Mistreatment in maternity care is a significant issue, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and multiracial mothers. The United States is grappling with an ongoing maternity health crisis, with 1 in every 3 counties lacking a single obstetric clinician, impacting women’s access to care. A new CDC Vital Signs report revealed that 20% of women surveyed reported experiences of mistreatment during pregnancy and delivery care.
The U.S. healthcare system is falling short in maternity care due to various factors, including hospital closures and COVID-19. Access to maternity care is decreasing in areas that need it the most, affecting nearly 7 million women of childbearing age and around 500,000. Unplanned pregnancies carry greater risks of morbidity and mortality than planned pregnancies, and many states have banned abortion. Misogyny, sex-shaming, racism, and the anti-abortion movement’s love affair with embryos and fetuses also contribute to this issue.
Additionally, environmental factors, socioeconomic issues, and chronic health conditions play a significant role in limiting access to care. Women who are forcibly displaced are more likely to experience poor maternal mental health. Hospital closures, environmental factors, socioeconomic issues, and chronic health conditions also limit access to care.
A growing number of women are challenging a culture of silence and stigma around mistreatment during pregnancy and birth. The negative consequences of disrespect and abuse of women seeking maternity healthcare services and poor quality of care are evident. Lack of respectful maternity care may be a key factor associated with disparities in maternal health.
📹 Texas mother forced to carry nonviable pregnancy to term due to abortion bans
Why is there a lack of prenatal care?
Rural areas face significant barriers to accessing prenatal care, including lack of access and increased transportation time compared to urban areas. These barriers can be categorized into structural, socioeconomic, sociocultural, and personal factors. In Indiana, 25 counties are considered maternal health care deserts, and 12 are low access. Policies and legislation can help increase access to prenatal care, as healthy children and safe pregnancies lead to decreased spending and maternal/infant mortality rates.
Health disparities, such as structural racism, geographical barriers, and lack of appropriate education, contribute to delays in prenatal care initiation and overall care and access. It is crucial to recognize these disparities and work towards reducing them in healthcare settings. Black women, who are more likely to experience barriers to quality care, are more likely to experience poor health outcomes and maternal mortality. Differences in health outcomes are evident when comparing education level and race, with Black women with a college degree or higher being 5 times more likely to die from pregnancy than White women.
What is disrespectful maternity care?
Obstetric mistreatment and abuse are prevalent in low-income countries, where women are marginalized and oppressed. Disrespectful maternity care can manifest as treatment denial, neglect for patient needs, intrusive behavior, medication overuse, forced medical intervention, detention in facilities due to nonpayment, rude or dehumanizing treatment, and discrimination based on age, gender nonconformity, race, ethnicity, or economic status.
Examples of disrespectful care include repeated vaginal examinations, perineal repairs performed without anesthesia, uterine investigations, verbal, physical, and sexual assault, extortion, imprisonment, and invasion of privacy.
In Ethiopia, the overall prevalence of disrespect and abuse in maternal health care during labor and birth is 49. 4, with 36 of women experiencing at least one form of mistreatment during childbirth. However, recent reports indicate that the prevalence of obstetric violence among Ethiopian mothers spans from 76. 1 to 98. 9.
Despite the prevalence of disrespectful and abusive care in Ethiopia, the impact on birth outcomes remains under-researched. Researchers suggest investigating the negative effects of disrespect and abuse on neonatal outcomes. Evidence-based research is crucial to develop and evaluate interventions that prevent disrespect and abuse, protect women’s rights, enhance care quality, increase demand for facility-based births, and contribute to improved health outcomes. This study aims to determine the associations between disrespectful maternity care and adverse birth outcomes in the central region of Ethiopia.
What are the negative effects of forced labor?
Forced labor serves to perpetuate poverty and dependency, particularly among vulnerable groups such as women, low-skilled migrant workers, children, and indigenous peoples, who are disproportionately affected by discrimination.
What are the consequences of forced childbearing?
The Turnaway Study, a longitudinal prospective cohort study, found that individuals who were unable to obtain desired abortions were more likely to stay with abusive partners and had negative outcomes in mental health and aspirational life plans. Children born from forced pregnancies also had lower mean development scores than those born of intended pregnancies.
