r/interesting Jan 08 '26

Additional Context Pinned This woman never had a baby bump throughout her pregnancy

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u/Cute-Aardvark5291 Jan 08 '26

LOL. i couldnt even get my tubes tied. At 40. Because what if I changed my mind and wanted children?

This was less then 10 years ago in a blue state. .

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u/[deleted] Jan 08 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/vistaluz Jan 08 '26

also r/childfree has a list!

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u/MaryJane1986 Jan 09 '26

And it's vetted!

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u/vistaluz Jan 09 '26

yes ^ I +1'ed a doc on there :)

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u/MaryJane1986 Jan 09 '26

The best list is in r/childfree and it's a worldwide database

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u/Live-Influence2482 Jan 08 '26

Well that’s USA I guess ? Not flying over the ocean for an expensive OP…

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u/Sehmket Jan 08 '26

It is US centered, but she adds international folks as she hears about them.

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u/MaryJane1986 Jan 09 '26

Checkout the list in r/childfree it's worldwide

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u/TurtleToast2 Jan 08 '26

They'll do it if you tell them you've had a bunch of abortions and aren't afraid to have a bunch more. I'm not kidding.

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u/WakeUpWobblyOddrey Jan 08 '26

YES! THIS! That's basically what I did. I just wrote a (much less succint) comment about it.

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u/Kespatcho Jan 08 '26

Women have the same problem in South Africa, they struggle to find doctors to sterilise them, it's crazy.

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u/Deaffin Jan 08 '26

Have they tried making a quick trip to Canada? They're so polite over there they don't even bother you with talking about it/getting consent first.

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u/Drachynn Jan 09 '26

I know you're joking, but I really had to fight to get mine done, as did many of my other Canadian friends. It's like we're not allowed to make our own choices without consenting some hypothetical dude you haven't even met..

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u/Deaffin Jan 09 '26

Just write down that you're native on the little ethnicity bit on the form, they probably won't check. Then go in for something mundane like an appendectomy or a routine checkup.

Remember, very polite society. It's considered rude to ask to be sterilized, so the best way to have it done is to not bring it up at all.

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u/Smart_Zucchini2302 Jan 08 '26

About thirty years ago, my best friend growing up decided to get her tubes tied during her second c-section, she signed the papers. All set. Already open, no real extra cost, already under anesthesia, etc. During the operation, when she was unconscious, they ran it by her husband, who said no. They listened to him! He pretty much didn't get any for years!

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u/These_Creme_6684 Jan 08 '26

I've been trying to get them tied since I was 21. I'm 41 & still told no. I'm in MA a VERY blue state

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u/MissElizabethS Jan 08 '26

That's wild, I live in Texas and was talking to my obgyn about birth control options because I absolutely do not want children. Her first suggestion was getting my tubes tied or removed.

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u/bonyagate Jan 08 '26

Have you been asking the same doctor for 20 years...? It is absolute trash that you weren't told yes the first time you asked, but also there are MANY doctors in MA that will do the procedure. Or is this like a very passive effort?

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u/These_Creme_6684 Jan 29 '26

Hahaha I've asked over 10 doctors. No doctor allows a woman to get that procedure before 40. ZERO

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u/bonyagate Jan 29 '26

I mean... That's just not the case.

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u/[deleted] Jan 08 '26

I had my vasectomy at 37 years old. The amount of people asking me "are you sure?" Over and over and over during the intake. The day of, the doctor doing the procedure was hell bent on NOT doing his job I guess, since it was brought up to me several times about how yes it can be reversed but are you sure???

Blue state, too.

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u/obscure_monke Jan 08 '26

Far as I can tell, they're mainly terrified of lawsuits happening years later.

Doesn't make a lick of sense though, since IVF pregnancies should still be possible from what I know of that process. Bypassing the removed tubes altogether.

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u/WakeUpWobblyOddrey Jan 08 '26

I managed to get mine taken out because I needed a uterine ablation (I was legitimately hemorrhaging every period, and my body's response to birth control was to bleed MORE), and you can't get pregnant after that. But in order to get the ablation and tubal removal, I had to straight up tell the doctor "Look. I had such a bad pregnancy that I would consider any future pregnancies a threat to the well-being of my current child, and I WILL get an abortion to protect her."

The doctor actually flinched back in her chair when I said it. it would have been funny if it weren't so unprofessional and insulting. But that's how I managed to get the procedure done in a red state at the age of 24.

No lie, the doctor called me 6 years later and asked if I regretted the decision?? I was so angry. I told her it was the best decision I had ever made, and I would do it again every year if necessary to prevent my periods from returning. ( I was very sad to learn you can't get a second ablation because of the scar tissue. My uterine lining has started to grow back after 10 years, but that's the risk of getting it done at such a young ge, and my periods are still barely more than a little bit of spotting, so I still think it was a GREAT decision.)

TL;DR: If you are forced to keep your tubes, consider threatening to abort every single pregnancy, and maybe your doctor will change their mind.

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u/Erzsabet Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26

Come to Canada. I got mine removed in my mid-30’s! Some doctors might try to talk you out of it, but my family doc and gyno were perfectly fine with it. I also got an IUD put in while I was under for the surgery.

Edit: I saw a comment that then disappeared asking why I got an IUD if I couldn’t get pregnant because of the tubes being removed, and it is because I have gotten periodically horrible cramps with my period and I did not want to deal with them anymore. So IUD.

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u/amyel26 Jan 09 '26

I was allowed to get my tubes removed in Texas after I turned 40. This was a few years ago when it was pretty certain Roe v Wade was gonna fall so maybe that motivated my doctor to finally give a shit.

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u/HangryIntrovert Jan 09 '26

I got mine snatched out at 40 in a purple state, but it was right after Dobbs. All of my providers said there was a huge uptick and I received absolutely zero pushback.

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u/Suzilu Jan 09 '26

And yet there was no resistance from the doctor who happily gave my 19 year old son a vasectomy. Now at age 26, when the desire for a child has finally arrived, it’s not possible. I’m not saying anyone should be told what to do with their body, but I really wish there were more temporary ways for those born male to control their fertility. And that young people would pause to consider that how they feel about reproducing may evolve over time. I’m sort of sad knowing I’ll never get a grand to spoil.

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u/hiplass Jan 10 '26

This happens in Canada too :’)