink our friendship. It wouldn't be right for me to be in your wedding, since at this point I no longer really see you as a friend. I wish you the best, good luck with everything."
Honestly I'd just text that to her and ignore her when she freaked out. Block her if you need to, you have your own sh*t to focus on and you don't need her stress and her bullsh*t.
Four
despite the wedding's size, the wedding party itself is just me and the best man - there's no obvious next bridesmaid to step up if I walk.
That's her problem, not yours. Anyway:
she says casually that her future mother-in-law thinks I should be demoted to bridesmaid since I'm pregnant.
There's no way this was a "casual" aside. The bride mentioned it to test the waters, to see if you'd go, "oh wow, your MIL is right, allow me to demote myself." In any case, she clearly has someone in the wings to replace you with.
With no disrespect meant, you're only a maid-of-honour. The success of the wedding is not dependent on you. If you walk out now, your friend will throw a tantrum, will elevate someone else to the position, and the wedding will continue on as planned. Sure, she'll tank your friendship over it, but it's tanked anyway. She has no respect for you or your family. It's far better to leave now and give her two months to pick up the pieces, than to go through the next two months-worth of wedding-related events seething with anger and betrayal whilst trying to pretend you adore her.
Or act like a civilized human and go through with the wedding?
Act like a civilized, self-respecting person and send her your resignation now.
Five
You're pregnant, your mother is going through chemotherapy and you don't need another two months of stress. Your friend will love the drama she can spin from you ending the friendship, but you can ride off to the sunset with your family and leave it all behind.
Six
I'd drop her now. Return the dress, shoes, anything you've bought that you don't want to keep and walk out of her life. She clearly does not respect you, nor does she care for you aside from your involvement in making her wedding get to its end goal.
She sounds like she's become a wretch to have in anyone's life, and deserves nothing from you. However I think it would be important to tell her. Something along the lines of:
"I need you to understand I will not be participating in your wedding party, or wedding any longer. I understand you are excited and busy preparing for your event, however there is no reason or excuse to be so unkind and disrespectful to me and my family. I feel that I have been a good friend to you, that we were bestfriends, but your lack of empathy for my mother fighting cancer, and disrespect towards me and my husband when you told others about my early pregnancy after I swore you to secrecy has shown me that you must not consider me a friend. I am hurt beyond words and therefore must withdraw from your wedding. Take care."
Seven
I had a miscarriage and had to tell some friends and family about it because I had jumped the gun and revealed the pregnancy too early. It was awful. I can't imagine having to do that because a friend revealed your pregnancy without permission. I'm rooting for you and your baby...but if the worst happens and you miscarry you should throw your friend under the bus. Respond to congratulations by saying, "I'm sorry to say that I had a miscarriage. I've actually had several miscarriages and asked friend not to reveal the pregnancy to anyone because I didn't want to end up having this conversation. But apparently she went behind my back and told everyone. It really sucks. But enough about me, how are you?" Seriously, throw her under the bus as hard as you can.
Eight
Stress isn't going to help that baby stick. Get outta that entire situation and begin the future without her now, not later.
Wishing you all the best sticky baby vibes I can muster. No matter what the fallout is from walking away from this wedding, it will be so much healthier for you, your husband, and the baby than staying inside the dumpster fire.
My mom survived some heinous chemo too. Go take that new, extra, stress-free (relative, I mean life is intense) time and spend it on your loved ones like her.
Nine
Why wait? My ex best friend went full Bridezilla and after a phone call where she accused me of not doing enough for her as MOH in regards to "her special day" and insinuated I was jealous of her marrying some potato peeler in the military, I hung the phone up and never spoke to her again. You do not need the extra stress in your life right now.
Ten
If you were planning on ghosting her, there's no time like the present. I will say a lil prayer for anonmoh jr bc I believe good intentions help good people.
Even if you didn't have prior disappointments, you don't share other people's announcements until the second trimester and they themselves have announced it and got their praise and well wishes. What your friend did was fucked up.
More general advice? If someone threatens to demote you in the wedding party or remove you? Just say I appreciate you thinking of me in the first place but I won't be sending a gift.
Eleven
If there is a time to be selfish is now, I had 3 miscarriages and I know how hard it is. I think you are really tired of this bridezilla friend and you need to relax and rest as much as you can in this period. If you managed to keep with your matron of honour duties without feeling stressed, fine. If not, I think you know the answer.