The Dobbs ruling has significant implications for abortion access in the USA, as nearly half of the nation’s medical residents in OB/GYN may lack access to instate abortion training, affecting their technical skill set in assisting women after miscarriages. Accreditation rules require OB/GYN medical residencies to provide training or access to training on abortion provision.
Complex family planning fellowships in OB/GYN may experience limitations in what can be taught in clinical practice, leading to the dissolution of highly specialized fellowship programs in states with complete abortion bans. This loss of surgical knowledge base and matching surgical technical skills will be difficult to recover, impacting OB/GYN residency programs as highly trained faculty migrate to states supportive of their surgical skill set.
The potential threat to OB/GYN residency accreditation and the subsequent loss of entire programs in academic centers has significant implications for trauma centers across the country. Level I trauma centers must have a full spectrum of surgical specialists, including specialists in obstetrics and gynecology, to manage complex trauma patients. As obstetrical, gynecological, and neonatal supports disappear from hospitals, so will their accompanying level I and II trauma centers, directly impacting the care provided to communities affected by trauma.
What are ethical issues in maternal care?
Respecting the autonomy of a pregnant woman in maternal-fetal medicine can be challenging due to the woman’s differing views on pregnancy and healthcare professionals’ motivations. The woman may struggle to refuse routine tests, which she may not fully understand or discuss during her antenatal consultations. Techniques like ultrasound imaging and fetal heart rate monitoring can bond clinicians to the fetus, creating an illusion that the fetus is a person for whom they are directly responsible. This can lead to adversarial relationships between the woman and healthcare providers, potentially leading to adverse outcomes.
Ethical care should aim to ensure that the woman remains responsible for herself and her fetus and maintains trust in healthcare providers. Innovations in maternal-fetal medicine must respect the woman’s autonomy and be beneficial and unlikely to cause serious harm. The balance between benefit and harm can be estimated prospectively and measured retrospectively through audit methods in evidence-based medicine.
Justice is a neglected principle in maternal-fetal medicine, especially for infertility techniques that are expensive and difficult to provide through the National Health Service. The lack of NHS services has led to the growth of independent providers with market rates. The regulation of the independent sector by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority should be more important than its duty to impose ethical limits for the use of gametes and embryos. A non-political national ethical committee should vet and authorize innovative research and approve routine use when the balance of outcomes is clearly beneficial.
Is private maternity care better?
Private maternity care provides personalized and flexible services for pregnant women, offering more choices in consultant obstetricians, appointment scheduling, and birthing options. Patients can choose their healthcare provider based on recommendation, referral, or reputation, fostering a closer doctor-patient relationship. Additionally, private maternity clinics and hospitals often offer luxurious facilities, creating a spa-like or hotel-like environment for expectant mothers.
Is it OK to not get prenatal care?
Prenatal care is crucial for both mother and baby’s health, as babies born to mothers who do not receive it are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die. Regular doctor visits can help identify health problems early, allowing for early treatment and prevention. Preconception health involves understanding how health conditions and risk factors could affect both mother and baby, such as certain foods, habits, and medicines.
Women should consult their doctor before pregnancy to learn how to prepare their body for pregnancy, and it is recommended that women give themselves at least three months to prepare before becoming sexually active. This approach can help ensure a healthy start to life for both mother and baby.
Can an 11 year old get pregnant, yes or no?
Pregnancy rates among young adolescents are very rare, with one in 7, 000 getting pregnant in any given year. In 2008, the rate was one per 1, 000 among 13-year-olds and five per 1, 000 among 14-year-olds, and ranged from 16 to 62 per 1, 000 among 15-17-year-olds. The majority of pregnancies among females aged 13 and younger end in abortion, but at older ages, the reverse is true. For example, at ages 13 and younger, the number of births is 69 of the number of abortions, and at ages 17 and older, twice as many pregnancies end in birth as in abortion.
The researchers acknowledge several study limitations, including social desirability bias, underreporting of nonconsensual first sex, and limited sexual activity to heterosexual vaginal intercourse. They suggest that health professionals screen all patients for unwanted sexual activity, with the awareness that sexual activity among the youngest adolescents is especially likely to be nonconsensual.
Why should maternity care be respectful?
Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) is a approach to maternal healthcare that prioritizes communication, consent, privacy, and dignity for women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum periods. It is a key component of quality healthcare and has been proven to improve maternal and newborn healthcare outcomes. Studies have shown that training healthcare providers in RMC can lead to better communication, higher satisfaction rates, and improved health outcomes for women and newborns.
