'Heavenly Father, What Did I Just Do?' New Hope for Women Who Want To Reverse Their Abortion

Women who change their minds after starting a so-called medical abortion can safely reverse course and give birth to a healthy baby. Medical abortions are when the expectant mother takes a number of pills that lead to the unborn child's death.

About one-third of all abortions are medical abortions, but a new study shows nearly three-fourths of abortion pill reversals are successful.

Four-year-old Zachariah is one of those success stories.  His mother, Rebekah Buell, told CBN News that she was 19 when she went to Planned Parenthood for a medical abortion. The process involves taking a mifepristone pill, also known as RU-486, at the office and taking a different pill at home the following day, where the child is expelled. 

"I knew it was wrong, but I thought, 'God, you're just going to have to forgive me,'" Rebekah said. 

Rebekah recalled feeling an overwhelming sense of sorrow and starting to cry immediately after taking that first pill in the Planned Parenthood office. "The woman who gave me the pill said, 'Just because you're sad doesn't mean you're making the wrong decision.'"

But Rebekah couldn't shake the intense feeling of regret. "I just thought, 'Heavenly Father, what did I just do? What is this pill doing to my baby right now? Is it hurting my baby? God, if there's a way out of this please help me find it. And if there's not, please help me forgive myself.'" 

She went home and searched on her computer the phrase: "I took the first abortion pill and changed my mind." The search brought up the Abortion Pill Reversal website.  She called the phone number on the website and was matched with a nearby doctor who administered progesterone injections for several weeks to reverse the effects of mifepristone.  

When a Planned Parenthood representative called to find out how her abortion went, Rebekah informed the woman she was attempting to keep her baby. "She said, 'Do you have any idea what you're doing? The medication you took can cause severe abnormalities.' So I was so scared during my pregnancy I couldn't sleep. But Zacariah was born perfectly healthy, is still perfectly healthy, so incredibly smart and witty."  

Dr. George Delgado, a member physician of the Catholic Medical Association, and the medical director of Culture of Life Family Services in San Diego, California, told CBN News Rebekah's experience is typical of mothers who change their mind after taking the first abortion pill.

"I'm very heartened and excited with the success rates of the progesterone protocol," he said. "If you start the abortion pill process, hope is not lost.  You have another chance." 

Dr. Delgado helped author a new medical study looking at the effectiveness of progesterone to reverse the abortion pill.  The study is being published in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Issues in Law and Medicine. 

The study examined 261 successful mifepristone reversals. It showed the success rates were 68% with the high-dose oral progesterone protocol and 64% with the injected progesterone protocol; both were significantly better rates than the 25% survival rate if no treatment is offered. 

There was no increased risk of birth defects or preterm births.

Progesterone is the hormone essential to the maintenance of a normal, healthy pregnancy. Mifepristone acts as a progesterone receptor blocker. 

"I don't feel enough people know about the progesterone protocol right now, but the message is getting out," Dr. Delgado said, "The abortion pill reversal process is very effective and safe.  There are no increased birth defects."

Dr. Delgado said about 450 healthy babies have been born after successfully reversing the abortion pill, and 125 women are still pregnant after a reversal. He said the Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline receives about 60 phone calls per month from women who changed their minds after taking the first abortion pill.