Dr. Laura Call of the Day
Episode: Deep Dive: Listener Stories About Abortion
Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Platform: SiriusXM
Episode Overview
This episode centers on a deeply personal and sensitive topic: abortion and real-life stories from listeners who have faced this decision from various perspectives—those who wanted or didn’t want abortions, those whose partners disagreed, and how they arrived at their choices. Dr. Laura sets the tone by reading a listener's email about a marital conflict over an unplanned pregnancy and calls on her audience to share their own experiences, promising a non-judgmental space to explore the emotional realities behind these difficult choices. The segment features a range of poignant testimonies, each illuminating the complexity and lasting impact of abortion decisions.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Catalyst: Listener's Dilemma (00:00 – 04:09)
- Dr. Laura reads an impactful email from a listener: a 40-year-old husband whose wife is pregnant unexpectedly and wants to abort the pregnancy, while he desperately wants her to keep the baby.
- The wife cites reasons such as feeling too old, concern over not being able to give enough attention to existing children, financial worries, anxiety, and fear of having a child with disabilities.
- Dr. Laura frames the discussion for callers:
"Has this situation occurred in your life where you either wanted or didn't want an abortion, depending upon whose body we're talking about? ... How is it resolved? No judgment. I just want to hear your experiences." (01:37)
2. Powerful Listener Stories (04:37 – 23:08)
Jane: Lifelong Pain from Abortion (04:37 – 05:24)
- Situation: At 23, single, in a bad relationship; chose abortion.
- After-effects:
“It was the worst day of my life. It was the worst thing I’ve ever done. I am 70 years old now and I still have pain and suffering from it. My body took... so much shame and sorrow that my body took it on.” (05:03)
- Impact: Chronic physical and emotional pain.
Andrea: Regret After Miscarriage (05:30 – 07:38)
- Situation: Pregnant unexpectedly at 43, considering abortion amidst marital strife.
- Outcome: Decided to keep the baby but miscarried.
- Emotional aftermath: Guilt and self-blame over her initial ambivalence.
"I felt like I had caused the miscarriage...I still carry that. I'm angry with myself for carrying that negative energy." (06:33)
- Hope for Others: Wishes others in similar places to seek help and “find another way.”
Liz: Courage to Parent Alone (07:45 – 08:45)
- Situation: Pregnant at 19, ex-boyfriend denied responsibility and support.
- Decision: Went to clinic, was given abortion pills, but couldn't go through with it.
“I decided to keep the baby. And she's 31 years old now, and she's the most wonderful human being in the world.” (08:37)
- Significance: Chose to keep child despite total lack of support; describes daughter as blessing.
Renee: Marital Compromise and Enduring Sadness (08:53 – 10:07)
- Situation: Second marriage; husband (older) didn't want to be an 'old dad.'
- Decision: Chose abortion, heavily influenced by husband's wishes.
“I actually think I cried through the entire process. And I still think about it... I could have even been more blessed." (09:22)
- Reflection: Feels it was the right choice together, but the sadness remains even at age 79.
Terri: Family, Career, and Partner’s Determination (10:14 – 13:59)
- Situation: At age 20, newly engaged, unexpected pregnancy, career (modeling) just taking off.
- Conflict: Both career and timing made motherhood daunting; mother offered to adopt grandchild.
- Partner’s role:
"He said, 'You will not abort it. If you choose not to be in its life, that's up to you, but this baby is going to be part of my life.'" (11:51)
- Result: Kept the baby, now married 42 years, four daughters.
- Advice Shared with Daughters:
“Because of their father and the love I had for him... it wasn’t just my baby.” (12:34)
- Emotional Transformation:
“The minute I took a look at her, it was all over. It was love like I’ve never felt before in my life.” (13:44)
Lily: Teenage Pregnancy, Family Pressure, and Finding Her Path (14:12 – 16:48)
- Situation: Pregnant at 16; boyfriend didn't want child; mother insisted on abortion.
- Clinic Visit: Denied abortion due to advanced pregnancy (22 weeks), “laws saved my child.”
- Mother’s Reaction: Pushed for adoption, then distanced emotionally.
- Aftermath:
“Ended up having the baby, however, when I was 17 and she is now 27. ... I could not imagine life without her.” (16:27)
- Silent Strength: Felt she “silently fought” for her daughter.
Latoya: Medical Crisis and Difficult Choices (17:43 – 19:29)
- Situation: 22, engaged, serious health issues (Graves disease, hyperthyroidism); advised high risk to her life if pregnancy continued.
- Partner’s Stance:
“He was very upset. He cried several times begging me not to do it and said, let God work it out.” (18:17)
- Outcome: Chose abortion to save her life.