Implementing RMC policies and programs has been associated with a reduction in maternal mortality. Community-based initiatives and advocacy campaigns have also played a crucial role in promoting awareness and demand for RMC, resulting in more successful implementation of RMC policies.
What country has the best maternity care in the world?
New parents face challenges such as sleep deprivation and managing a household while caring for a newborn. Maternity and paternity leave provide an option for working parents to take paid leave during the first weeks or months of their child’s life. Employers must understand the rights of new parents and ensure that they are given the necessary time off while still managing their finances. Countries with the best maternity and paternity leave include Poland, Spain, Norway, and the Netherlands.
Is it better to go public or private when having a baby?
Private obstetricians offer advantages such as personalized care throughout pregnancy, labor, and postnatal periods, convenient locations, and shorter appointment waiting times. However, they can be costly without private health insurance, with additional costs not covered by insurance. Public patients may incur charges for services like room accommodation, blood tests, ultrasounds, and access to diabetes educators, physiotherapists, paediatricians, and anaesthetists. Both private and public patients may also have to pay for childbirth education.
📹 Stressed during pregnancy? Your baby might feel long term effects
Research suggests a woman’s stress level at the moment she becomes pregnant is linked to how her child will respond to stress a …
She said “there are certain instances where I deem (abortions) are necessary” Thats the thing, it’s not up for YOU to deem. Every single women should make that decision for themselves. It should not be based on what someone else think they should do with their bodies. This is why that ban is so dangerous. Ppl who probably would consider themselves “pro life” are now realizing that this ban could and will negatively affect them and the woman they love.
2:52 As soon as she said that it made me realize she is apart of the reason her (and other women in her state) are struggling to access this type of medical care. She wanted to ban all abortions, she only had a problem with her stance when she realized it would affect her life. It’s not up to anybody else to make these decisions about a person’s body, only the person who is pregnant. Hope this experience expands her perspective. Edit: grammar
They should sue the State of Texas for mental stress & damages due to her having to give birth to an unviable pregnancy. It’s not ok. She should have full medical care & that does include aborting a fetus. Especially that the fetus is unviable. It’s ultimately her decision to make not the State of Texas & not anyone else’s decision. No their body or life not their choice.
Firstly, I am sorry that you are having to go through this. But as a liberal Texan, this is what happens when you vote with no compassion. You made your views known in the article, and now that this is happening to YOU, you’re shocked. I swear, the pro-life people are the absolute LEAST compassionate people I know. No grasp on reality or personal decision making within the boundaries or established society.
2:54 “I’m personally not for (abortion) being used as a birth control but there are certain instances where I deem it as necessary” SO YOU ARE PRO CHOICE. No one is pro-abortion we are pro letting people make their own MEDICAL decisions. Also – where YOU deem as necessary? Will every woman need to run their abortion by you to determine if their reasoning matches YOUR moral compass? “Never would I imagine we’d be going through this” – Conservatives love making rules for other people and have no concept of empathy until the rules apply to them and suddenly they demand an exception
By her own “abortions aren’t birth control” logic she shouldn’t be given an abortion. That baby is still ALIVE and the doctors didn’t deem it medically necessary. Her own lack of compassion for others is officially her problem, and that sucks. I hope others learn from this and start voting in the best interest of the public, not just what they think benefits them at the time or in the interest of controlling other people.
This is a horrible thing to go through. However, I hope her hypocrisy is not lost on viewers. She refuses to use the word abortion, calling it a “procedure” and goes on to say she doesn’t believe it’s a suitable method for birth control. Now that she requires an abortion for her own medical emergency she finds validity in its use. She and her husband may also have voted for the very people that contributed to an abortion ban in her home state. I don’t feel sympathy or empathy towards her. They are also showing their privilege in being able to travel to different states to seek out expensive abortions. Unfortunately those states also have their own conservative led abortion bans in place. Will we see these two at a pro-choice rally now that they are forced to carry a non-viable fetus to term? Probably not.
I feel for them, but as you’ve heard from her at ” 2:52 ” she is clearly regurgitating one of those pro-life reasons for being anti arbotion. That abortion is being used by people as a form of birth control willy-nilly. She clearly is anti abortion before all this happened to her. She for sure is one of the people who celerated the overturning of Roe. Now she sees the effect of the abortion ban first hand. All fun and games until it personally affects you. I hope she gets her abortion. I hope she fights for that right now moving forward.
