When Jennifer Adkins and her husband were considering having a second child in Idaho, they vaguely thought how the state’s near-total abortion ban could affect them. But Adkins’ first pregnancy had gone so smoothly, she didn’t even use an epidural when she gave birth. Her next pregnancy, she expected, would be similar.
But in April 2023, 12 weeks into her second pregnancy, an ultrasound scan shattered that hope.
The ultrasound indicated a litany of issues with the fetus, whom Adkins and her husband had taken to calling “Spooky”, since Adkins’ due date was Halloween. Spooky, Adkins learned, showed multiple signs of a chromosomal disorder as well as dangerously severe swelling. Together, these conditions usually lead to a miscarriage or death shortly after delivery, Adkins’ doctors told her. And if the pregnancy continued, Adkins herself was at risk of developing life-threatening pre-eclampsia and swelling.