Twelve
Burn it to the ground. The right thing to do is take care of yourself and offer your mom as much comfort and love as you can while she goes through chemo. I found out my mom was dying of cancer midway through my BFF's wedding planning, and she did exactly the right things. She saved mental space to ask after me and my mom regularly, she let me know I could do whatever I needed to get through that time, and while she prioritized her wedding when it was appropriate, she made sure I knew that her wedding wasn't more important than my grief. Your friend should be doing all of these things, and she's doing exactly the opposite.
Thirteen
I do not wish to be in your situation. What I would advise my wife if she were; do whatever will bring you less stress. That is what this will come down to. Do whatever you need to get through this pregnancy with a healthy baby.
Is leaving the wedding and having to deal with the "guilt stress" that could possibly come from a decision like that a bigger stressor? I would recommend sticking it out and finishing through with your commitment and then ending the relationship on your own terms afterwards.
If you literally have no care about whether or not you committed; is facing all those people at the wedding and dealing with the emotions connected to your betrayal is the bigger stressor? Then walk out and do your thing.
Best wishes!
Fourteen
Personally, I would attend the wedding. Stick to your commitment and be the better person. After the wedding is over, you should just be honest with her. She needs to know she can't treat people like that. Let her know she broke your trust and that she's been impossible through all the planning. I think it's the healthiest way to handle it. If she doesn't care, then you can just distance yourself from her.
Fifteen
I bowed out of my ex-best friend's wedding many years ago and told her why (via email). No regrets. She'd become a selfish and miserable human being after high school. Truthfully, she always was that way to some degree, but I was so happy to have a best friend that I overlooked a ton of her bad behavior because I reasoned that I was hardly perfect, either. But I was so much happier with her out of my life. It was like a burden was lifted from my shoulders that was weighing me down immensely. I haven't missed her a single day.
I think you should bow out of the wedding and tell your soon-to-be-ex friend why - she hasn't supported you with your mother's illness, has become impossible to be around, nothing is ever good enough for her, constantly creates drama, and now she told everyone that you're pregnant when you specifically told her not to. Tell her you wish her well but just can't deal with the level of stress and drama she brings to everything now.
People like this rarely learn from or respond well to criticism, but she should still be told what she did to lose a long friendship. She needs to know that her behavior has consequences. Be prepared for the tantrum, the vicious list of all your faults and failings, her telling everyone she knows her own version of events where she didn't do anything wrong and you are the worst friend ever. Give her nothing but silence in return. Don't read her emails, listen to her voicemails, return her calls, whatever. Make sure to freeze her out via social media, too.
Best wishes for a healthy and stress-free pregnancy.
Sixteen
Putting all emotions aside, you need to do what is best for your mental and physical health, especially with a pregnancy. Stress can cause physiological responses in the body, such as increased heart rate, spiked blood pressure, lowered immune system (I could go on). Stress while you're pregnant can also be harmful to the pregnancy, causing potential health problems to your and baby. You've already suffered two miscarriages, adding stress to your body could definitely put your pregnancy in serious extra strain causing it to self-abort and result in a third miscarriage so your body can focus on your and not a baby. As hard as it would/will be to back out, it is honestly the best thing you can do for yourself and your growing family. Just explain to her that due to your previous miscarriages, you are more of a high risk pregnancy and that you need to eliminate as many unnecessary stresses in your life to focus on your health and remain relaxed.
Escape Room Employees Describe The Weirdest Ways Customers Have Tried To Free Themselves
I don't see the appeal of these rooms.
Why would one enjoy being trapped in a room?
When you watch people trapped in a movie you cheer for their release.
But this activity has gotten super popular.
And people have gotten real creative in their escapes.
Redditor CaptainCatButt wanted to hear confessions from the great escapes. They asked:
"Escape Room employees, what's the weirdest way you've seen customers try and solve an escape room?"
I haven't tried these rooms yet. Not sure I want to. Highly claustrophobic. Convince me...
No touching...