- Regret and Reflection:
“It still haunts me every day. I still think about it often, the what ifs.” (19:11)
- Dr. Laura’s Response:
“It’s a life and death decision for you. That’s totally different.” (19:29)
Linda: Surprise Pregnancy After Infertility Diagnosis (19:48 – 21:26)
- Situation: Law student told she could never get pregnant—but did.
- Ambivalence: “I was on the fence.”
- Decision: Kept the baby, used humor to process stress.
“If I flunked the bar, I could blame it on being eight months pregnant and having to run to the bathroom every five minutes.” (20:54)
- Outcome: Passed the bar, happy as a mother, despite son’s (fixable) congenital defect.
Julia: Adoption After Late Discovery (21:37 – 23:08)
- Situation: Notified by doctor of pregnancy at 4.5 months; shocked due to polycystic ovarian syndrome.
- Family Pressure: Mother drove her to doctors seeking abortion—was too late.
- Adoption: Gave baby up, "cried every day for years."
- Reunion:
“He found me on Facebook somehow and we reunited... And I’m just so happy I wasn’t able to get that abortion.” (23:01)
3. Dr. Laura’s Reflections and Call to Responsibility (23:08 – end)
- Language Matters: Dr. Laura discusses how the term "choice" sanitized “abortion,” making it emotionally easier to justify.
“One of the ways this was created is we took away the word abortion and put choice. Who the hell is going to argue about choice? Choice is a sacred word.” (23:28)
- Personal Shift: Shares her own realization about personal responsibility and the availability of contraception:
“Be responsible when and with whom you have sex. Number two, use protection.” (24:22)
- Encourages Parental Honesty: Urges listeners to talk to their children about abortion—“even trumps talking to them about drugs.”
4. Closing: “I Survived an Abortion” (26:22 – End)
- Dr. Laura shares a moving listener email from Kate, a woman who was nearly aborted when her mother had second thoughts and stopped the procedure.
“I am now an accomplished 31 year old wife and mother. No one would argue today that I am a person. However, what about when I was hidden from sight, under the womb at my weakest, unable to speak, unable to express my personhood? I was still a person.” (26:52)
- Kate concludes:
“If my mother had exercised her so called right to choose that day, she would have had society's complete approval. I would be dead, a life lost and very few, if any, would care... Dr. Laura, keep fighting the good fight to influence your callers to do the right thing, which is not always the most convenient thing.” (27:29)
- Dr. Laura affirms her commitment to her stance and appeals for doing “the right thing.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Jane (05:03): “It was the worst day of my life... I am 70 years old now and I still have pain and suffering from it.”
- Andrea (06:33): “I felt like I had caused the miscarriage... I still carry that.”
- Terri’s husband (11:51): “He said, ‘This is my baby. You don't get to take this baby from me.’”
- Lily (16:27): “One of the best things I did was really... silently fighting for her by not bringing it up and talking about it.”
- Dr. Laura (23:28): “We took away the word abortion and put choice. Who the hell is going to argue about choice? Choice is a sacred word.”
- Kate (email) (26:52): “I was still a person. Whether or not my mom chose to recognize me, her daughter was there, growing and maturing inside of her.”
Timestamps of Important Segments
- 00:00 – 04:09 – Opening, reading listener email, call for stories
- 04:37 – 05:24 – Jane’s story: abortion regret and lifelong pain
- 05:30 – 07:38 – Andrea’s story: deliberation, miscarriage, lingering guilt
- 07:45 – 08:45 – Liz’s story: refusing abortion, single motherhood
- 08:53 – 10:07 – Renee’s story: marital compromise
- 10:14 – 13:59 – Terri’s story: partner’s resolve, career, family
- 14:12 – 16:48 – Lily’s story: family pressure, eventual motherhood
- 17:43 – 19:29 – Latoya’s story: medical necessity, grief, and partner’s feelings
- 19:48 – 21:26 – Linda’s story: surprise pregnancy, humor, and joy
- 21:37 – 23:08 – Julia’s story: adoption, reunion
- 23:08 – 26:22 – Dr. Laura on language, responsibility, her own shift
- 26:22 – End – Listener email “I survived an abortion” and closing remarks
Summary
In this emotional “Deep Dive,” Dr. Laura and her listeners lay bare the real-life complexity behind abortion decisions—regret, resilience, pressure, loss, courage, and redemption. The episode steers away from debate and moralizing, instead providing heartfelt space for stories that reflect the lasting personal consequences, the web of relationships involved, and the enduring human spirit. It concludes by underscoring the importance of responsibility, language, and open family dialogue—urging everyone, in Dr. Laura’s inimitable forthright tone, to “go do the right thing.”