I feel for them because I have a friend who has gone through 3 miscarriages despite her and her husband really wanting to have children. However, the lack of awareness is stunning. She’s making judgment calls on people who receive healthcare when she thinks it’s used as birth control yet she’s upset that providers are making the same judgment call on her. Not having the choice to receive necessary healthcare is literally what they voted for – it’s only a problem now that they are personally affected.
Anti abortion laws are inhumane. It’s heartbreaking to (still) be fighting for basic human rights for women’s healthcare – but we will keep fighting to make things right. 💪 I’m so sorry for all the women affected by the current backwardness of the legal system. I hope they all get compensation for their inhumane treatments.
I live in Texas and chose to terminate my first pregnancy last year for medical reasons, it was the hardest and most heart breaking experience I’ve ever gone through, and Texas abortion laws add insult to injury. I’ve always been pro choice but I never thought I’d personally be in a situation where I would have to choose, you truly don’t know what it’s like until you’re there
From what I am getting from her comment about it not being a form a of birth control, the definitely voted to pass the law and put those in place who passed the law. I am sorry that they are going through this, but not taking time to think about who and what you are voting for and how it could possibly affect your future is insane. I will keep them in my prayer and hopefully the next time this law comes or up the people in place to make the laws are wanting reelection, they think twice about it.
I work EMS in Texas and actually ran a call for a 35 year old woman who has this same disease after she pulled her trach tube out. She was in a total vegetative state – absolutely no means of communication or signs of cognitive function. She couldn’t even localize to objects with her eyes. Her entire 35 year existence has been laying in bed, breathing through a tube and being fed through a G tube with a suprapubic catheter to catch her urine. She has to be turned every few hours in bed (for her entire life) to prevent pressure ulcers. She’s never been able to talk, walk, speak, sit up, or even eat on her own. I remember thinking to myself how miserable it must be to live like that. And I wondered if her parents knew before she was born of her condition and why they wouldn’t choose to terminate if so. Seems like it would have been the far more merciful thing to do. Now thanks to the SCOTUS parents don’t even get to make that quality of life decision for their kids. What a nightmare we’re living in.
This simultaneously breaks my heart but also enrages me. Like HOW could she be going through this, but also still be so against abortion?! She doesn’t support it as “birth control,” yet she can’t see the problems that arise when doctors aren’t allowed to be doctors?! As she is learning, she can’t have it both ways! The state needs to leave medical procedures to practitioners and patients. It’s a case by case basis. Things are not black and white, and politicians should not be able to police a woman’s body with these laws. Something is very wrong here! People seem to forget we don’t live in a damn theocracy!
I’m so sick and tired of people saying “Abortion isn’t birth control.” No one anywhere is having unprotected sex under the thought of “Oh. I’ll just pop into the abortion clinic next Monday.” Also, I’m low-key loving that people like her are part of the “Take responsibility for your actions” crowd. Guess what, sweetie? You’re learning about the consequences of your actions… you voted for these laws. You got ’em.
The year is 2023 and a young country like South Africa 🇿🇦 which was democratic only in 1994 has more laws that protect women (abortion) and the LGBTQI+, compared to a country like America which has been democratic for more than 100 years, that is scary. I just stumbled upon this post and I am feeling really sad for Kylie, I believe that a country is not democratic if it is abusing women, especially in this way. The fact that young countries are progressing in making sure that they properly protect all its citizens and America is heading backwards is sad.
My heart aches for this family. I was reading about this condition just the other day: a mom expecting IVF twins. She didn’t have a selective termination because of the risk to the healthy baby and because she was led to believe the affected child would die… He lived 8 months, never left hospital, and experienced a tremendous amount of pain. Abortion is healthcare.
God gives us free will in every area of our life and lets us make choices, but somehow these unborn fetuses are more precious than anything else He’s ever created and better not be touched, and the women He chose as the vessels for them do not have a say in anything regarding their pregnancy and they are the worst sinners on earth (but not as bad as those gay people) if they dare make a choice that harms that fetus, even if it mean protecting her life. By the way, if you wanna own a gun and kill somebody, that’s alright. Conservative Christian thinking be crazy.