"I used to work at one. I can’t tell you how many people thought that power outlets were a prop and tried to stick keys into them. Guys. There was a lamp plugged into it and a 'do not touch, not a part of the game' sticker on it. It’s not a trick, don’t do that."
brasscassette
Shackles
"A friend of mine works for an escape room and he told me one about a puzzle where the key to the next door was shackled to a desk by a combination lock. What you are supposed to do is figure out the combination for the lock from the clues around the room to free the key. What one group decided to do instead was get a guy on each corner and pick up the 150 pound desk and carry it across the room, slide the key into the lock, and then rotate the entire desk to unlock the door."
sharrrper
'Yale'
"I am not an escape room employee but I did a lot of em and talked to the employees often. One of them told me there was a simple lock (opened by a key) that had 'Yale' written on it (the name of the lock company) and a lady (not native English speaker) thought it read 'yell' and legit shouted 'OPEN!!' at it, expecting it to open."
Dorza1
searching the fountain...
"Recently went to an escape room with my co-workers. Before we started, we were explicitly warned not to touch or drink the bright blue water coming out of a fountain because it would turn our skin blue - clearly people had tried searching the fountain as part of the escape room previously and now they have to warn everyone."
babers1987
Voice of God
"I was in an escape room once where one puzzle involved some objects that needed to be manipulated inside a structure that made it very awkward."
"We were all looking at it trying to figure out how to proceed when I said 'Well, the bottom is held on with screws and I have a screwdriver in my purse, but that would probably be cheating.' Instantly the Voice of God came over the intercom 'THAT WOULD BE CHEATING!' So we didn't do that..."
Miss_Speller
Well people really do get creative at this game... don't they?
Reverse
"Had a group of engineers who were familiar with the style of the lock effectively reverse engineer the lock. They showed us how they did it afterwards."
Snowf1ake222
Smoked...
"When I was in one they told us several times that the fire extinguisher is NOT part of the puzzle. They said it so many times, I'm 98% sure someone once used it lol."
Zirael_Swallow
"I always wait to see if they say not to disassemble smoke detectors, if they have that warning, I ask about it, and every time they will always have a story about a dumby who ignored the warning labels and disassembled the smoke detector."
cleverplaydoh
Group of 4
"There was a story on here a while ago about a guy in a group of four who took a broom from the first room because 'it had to be for something.' He said it looked too out of place to not be needed. Well he was half right. It was out of place but that's because it was the broom used by employees to clean the room."
"It was simply forgotten when they cleaned last time. The guys giving hints thought it was hilarious that this guy carried a broom through four rooms expecting it to be the key to their escape at some point. I thought that was funny as hell."
PCCoatings
Damages...
"Take in a screwdriver and dismantling furniture or taking doors off hinges... all the while we specifically tell them not to use force and that furniture is just furniture. Though I don't care cause they gotta pay the damages. Also had some groups press our panic button cause that opens all the doors (for emergency cases)."
"So they can skip puzzles and be faster. Makes zero sense to us cause they are paying for an hour of playtime and to solve puzzles, not like the prize is reduced cause you solved less in fewer minutes. Especially since our prices aren't cheap."
karmasabitterpill
Idiots
"Breaking EVERYTHING. Trying to eat or drink things they should totally not be trying to eat or drink."
Radiant-Comb9058
Even though there are a million ways to escape, I'm still gonna pass. My claustrophobia won't allow it.
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Different cultures are fascinating and add color to our world.
While many cultures should be celebrated, there are some individuals who just can't help but reserve their opinions about those whose behavior and customs differ vastly from their own.
At the risk of coming off as offensive, some might even call these customs, "weird."
European culture got the spotlight when Redditor CoffeeBoy88 asked:
"What is something weird about Europe that Europeans don’t realize is weird?"

Apparently, there's never a dull moment in European nations.
"German tourists are OBSESSED with mooses."
"/A swede."
– worldkeeponspinning
No Offense
"The UK has 30 accents per square mile. And if a large man calls you duck in Stoke … that’s okay."
– InItsTeeth
Nighttime Exposure
"Norwegians don't close their curtains when it gets dark."
– judochop1
The Swarm
"The amount of mosquitos in Finland, Americans go crazy in Spring because of it."
– TheFargus
Redditors discuss what it's like traveling around Europe.
Come And Go As You Please
"How incredibly inconsequential it is to cross country borders. Cycled through France - Belgium - Netherlands and there is barely even a sign."
– sicknessandpurgatory
The Contrast
"You drive five hours in the US: you’re basically still in the same place."
