A Tour of the “Pregnancy Center”

This is my first post. But I could hardly contain myself this Saturday as I was invited to a baby shower held at my local pregnancy center. Now, do not get excited. I attended because the shower was for my cousin (my favorite cousin) and it was hosted at the place her father owns and runs-the pregnancy center. My cousin is a smart, level-headed, moderate woman. Unfortunately her father has drunk the kool-aid, hell, he is mixing up new batches every chance he gets.

So as I arrive I am asked if I want the tour. Who am I to decline. So we begin walking through the newly constructed building, every room more ornately decorated than the last. I am shown two exam rooms, filled with goodies for mom and four “counseling” rooms where women are “informed” about their pregnancy. According to the center director women are told about their choices and of course they do not steer them in any one direction but they “pray” that they will make the “choice” to keep the baby. To help them make that choice the women are shown the “Touch of Life” fetal models. These perfectly formed minature babies highlight just how a fetus looks at 7, 8, 9 and 10 weeks. Of course, you can see perfectly formed fingers and toes, eyes and ears. So disturbing and sure to help you make a clear choice about your future and the future of your fetus. If the counseling and fetus models don’t work, you can see a video of an abortion-computer generated of course, not a real abortion. Although, it seems that if I asked I could see the real video, if I wasn’t already convinced. According to the director “these women” are treated with respect and care, because most have not experienced that in their life. The center is expecting it’s sonogram machine soon as well. “This machine will save lives” according to the director.
The final stop on the tour was the birthing center. The three bed, state of the art birthing center was a show piece. Matching curtains and bed spreads, flat screen TV’s, birthing tubs and private lanai’s. Each room annointed with oil and blessed. This birthing center is open to the public and to the women who “choose life” for their fetus’.
You might be asking by now-so did you fight the good fight and give this director guy a piece of your mind? Well, no I did not. Not because I did not want to but because it would not have changed anything. What I will do is share the truth about this center with everyone I know. I am extremely frustrated that I did not say anthing and that is why I am writing this now. It might have been the perfect opportunity to inform him and question him about his real motives. But ultimately I do think women have the right to choose and most importantly to be informed. So, I believe that my time is better spent informing women about these centers, not telling these centers how to do business.
The truth that women need to know is that these center’s want to “save lives” at the expense of our right to chose. Their moral code tells those in crisis what they can and cannot do. It is insulting. What is also so repulsive is that these center pray on low-income women who may have no other place to go for help.
This center that I visited was in our local paper for participating in a local career day. The career day was for middle school children. They brought the “touch of life” babies with them. None of the organizers realized what this organization did until they saw them in action. When asked why they attended the director told the paper that they hire nurses and maybe some of the kids aspired to work in a birthing center.
So now you know just what these “pregnancy centers” are all about-from the inside out. Make no mistake about it-there are no choices being offered inside, only one option.