My heart was restarted twice with adenosine and me and my baby were on bed rest for three months while our heart rates dropped and I had to lay there helplessly as she was on my sciatic nerve and killed the nerves to my knee. I started the pregnancy doing 5K‘s and ended up not being able to walk in a wheelchair. I literally used my body my choice to try to get the doctors to take her out early when she was viable enough to save her life over mine while they were restarting my heart with adenosine for the second time and it wasn’t working and she was losing oxygenation to the brain. Because they didn’t take her out she is nonverbal and will never speak or have a normal life. They did not respect my wishes as her mother to save her before me even though I have a life-threatening illness and she had a full healthy life ahead of her if they had listen to me. Its not our bodies or our choices. They’ve chosen for us.
This is why sometimes abortion is needed unfortunately. Nature is not perfect, alot can go wrong and sometimes it is sever. Like for example, any years ago a good friend was expecting her first, she wanted the child and was overjoyed. Kept healthy, did everything right for her pregnancy. But, in the second trimester, an ultrasound showed that some of the baby’s internal organs where developing outside the body. Heart, lungs, and some of the GI track. The baby was alive but there was very little chance of the child survival when born. She had to make the heartbreaking decision of getting an abortion in the best decision for her baby. There was no ryme nor reason for the cause of the sever deformity from what her doctor told her, simple explanation was these things happen. Things can go wrong unfortunately. Nature is not perfect and can be cruel as we all know. It was no one’s fault nor no one to blame. It just these things happen and it is what it is. Yea medical technology had came a long way especially with reproductive medicine but, there is a limit.
Well, this is really sad and they are doing everything I would have done. However, it was clear that voted republican and she said never in a million years did she think this would happen to her and she is against using abortion as a birth control. You voted for this ; we tried to warn you. This is what happens when you vote against your own interests. Anyway, we are all in the same boat now. Saddle up cupcake because this is a going to be a bumpy ride.
My cousin in Europe was told that her baby boy with the same condition when he was born would live for 20 mins. They tried to convince her to abort, she did not want to. So she carried through with the pregnancy till full term, delivered him and he passed away at exactly the time they told her he would. She goes to visit him daily for years, it was her son and she did not choose to abort. I feel for you that the laws have changed but i understand that he still is a human being with a brain and i pray that God gives you the strength to endure this. I wish you nothing but the best outcome possible.
So the problem here is that two parents view the difficulty of an otherwise normal pregnancy as a burden because the baby might live long enough to be an inconvenience? Am I missing something or is that the big story here? The big story is that people who identify as pro life became pro choice because of personal inconvenience. There’s no concern for their child. This illustrates why abortion needs to be criminalized in Texas for everyone who participates in an abortion—not just the abortionist. Human life has been reduced to viability based on convenience. We are in a bad way. We need to become abolitionist, not pro life. It’s a term that has lost its meaning.
the way she said she never would have thought she would have to go through this, as if any woman ever thinks that. like no one wakes up thinking about getting an abortion, its not an exciting thing or some form of birth control. like i hate women like the one here, and personally have no sympathy for whats shes going through
I told my other half he needs to go get his colonoscopy 3 states away. His response, “What for?! I live here I should be able to get the care I need. It’s between me and my doctor.” Same thing with abortion people, stop sticking your nose into people’s medical procedure. I’m pro minding your own business. Thanks!
It’s wrong that women, parents, and children suffer because of a ban. Once a child is born, no one will be there for it. There’s not enough resources and money to make sure every child is taken care of properly. Then you get cases of child neglect, abuse, or death because other people choose that it was wrong and a waste of life. Those same people aren’t there to raise the children born with health issues/problems, aren’t there to protect a child from an abusive parent/guardian/foster parent/adoptive parent. They aren’t there when a child has to live like this poor baby or be there when a baby is carried full term only to die/suffer seconds/minutes/hours later due to a foreseeable illness that could’ve been prevented if given an abortion later on. Unless it happens to you, you don’t think about other people’s lives till then. It’s does effect everyone in the end, more negative than positive.
