Iskra Lawrence Detailed the Early Weeks of Her Pregnancy to Make a Critical Point About Texas' Abortion Ban

Model Iskra Lawrence is used to sharing snippets of her life story with her 4.7 million followers on Instagram. But in the wake of Texas' extreme new abortion ban, the body-positive model detailed part of her past pregnancy journey that some may not have been privy to. (

To recap, Texas passed the nation's most restrictive abortion ban last week that criminalizes abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy — a time span during which most women are unaware that they're even pregnant. In short, for those with a regular menstrual cycle (periods that occur every 21 to 35 days), a six-week gestational timeframe could be as early as two weeks after a missed period, which could potentially go unnoticed, according to Planned Parenthood.

Not only that, but under Texas' Senate Bill 8, anyone who helps facilitate a woman in getting an abortion could be sued for thousands of dollars, essentially putting a bounty on the heads of doctors, healthcare providers, friends, family members, and even rideshare drivers, such as Uber or Lyft, who assist a woman in getting an abortion. (

In a post added Sunday to her Instagram page, days after Texas' new law went into effect, Lawrence shared three photos of herself at the sixth, seventh, and eighth week of her pregnancy to make a point about the extreme nature of the ban. The influencer then explained in the post's caption that she had no idea she was carrying her first child at the time. "I didn't know until nearly [nine] weeks into my pregnancy," wrote Lawrence. "This is very normal."

Up until now, fans weren't aware that Lawrence's first pregnancy was unplanned. "I didn't feel ready and I was using contraceptives," she shared on Instagram. "We weren't married and I thought everything I'd built for myself and my family could fall apart."

Lawrence added Sunday that with the support of her partner, Philip Payne, the two moved forward together with the pregnancy. "Philip saw how upset and scared I was and lovingly reassured me," recalled Lawrence on Instagram. "But even though I hadn't imagined we would be pregnant only a year into our relationship we knew we wanted this." (

The model then acknowledges how her situation was unique — namely, that she was fortunate to have the means to support a child. "I had the privilege of financial security, the safety of owning a home, and the support from not just a loving partner but my family," she shared on Instagram. "Our baby coming into our lives is the greatest blessing and I dream of a world where this could be everyone's reality but [that] isn't everyone's story."

Lawrence and Payne announced the arrival of their first child, a son, in April 2020.

While the reason any woman chooses to get an abortion is often complex and difficult, Lawrence noted that, at the end of the day, it's nobody's business. "No one, especially men, have a right to tell women what to do with their bodies," she wrote Sunday on Instagram. "There are so many reasons [folks] may need or want an abortion from maternal death to abusive relationships or simply not having the financial means to feed and raise a child. Women need access to abortions and that is their decision to make." (

Lawrence also implored Sunday that there needs to be "greater access to contraceptive and education around it as well as sex/reproductive education." Past data, including this 2008 study from researchers at the University of Washington, has shown that adolescents who receive comprehensive sex education may be less likely to have an unwanted pregnancy. (Did You Know That An Estimated 1 In 4 U.S. Women Will Have an Abortion By Age 45?)

To wrap up Sunday's Instagram post, Lawrence shared several Texas-based resources and organizations that, "help support causes fighting to reverse the ban and/or help women get a safe abortion." In addition to Planned Parenthood, Lawrence also provided information about the following organizations:

• Avow, a Texas-based abortion rights champion
• Fund Texas Choice, a nonprofit that helps residents access abortion clinics by covering and coordinating both travel and lodging
• The Lilith Fund, a nonprofit that provides financial aid and emotional support to those in need of abortions in Texas
• Texas Equal Access Fund, an organization offering emotional and financial support to those seeking abortion care

Lawrence's Instagram post has received over 284,000 "likes" on Instagram as of Wednesday, with fitness influencer Cassey Ho among the many praising the model. "Thank you for sharing this," commented Ho, while another fan added, "thank you for your honesty and vulnerability in sharing this very raw and personal moment."