"You drive five hours in Europe: everyone’s talking funny and the cheese is different."
– KaimeiJay
The Short Commute
"The first time I was in the UK my husband wanted to go to Wales and I looked at the train route from London and was like 'It’s all the way on the other side of the country! We’re only in the UK for a week. We don’t have that kind of time!' And my husband was all, 'you know it’s a 2.5 hour train ride, right?' I thought it would all day."
– KateDinNYC
Germans In Transport
"the absolute lack of air conditioning even at 40°, german transport gets sticky and stinky quite fast and nobody seems to care, many people even shut the windows to avoid the 'annoying breeze.'"
– ahorasimeaborregue
Maintaining distance was a thing long before pandemic measures recommended people to be socially distanced.
All About Respect
"Finnish people are silent, small talk doesn't exist. Their personal space larger than COVID-19 social distancing rules, and it's considered normal. Don't speak unless spoken to, and don't invade other people's personal space - it's seen as a sign of a respect."
"Those Finns, who haven't been to abroad or haven't met too many foreigners, don't often even recognize this behaviour being unusual in the global scale."
– RockNRollNBluesNJazz
The "Safety Coffee Cup"
"I'm from Finland and one European thing that all Finnish people hate is cheek kisses when greeting. Its mostly southern european thing but still. There is this saying in Finland that goes 'Everyone has their own safety coffee cup' meaning the closest distance someone should get to you should not be closer than your coffee cup when you're holding it."
– eelisonparas
Let Them Shop In Peace
"Weird at first but I appreciate and wish for it. It might be just a Germany thing but from what I’ve been told German Walmart failed because the North American style of customer service was very unliked. From the greeter at the door to clerks asking if you need help unprompted. German shoppers just want to shop and go home as undisturbed as possible."
– UnusualHospital9579
I remember being weirded out when I went to Paris and asked for some ice at a cafe.
The waiter served me coke by opening the room temperature can and poured some of the contents into an empty glass. With no ice.
When the server came back, he had with him a spoon with one ice cube on it. I thought it was stingy but it got worse.
He poured the rest of the coke over the ice on the spoon he was holding and then walked away with the ice and spoon.
I guess the coke was colder than when I had my first sip, so according to the server, it was viola: mission accomplished!
Do the French not like ice-cold beverages? Weird.
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Just because a therapist is there to expertly evaluate our emotional challenges throughout many of life's adversities and crises, it doesn't mean they always hold it together.
People tend to forget that therapists–the professional we seek for guidance when we're vulnerable–are also human and are just as prone to feeling the feels.
Curious to hear from therapists who've exposed their emotional vulnerabilities in front of their clients opened up when Redditor Unkw0n_pers0n asked:
"Therapist that have cried in a session, why?"

A patient who feels seen and understood reinforces why therapists endeavor to help people in the first place.
It Wasn't Her Fault
"I was working with a deeply depressed client who had a lot of negative self talk about how she was always a failure. We were exploring the origins of this and how young she was the first time she felt self-blame. She told me her earliest story of when she was in 2nd grade."
"Afterwards, as we were processing it, I expressed that 'it wasn't your fault' about the story. She just broke down sobbing and said 'nobody has ever said that to me before' in between sobs. It hit me and I cried a little."
– Ayzmo
Relatable Experience
"i cried after i worked with a kid who described an emotionally difficult situation with a sibling. the kid’s experience aligned very similarly to something i went through with my own sibling when i was the kid’s age and i hadn’t realized how much hurt i was carrying from the experience."
"being a therapist sometimes means being confronted with things you didn’t realize had such a strong impact on you. luckily, i have a stellar therapist of my own that i can work through these moments with."
– rejecteddroid
The Patient With A Disorder
"I was doing a cognitive assessment for a girl. We were doing tests and at one point she started crying she was unable to tell me why, she was fine just one moment before. I let her collect her thoughts, then she said softly 'I don't want to be more stupid than my friends'. She wasn't actually, she was very bright, but she didn't know that she has dyslexia, dysorthograpy AND dyscalculia. I realized that she went through THIRTEEN years of school without help. Her parents didn't want to do an assessment as they thought she was just lazy. I told her that she was very brave to decide to get help and things would get better after our assessment and I felt tears in my eyes."