New Mexico does not have a cut off of a certain amount of weeks. Maybe that particular clinic has a rule, but there are other clinics in the state. And I love how she thinks she has the right to decide for other mothers if an abortion is needed or not. No one is using abortion for birth control, Kylie. I can tell they voted for these laws, so let them suffer whatever consequence comes to them and stay TF out of New Mexico, we have enough people to serve and don’t need any anti-abortion hypocrites coming here when they suddenly realize that abortion is healthcare. They deserve whatever comes to them.
there’s a scene in it’s always sunny in philadelphia where one of the main characters, Mac, dog gets pregnant and the only way the dog would survive is with abortion, for some preface, Mac is hyper religious and pro life, his response to the vet when he said that the puppies would need to be terminated was to go through with the abortion to save the dogs life. A second main character was at the vet with Mac when he made that comment and Charlie said, i thought you were against abortion? Mac replies, Oh, yeah, but this situation effects me. In short, people always want to have an opinion until they’re effected by it.
Honestly it is sad that they had to get to this point in life and have to carry a baby full term under those conditions. However i cannot feel bad because i can only assume they voted yes to pass the anti abortion law and the whole time the information, knowledge, the empathy to see and learn as to why its so important to keep abortions legal, all at the disposal of our mobil phone! In our world in this day and age there are serial rapist, predators, foster homes, and adoption agencies which are full to the brim with kids that are not wanted any more, or parents can’t afford medical care or food! We see advertisements on the news to adopt children and yet we pass a law to stop more children who are coming into this world only to be given up, removed, raped, or in this instance live to take a breath and then die. Nobody turns their attention to those kids and want to do something about no! Instead we as human beings want to put our noses in somebody else’s business and think we have a right to pick for them.
A life is a life and just because they don’t want to go through the pain of losing him they are willing to put him through pain and kill him? I mean really!? Everyone wants to tip toe around the word abortion and how it is actually done. The fact that you are choosing to kill your child because you don’t want to live with the consequences of your act of having sex (regardless of that child’s health issues) is heart breaking and evil. That child deserves to be loved and wanted regardless of how “abnormal” he is. And lastly, you are either pro-life or pro-choice, there is no gray or in between area. Murder is murder. We have killed more unborn babies in this country than hitler did during world war 2 and that is is sad. I pray we stop acting like we are god and start acting more human with empathy and compassion. We are all give trials and tribulations and our true colors shine by how we choose to act and handle them.
I had s similar situation. I was 20 weeks along. I had perinatal counciling and requested a c-section and thankfully my insurance approved it and I was given a hysterotomy.. My baby was born and she died outside of my womb but she passed humanly and I didn’t have to go through the emotional grief of continuing in a pregnancy to full term.
This is so very unfair. Maybe we need to look at men’s responsibilities and men birth control. And what about that little blue pill? Can you imagine the outrage if that was taken away? It is despicable that women are treated so inferior. Things would be ALOT different if this were happening to men. They would be screaming like little girls!
This story is concerning regarding Kylie’s health, and the precedent that Texas law sets here regarding the rights to a fetus. In babies with alobar holoprosencephaly many are stillborn and if they do survive the birthing process only 50% of patients survive by 4-5 months of age and 20% of these cases survive by 12 months of age. 1 They also have major physical deformities including a single eye (cyclopia), epilepsy and seizures, intellectual disability and problems regulating their own body temperature, heart rate, and breathing which requires them to spend their entire life in a hospital. 3 This is a severe economic burden to the family and to the state and could be a major emotional burden to the family involved. This is also without taking into consideration the dangers that come with childbirth especially when compared to the abortion that Kylie was seeking. The pregnancy-associated mortality rate among women who delivered live neonates was 8.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. The mortality rate related to induced abortion was 0.6 deaths per 100,000 abortions. 2 With that in mind I believe the laws in Texas endangered Kylie’s life and encroached on her medical autonomy and her ability to make a medical decision that was in her best interest and safety. It could be said that Kylie could just go out of state to get an abortion, but this places undo financial hardship on a family when there are capable medical facilities much closer. I understand that people might not agree that the risks to Kylie here outweighed the fetuses right to life, however I think one needs to consider the quality of life here.
That poor unborn fetus has my sympathy, They should never be put through any of this. Those parents however? I have no more pity for people who can’t see something as a problem until it stops at their front door. Maybe they should have thought about this before they went in to vote away their rights as parents.
