Ok, this question is mainly for pro-choicers, but anyone is free to answer. How do you feel about late term abortions? In states such as Oregon, there is no law limiting how late in the pregnancy an abortion can be performed. If a woman decides on her due date that she no longer wants the baby, she can get rid of it. How is this right? How can anyone agree with that? I just don't get it?

Ok, this question is mainly for pro-choicers, but anyone is free to answer. How do you feel about late term abortions? In states such as Oregon, there is no law limiting how late in the pregnancy an abortion can be performed. If a woman decides on her due date that she no longer wants the baby, she can get rid of it. How is this right? How can anyone agree with that? I just don't get it? [/b]

I do not approve personally of late term abortions for no reason but at the same time I don’t think most people are having them on a whim. I think they remain legal to preserve the health of the woman and to preserve her rights when the pregnancy has gone wrong.

I think some pro life groups have shot themselves in the foot with asking too much sometimes.

A bill to ban the procedure except when it is necessary to save a woman's life was adopted by the U.S. Congress but vetoed by President Bill Clinton in the spring of 1996. The Senate, but not the House of Representatives, lacked the two-thirds of votes ne cessary to override the veto. Following the veto, President Clinton, surrounded by several women who had undergone D&X to terminate wanted pregnancies that had gone seriously wrong and threatened their health, announced that he would have signed the m easure if it had contained an exception to preserve the woman's health as well as her life.[/b]

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/ib14.html

I have seen this debated by lawyers and I believe that if they could write the laws in such a way that would exclude whim abortions that it would pass. But they do not write the potential laws like that. The people who write these laws go too far and do not ensure that a woman’s health is her right and they also do not leave exceptions for serious illness or malformation of the fetus. They write the laws like that because they believe that it is immoral for her to have a late term abortion PERIOD.

I believe if both sides gave a little on this issue it would reduce the already low numbers of (recorded) late term abortions a lot. JMO.

[AmberL]

I don't agree with late term abortions. I don't understand how a woman could carry a baby to her due date only to abort (for non health related reasons). I know I couldn't do it. But I'm pro-choice and couldn't see myself having an abortion anyway...early or late.

[bubblesispreggers]

I am pro-life so naturally I would disagree with the practice of partial birth abortion, but my view is that if you are almost to the point of delivery and you've dealt with the pregnancy for that long, why not just give the baby up for adoption?

This is an illustration of partial birth abortion with explanations of the procedure. *Warning* don't look if you are easily offended or squeamish! Click Here (you can zoom in by clicking).

I see it as murder because the child had a very good chance of living if the procedure was not performed. That is a baby that could have survived outside of the womb!

I don't understand how anyone could have this procedure done either, no matter if the baby was deformed.


Jenny

I do not personally agree with late-term abortions except when it is to protect the overall health of the mother.

[Miguelsmommy]

I would much rather people be given the choice to be induced early and give the child up for adoption but until then I feel she should be allowed until birth of the child.

I don't even understand it when the mother's health is at risk. These babies are viable - many could live on their own. Why deliver their heads and then kill them - why not just take the babies early and do everything you can to save them?

[mommy10_13]

[quote]
I don't even understand it when the mother's health is at risk. These babies are viable - many could live on their own. Why deliver their heads and then kill them - why not just take the babies early and do everything you can to save them?
That's right.That just proves my point, that abortion is murder.

[Isabellamom]

Intact dilation and extraction can be used around 20 weeks and on so the fetus is not always viable. In addition, sometimes it is the only way the mom can have a body to bury without getting a Csection (and sometimes that isnt an option). Wiki had a list of reasons some of these are peformed:

* The woman does not have to experience labor.
* The woman does not have to undergo abdominal surgery.
* The procedure results in a largely intact body the parents may grieve over.[8]
* Sharp instruments are inserted into the uterus fewer times than in a D&E abortion.
* The fetus may have hydrocephalus, where the head may expand to a radius of up to 250% of a normal skull at birth, making it impossible for it to pass through the cervix. If live birth is desired, the physician may drain the excess fluid in utero using a syringe, or a caesarian section with a larger than usual incision can be used. If abortion is desired, D&X may be the simplest procedure.[/b]

So if a mom discovers that her child has no brain and will only live minutes at birth (if the pregnancy makes it that far), she may choose this method with her doctor for a number of reasons.

For this reason, I feel the option should be there. It should not be misused, but I feel there are circumcstances where it may be the best option.

For this reason, I feel the option should be there. It should not be misused, but I feel there are circumcstances where it may be the best option.[/b]

Exactly.

I don't think anyone wants this used as a get out of jail free card. It should truly only be used when needed.