"Edit: first of all, I have great empathy for parents, for most of all is just a matter of ignorance, fear and parenting is hard. If you are a parent and you see your kid struggling, PLEASE listen to professionists, we are here to help, not judge, and we will find ways to help you and your kid. Disorders don't go away, don't underestimate it, the sooner you get help, the better the outcome can be. It's ok to be scared but we're here for you and we understand you."
"Second, I'm really sorry to read so many heartbreaking stories about people that weren't believed and struggled being undiagnosed. I wish you all the best, I hope you are in a better situation and you got or you'll get all the help you deserve, because you do deserve it."
"Third, if you think 'something's wrong with me', get help if you are in a position to do so. Worst case you understand yourself better and have a chance do make peace with parts of yourself."
– ---honeybadger----
A patient who has already accepted their heartbreaking fate recalls seeing their therapist getting emotionally involved during a session.
A Mother Who Didn't Want To Let Go
"My therapist cried while 'mediating' a discussion between my mom and I. I have a neurodegenerative disease and she is my full time caregiver. Because of my severe disability, she also has legal guardianship of me, even though I am in my 20’s (this is all fine with me, I need the help, and I agreed in court to all of it. This was the first true 'disagreement' that we ever had.)"
"I am ready to die. I am in pain, unable to do anything for myself, and it’s only getting worse. I asked my mom to sign a DNR, because I have been resuscitated before, it was a mess, and I don’t want it to happen again."
"She refused. She doesn’t want to lose her child and wanted to do everything medically possible to keep me alive."
"The session was essentially me begging her to let me go, while she sobbed and said she could never sign a paper that would lead to my death. It was a terrible situation. No one was 'the bad guy', no one was trying to hurt the other. It was someone wanting their suffering to end, verses a mother not wanting to lose her child."
"My therapist agreed that I should be allowed to make this choice, but certainly didn’t think my mom was manipulative or evil, just already grieving and trying to hold on to me as long as possible. I saw her wipe her eyes several times, and they were red by the time we were done. She actually hugged us both at the end."
"The situation wasn’t resolved during the session, but my mom came around shortly after. She wouldn’t sign the DNR, but gave me legal permission to do so (so, in her mind, it wasn’t her making the final decision.)"
"BTW, my mom and I have a GREAT relationship! This was just one issue that we couldn’t come to an agreement on ourselves. But it worked out, and I’m now in palliative care and have a great team looking after me, INCLUDING my mom!"
– fightwithgrace
The following examples continue to demonstrate how therapists are more emotionally invested in their patients and clients than you think.
Responding To Tragic News
"I cried in a substance treatment group. A client’s mom had reached out via email to me to say that her daughter died from an OD. She called during my group so I chose to take the call and spoke with her briefly. I thought I could continue with the group. Ended up in tears instead."
– ChicagoOwls
She Patient Who Felt Unloved
"My patient cried and said 'there's nobody on this planet who loves me anymore.' I cried when I left because I knew she was right. For context: she was 95, her husband and son had died, she had a personality disorder that made her behaviour unbearable for her environment after her husband died and every person still in her life were paid for to be around her. She died a few months after this conversation."
It is unsurprising that therapists are compassionate people.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be in the room to help someone who is struggling internally.
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Much of the nation continues to reel from the news that a leaked draft opinion indicated the Supreme Court's ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization will move to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision that protects a person's right to choose reproductive healthcare without excessive government restriction.
Many people remember what it was like in the days before women could seek an abortion; many innocent women died in the absence of proper medical care or were forced to birth children they could not afford, trapping them in poverty.
But could a ruling overturning Roe v. Wade signal the loss of other rights in the future, especially those decided on the right to privacy, on which Roe was hinged?
People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor thisiscubes asked the online community,
"Americans of Reddit, what are your thoughts on Roe v. Wade being overturned by SCOTUS as per draft reports?"
"It was the single most traumatizing..."
"I used to be pro-life for the most part but felt abortion was necessary in certain situations (i.e. rape, incest, whatever). I thought I would have never had an abortion myself. I thought I could always give up the baby for adoption."
"Until I gave birth last month. It was the single most traumatizing experience I've ever gone through. I'm healthy and my pregnancy was not complicated but my heart stopped working after getting an epidural. I coded."