This is cruel to both the mother and the child inside her, this should definitely qualify for a legal abortion. TBH the only time I think abortion should be illegal is for those women who just keep on having them, they should be forced to have long effected birth control. And then I of course don’t believe abortions should occur after 23 weeks, unless! the baby is gravely ill or severely disabled where they would always be dependent of others, medicines etc. Or if the mother is gravely ill where continuing with the pregnancy would kill her. There are different circumstances that need to be reviews. Abortion should never be a flat out “yes” or “no”
These Republicans are not thinking of the grief of the parents, or the death or dismemberment of the mother, and how that affects her living children or partner or extended family and friends… it really looks as if they want to just punish women for having female reproductive systems. We also live in a cruel, misogynistic state now, and I hope my daughter is able to move to a safe country one day. Many can’t.
I feel sorry for them but I have to say I have seen 100s of miracles of babies fully recovered when born. What if that happens for their baby? There is a purpose and a plan for everything. When my mom was pregnant with my sister on the ultrasound they saw everything that could possibly be wrong and that she would die too. She came out miraculously healed of every single medical issue they saw. I know there is a chance that might not happen for them but there is another chance it can. I believe in prayer and miracles. ❤
The echos of this trauma will forever affect the surviving daughter too. Please don’t forget her needs. She sees her mom’s belly grow, she hears people publicly ask “when are you due…is it a boy or girl…? Her friends at school have new siblings coming home, she sadly won’t. The unnecessary forced trauma this will have on her is unconscionable. The shrinks, clergy, etc don’t have adequate answers for her. I’ve asked… I’m navigating this same loss with a 4 year old too. Don’t underestimate her profound pain & disappointment. My deepest condolences for y’all~
If I had to choose a word to describe this- ungrateful. So someone who has been actively trying finally conceives then would rather choose to terminate that living gift because of his imperfections and possible short life span than to appreciate and cherish his life no matter the length and disabilities. 🤷♀️
Honestly, I don’t really feel bad for her. I DO feel bad for women that didn’t want or choose to have their rights stripped from them. This woman is part of the problem, and only figured it out when her pregnancy wasn’t viable. I told my husband that the only way these Republicans were going to figure it out, was when it happens to them. Guess what.
Yeah everyone says this is why the couple should only make the decision,umm they knew the risks of having a child there is no guarantee your child will be healthy and normal. It’s a life not a car or object when are people going to realise this that you can’t just despose/get rid of because you didn’t like the order
Death unfortunately occurs either way. It is devastating for the family, specifically the mother, to have to go through this. I’m so sorry. I hope this baby lives a beautiful life however long he is alive and brings joy that surpasses this great pain. Nobody should have to lose their child whether it be in utero or after birth. It’s not fair.
Sad I had to get an abortion years ago because I was having difficulties. I had to make a decision loose the child, myself or us both in danger of dying. I choose abortion I already had 2 toddlers & a new husband. It would not of been fair for them loosing a mother at such a young age nor my husband loosing his wife.
I hold the same beliefs as this woman. Although I do not consider this procedure to be a replacement for birth control, it should be available in medical situations such as this or other serious issues. Not to mention rape, incest, minors, or medical conditions for the woman that may not fall under the purview of this law. It’s insane that this family will be forced to go through this entire pregnancy, only for the baby to not make it long. The additional pain this family is experiencing has only begun, and it’s heartbreaking.
Abortion is no different than murder. You want to legalize abortion? You might just as well legalize murder. “You are an American, you have the unenviable right to avoid all responsibility for your actions, even if you have to kill your own child in the womb before it is legally born,” is essentially legalized abortion. (Incidentally, my Mom wanted to have an abortion when she was carrying my sister in her womb, but changed her mind after she got to the clinic. She left the waiting room before it was her turn. I cannot conceive of how different my life would be like if I had never known my sister. And neither can my Mom. My sister also suffers from severe mental health issues. She’s lived for decades needing even the most basic care, because she is incapable of taking care of herself. But she is the sweetest human being we’ve ever known. She has saved our lives with her cheerfulness more than once. Imagine how many good lives will never be lived because they were deliberately severed in the womb before birth.) I cannot feel any differently about this matter.
