Leah Allington, a 28-year-old mother of two from Bedfordshire, has spoken openly about her decision to have an abortion in 2024, stating she will never regret it because it prevented her family from suffering. After discovering she was pregnant for a third time, she experienced severe hyperemesis, vomiting every 30 minutes, and was hospitalised for dehydration. She and her partner immediately knew they could not afford another child, living in a two-bedroom council flat with their two daughters aged three and nine, where the couple slept in the living room.
Decision and Medical Process
Leah called her local NHS clinic the day after her hospital visit to schedule an abortion. She described the staff as 'all so lovely, there was no judgement at all.' At the clinic, doctors repeatedly asked about her decision before administering medication to terminate the pregnancy. She also had a scan, which doctors chose not to show her, respecting her emotional state.
Leah said: 'I think something that people don't talk about when they have an abortion is, that you're allowed to be sad. Nobody wants to have an abortion. I was devastated and upset, it's not a nice process to go through. But I do not regret it and I never will. I'm happy I had an abortion and I'm happy my family don't have to suffer.'
Legal Context: Abortion Laws and Safe Access Zones
In England, Wales, and Scotland, abortion is legal up to 23 weeks and 6 days under the 1967 Abortion Act, performed free on the NHS if two doctors agree that continuing the pregnancy poses greater risk to the woman's physical or mental health. The UK Government introduced 'safe access zones' around abortion clinics and hospitals on October 31, 2024, creating a 150-metre buffer to protect women from protests. In March 2023, MPs rejected attempts to allow silent prayer within these zones. Bishop John Sherrington of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales criticised the law as 'an unnecessary and disproportionate step backwards in the protection of religious and civic freedoms.'
Impact on Family Life
Leah explained that the cost of living crisis and global uncertainties influenced her decision. She said her body's reaction felt like 'a sign that I was making the right decision, my body was simply rejecting it.' Since the abortion, the family has moved to a three-bedroom house with a garden, booked their first family holiday—a caravan trip—and Leah has taken a part-time evening job. She said: 'We're in a much better position and situation for not having a third child.' Her sister, partner's mother, and grandmother supported her, telling her she made the right decision.
Sharing the Story for Closure and Support
Leah posted a video on her TikTok account @leahxallington to share her experience. She said: 'I did want to talk about it one day... with what's going on in the world and women having every single right taken away from them, I wanted to show people you can have one, you can be sad, and I want other people to know that they don't have to be so scared to go.' She referenced the 2022 US Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade, noting that by 2026, 17 US states have major abortion restrictions, including 13 near-total bans. Leah emphasised: 'There's such pressure to keep the babies, but no one actually cares the next day. The pro-lifers that are protesting, the next day they're probably going to work, they don't care about this one person's baby.'
For more information about abortion, visit the NHS website or the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) on 03457 304030.