ETA I hope no one ever uses this method. I hate even thinking about it. I have met one women who did it (online) and it was a very much wanted pregnancy for her, but the baby was seriously deformed and missing organs. I am sure this was not an easy decision for her, and I don't wish for bad things to happen to people, but I do hope that the only time these kinds of things happen is when something goes terribly goes wrong. (I think hers was around 25 weeks if I remember correctly)

[Mod-quietsong]

I think the only time this is even an option that should be considered is for the extreme situations where the child will not survive - ie, the baby whose brain did not develop, etc. I do not think in any way this should be allowed or performed if the baby is viable and progressing normally.

[MellieB]

I think the only time this is even an option that should be considered is for the extreme situations where the child will not survive - ie, the baby whose brain did not develop, etc. I do not think in any way this should be allowed or performed if the baby is viable and progressing normally.[/b]

This should not be an option for those who decide at 36 weeks that they no longer want the child, and if the baby would not survive even being born at term is it really considered abortion???

[Isabellamom]

This should not be an option for those who decide at 36 weeks that they no longer want the child, and if the baby would not survive even being born at term is it really considered abortion???
[/b]

well, according to some you should just have to wait until birth and watch the child die then (see the other thread about my body my choice and posts by mommy1 in that thread). A couple of them say something to the effect of a woman should carry the pregnancy to term and give birth no matter what might happen after.

A couple of them say something to the effect of a woman should carry the pregnancy to term and give birth no matter what might happen after.[/b]

I'm only 4 and months preggo. I can't imagine forcing someone else to be pregnant.

[Blondie6836]

The only time I can see this being justified is in the case of an anecaphalic (sp?) baby....because in these cases there is zero chance of survival, the baby is essentially brain dead, but their head is so large that the only other option besides a PBA is a c-section, with an incision so large it would put huge danger on the mother and rule out any future pregnancies because there would be a huge risk of pre-term rupturing...Other than that, I don't understand why they don't just induce and give the baby a chance at surviving

[Banned-Mommieof3]

The only time I can see this being justified is in the case of an anecaphalic (sp?) baby....because in these cases there is zero chance of survival, the baby is essentially brain dead, but their head is so large that the only other option besides a PBA is a c-section, with an incision so large it would put huge danger on the mother and rule out any future pregnancies because there would be a huge risk of pre-term rupturing...Other than that, I don't understand why they don't just induce and give the baby a chance at surviving [/b]

Why is that the only alternative? Isn't labor and delivery also an option?

Can't people have successful VBACs?

[jodi16ss]

Since I firmly believe that abortion is murder... yes, MURDER, for those that don't like CAPS in debates... So, naturally it is my opinion that late term abortions should be banned in every state.

I understand that there are certain circumstances in which the baby has no chance of survival. I still don't believe that this procedure should be preformed. What a horrible thought to know that your baby had its brains sucked out. Makes me physically ill.

Any woman who has had this procedure performed on her HEALTHY baby should not ever be allowed to have children again. Go ahead and have her tubes CUT! What a waste of life. Absolutely no respect at all whatsoever for a human being... and for her own child, at that.

Fire away!!!!

[Isabellamom]

What a horrible thought to know that your baby had its brains sucked out. Makes me physically ill.[/b]

What a horrible thought to know that people such as yourself would force a woman whose child will be born and live only minutes at most (if it makes it that far) should have to continue the pregnancy no matter what. She could have the procedure done at 23 weeks and begin her healing process. INstead, murder criers would rather this woman continue with a dying fetus inside of her, one that will never be concious, doomed to watch it die weeks later.

Makes me physically ill.

And FYI, many of these procedures are performed BECAUSE the child is missing most of its brain. So, hence, your prolife brain sucking babble is fallacious at best.

[Isabellamom]

Why is that the only alternative? Isn't labor and delivery also an option?

Can't people have successful VBACs?
[/b]

Not if the head is too big to fit through the birth canal. Woman with a risk of bleeding would probably opt for this procedure so that she is in less risk. Plus, it allows her to have a vaginal later in life. Csections have great risks, and we all know full well that many many places in the USA and many hosptials won't do VBACs.

A doctor and woman may decide this is the safest procedure available to them, and I support that.

[jodi16ss]

You can have my barf bag when I am finished...

Now, on to my brain sucking babble...

First of all, I cannot imagine what it would feel like to lose a child or find out that the baby I was carrying had severe congenital defects. My heart goes out to any woman who has EVER had to go through something like that. (Please don't crack on that, because that comes from the bottom of my heart)

Anyhow... I still couldn't kill my child that was living inside of me... regardless of what physical deformities it had.

Let me clarify myself a bit. I am disgusted by the people who have late term abortions when they have healthy babies. For those women who have these procedures performed because their baby is brain dead/has 0% chance of survival, etc., I can't speak for their reasons why they had it performed. Regardless, I can't imagine what it would feel like to have this procedure. I would rather carry my baby full term only to have it die in my arms. I would rather my child die in mine and my husband's arms.. in a room with his/her mommy and daddy... close to the warmth of our skin... surrounded by love.

ETA... regardless of what deformities it had.

Okay... you can have my bag now.