I created Early Options® because I feel that “how” abortion is provided and “how” we talk about abortion with each other is important. I’ve been providing abortions for nearly 20 years and listening to women who have made the decision to end their pregnancies.

Being pregnant can be a highly emotional time. Women are often surprised by how vulnerable they feel. Conflicted feelings are normal. Hormones are changing rapidly, making difficult feelings even more emotional. Even if you feel you are making the right decision, you can feel sad, conflicted, frightened, and lonely. This is understandable. The decision of whether or not to have a baby is a decision central to many women’s lives. In addition, it is filled with public opinion designed to dictate how you should feel.

We openly share our perspective on ending early pregnancy. We feel that it’s responsible to end it early, and that you should feel good about making a hard decision. In our opinion, ending an early pregnancy is more like having a natural miscarriage. In the first months of pregnancy, you don’t even know if it would have been viable.

By providing quality abortion care, and by giving you the emotional support you need, we can help you to have a more positive emotional experience. While nobody wants to be in this situation, it can be a time of growth. You may get clearer about your life choices, and you may get to know your partner in new ways. You may see what you need to put in place for a wanted pregnancy in the future. It can also reaffirm that you are happy with where your life is at right now.

We are living in a time when women are having sex, enjoying sex, and experimenting with new ways of being in relationships. Sex, at its best, is passionate. Mistakes happen. But there is no reason to judge ourselves too harshly when it happens. Many women spent their lives fighting for us to be able to make new kinds of choices. It’s important to live a life of gratitude, and not regret.

We are most proud when our approach and our services help you to move forward with your life. We want you to leave our office feeling good about yourself, your medical care, and your decision.

– Dr. Joan Fleischman