Article Summary –
Dr. Anna Igler, an obstetrician from Wisconsin, faced the devastating decision to have an abortion at 25 weeks due to her unborn baby having microcephaly caused by an in-utero cytomegalovirus infection, which presented a bleak prognosis. Due to Wisconsin’s restrictive abortion laws, she traveled to Colorado to receive the procedure, and despite the emotional difficulty, she shares her story to honor her grief and advocate for empathy and understanding. A year later, after undergoing in vitro fertilization, Igler successfully gave birth to her daughter, Meara, amidst the backdrop of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
It has been nearly five years since Dr. Anna Igler, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Green Bay, Wisconsin, lost her baby at 24 weeks. Her grief remains profound. After her first son’s birth in 2018, Igler knew she wanted another child.
A year later, Igler and her husband began trying for a second baby. “I had my positive pregnancy test on Mother’s Day of 2020,” Igler told Wisconsin Independent.
During the 20-week ultrasound, Igler’s baby daughter appeared smaller yet within normal limits. However, due to Igler’s advanced maternal age of 36, she underwent another ultrasound at 24 weeks to assess the baby’s heart and development. Igler noticed her baby’s head measurements were alarmingly small, indicating a serious issue.
Igler then had an amniocentesis, which confirmed in utero cytomegalovirus infection, causing microcephaly, a condition where the baby’s head doesn’t grow normally.
Her baby, named Nora Rosa, faced a grim prognosis. Potential outcomes included death before birth, deafness, blindness, organ infection, epilepsy, and a lifetime of 24-hour care. Igler and her husband decided to have an abortion, seeking mercy for their child.
Wisconsin law prohibits abortion after 21 weeks and six days, forcing Igler, who was 25 weeks pregnant, to travel to Colorado to visit Dr. Warren Hern, a prominent provider for late-term abortions.
Facing protesters at the clinic, Igler found the experience extremely difficult. Despite the emotional toll, she shares her story to honor the grief of losing a baby and to express survival, resilience, and hope.
“I can stand up and talk about it without shame,” Igler said. “Critics are monsters without empathy.”
A year after the abortion, Igler began IVF treatments, becoming pregnant once more. At 37 weeks into her pregnancy, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Igler gave birth to her daughter, Meara, a month later, and continues to share her journey.
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