"Once they got me stabilized again, my baby then starting decompensating. They literally had to rip him out of me because I was too far along to convert to C-section."
"I still can't control feces leaking out of me, even 6 weeks later. What a quality of life improvement /s."
"I wanted this child so having my body absolutely wrecked for the safety of my child seemed worth it, despite the pain and complications I experienced from it."
"But now, having gone through that, I cannot imagine any woman being FORCED to go through what I went through. Against their will. So I’m pretty pro choice now."
tensorfascialatte
We are so sorry you had to go through that. We agree that giving birth can be harmful and traumatic, even for a wanted child, and no woman should have to go through that.
"I am currently..."
"I am currently in an OB triage hospital room waiting for a shot of methotrexate, which is considered an abortion."
"This pregnancy was so wanted. I had a miscarriage in February. I wanted this baby. But it is ectopic and it will kill me. And I am still crying so hard."
"My doctors have been amazing and caring and made this process so much easier. F*ck anyone who thinks the legal system needs to be involved here."
DuckDuckBangBang
We are so sorry you have to go through that. It’s none of the government’s business.
"Roe wasn't the start of abortions. It was the end of women dying from abortion."
badhmorrigan
We can't clap enough for this one.
"Get our your wallets..."
"You think our social services are overwhelmed now. Get out your wallets because there is about to be a generation of babies born where moms won't have the means to feed, clothe, and care for them."
milk2317
Sadly, this is all too true. It is a crisis in the making.
"My cousin had to terminate..."
"I had an abortion at 21 that saved my life. It was a terrifying and isolating experience, and the best decision I have ever made."
"My cousin had to terminate her pregnancy in the second trimester due to the fact that the fetus developed without a brain. She described the care she received as what kept her alive through her grief."
"If abortion was not an option, she would have had to carry to term."
I’m sick to my stomach over this. Women, especially women of color, are going to die."
kates6666
Sadly, the statistics are on your side on this. Many women, especially women of color, are going to die, and many children will grow up impoverished.
"Scared."
"Scared. I work with survivors of sexual violence. I am a survivor myself. I, and many other folks, have had our bodily autonomy stolen from us before. To see it on a federal level is horrifying."
ParticularAd2645
It is indeed frightening and survivors of sexual violence no doubt feel victimized alll over again.
"My daughter will never have..."
"As a woman, I will be legally lesser than males because I have a womb. My daughter will never have full autonomy over her body. Intersectionally speaking, women of color and under resourced women will bear the brunt of this. Nothing will change for white women of means."
LadyOfTheOddNight
White women of means can fly wherever they wish and get an abortion there. That will never change.
"The foster care system is proof the government doesn’t care about unwanted children yet want to force more to be born. It’s all politics though guarantee if any of them ever got in a sticky situation illegal or not an abortion will be had available."
jessiealabama
The United States' welfare system is also awful and that seems to be by design.
"My wife had a miscarriage last year. Because we were well past the point of most miscarriages (not quite to the stillbirth cutoff, but not far away), we were told the odds of my wife passing the fetus on her own were slim and that surgery was the safest option."
"We were required by law to acknowledge in writing that the procedure would terminate the (dead) fetus and that it came at risk of infertility and death. Our doctor was required to tell us the developmental age of the (dead) fetus and which developmental milestones occur around that time, as well as offer us an ultrasound to see the (dead) fetus."
"We cried the entire time. We desperately wanted this child. Our doctor cried, apologizing every step of the way that we had to go through this insensitive BS on top of losing the pregnancy."
"This fetus was dead in every sense of the word but because the procedure in question is also used for abortions we had to jump through these goddamn hoops to avoid putting my wife's health at risk."
"And it's not like my state doesn't offer alternatives for nonviable fetuses, conception due to rape or incest, or instances where health is at serious risk. This WAS the alternative. If we were actually getting an elective abortion it would have been significantly more time consuming and soul-crushing. You literally have to take an online course."
"Abortion access in this country is already a joke. All this is going to do is get people killed."
broganism
This is a heartbreaking story and we are sorry that you and your wife had to go through that.
As you can see, overturning Roe v. Wade has significant consequences. While the actual opinion will not be released until the summer, it's safe to say that the United States is entering a new era and that an entirely new wave of activism has begun.
Have some thoughts of your own? Feel free to share them with us in the comments below!
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