Well, I hope more conservative folks will listen to this lovely couple from Texas. This poor family. The poor baby. Reverse the overturn of Roe vs. Wade. Thank God I live in California. Although I myself would not get an abortion unless I was in a situation where my life or the baby’s are in jeopardy, a situation like these people are going through, but I still believe that abortions MUST be legal especially today. You can’t POSSIBLY think that no sex Ed in schools PLUS no abortions is REALLY a good idea…
It wasn’t a medical emergency she wasn’t dying??? Women lose babies at birth all the time no one wants to talk about that. If she didn’t know guess what she would’ve gave birth instead of ripping the baby out in pieces…she should be happy she got to see her baby outside the womb and show love for the last time and bury him properly.
Family planning laws need to ensure that they take into account medical needs for mom and baby. This isn’t a black and white issue. Non viable pregnancies should be an exception to restrictive laws. It’s already heartbreaking enough knowing a baby won’t live to birth or shortly after, to risk the moms life is too much 😢
I hate when they call it a “rare” condition. Because there are thousands of these “rare” conditions and cumulatively they are not that rare. Almost a year ago, on the 21 week ultrasound, my wife and I found out that that the baby had a severe skeletal dysplasia, with small ribs and undeveloped lungs and would suffocate to death after birth. We’ve met many other people with very similar stories from other rare conditions. It can happen to anyone trying to have children.
“I’m personally not for it being a way of birth control but there are some instances WHERE I DEEM THAT IT IS NECESSARY..”. I BET SHE ACTIVELY FOUGHT AGAINST ABORTIONS 🤷♀️ NOW SHE DEEMS IT NECESSARY. I’M SORRY BUT IT’S TOO LATE TO CRY ABOUT IT NOW OR HAVE THE RULES SPECIFICALLY ALTERED JUST FOR YOU. How convenient that it’s only a problem when it’s a problem for you 🤦♀️
In a rare situation like this the baby will be born terminally ill and will likely be on life support until it passes. I don’t see why so many people belive thats any different than a person of any age being on life support or in hospice care until they pass. Its always terrible for a person to suffer and die and its awful for the family members to go through it but we don’t just kill everyone who’s terminal. Thats so sad. Why kill the baby?
The doctors said the baby was nonviable. Doctors have been proven wrong before. I wouldn’t have an abortion. There’s always the chance that nothing will be wrong. Nobody’s perfect. I would love the baby no matter what. Only God should take a life away. Heartbreaking, but no doctor would have the right to tell me to have an abortion. God bless this baby to be perfect enough for these parents.
Daddy is sad and mad. I am too. This is obscene. Eclampsia is so deadly for her. Women are human beings even in the Bible Belt. The politicians don’t believe this is right, they just want some red meat to feed their mad dog base. I watched one of my dearest friends gamble with her life and get eclampsia if we didn’t live right near a hospital she would be dead. Privacy means privacy. Women have always died in childbirth but we live in a modern world why torture women? I’ve never met a person who used abortion as birth control. They use it because of all the circumstances life brings including the economy stupid.
So did she end up having her son or is she still carrying him in her womb? We need the whole story ABC,not just some of it. Besides,this baby could prove dr.’s wrong and live past 1 year and so on. It just means he may not be able to walk or talk and feed himself. It’s not a big deal if he has to sit in a wheelchair and be fed with a feeding tube device. Hundreds of children are born every day with medical issues like cerebral palsy that make them invalids for life and their parents didn’t abort them in vitro just because they didn’t know and thought their lives no matter how long and short were worthless and a waste because they can’t be normal.
Honestly. I don’t wish these things on anyone. I’m staunchly pro choice. I don’t care why you choose an abortion. I hate that it took this for someone to understand why these bans are devastating to more than just the type of women you think need to learn the consequences of sex. But I’m heartbroken for them anyway. I’m a mom I have two boys. I love them so much. Could I imagine ever choosing an abortion? No. Do I see every day how it may be the only right option to alleviate suffering for mom and or baby? Yes. I do. Rather we think it’s wrong or right I believe that’s between the individual and God and it’s above my pay grade. Abortion is healthcare and women deserve access to it.
This is so sad— that this family has no control over their own lives, and lives of their wellbeing and family. The family is suffering and the unborn child is going to suffer. 😢 No one can put themselves mentally in this family shoes… that’s why people are not commenting. More people need to educate themselves. This is a perfect example of why people would put their life in danger to have an illegal abortion. People must stop being afraid to speak up…❤🙏🏾
It’s important to remember that abortion is healthcare and there are many reasons why somebody may need or want to have an abortion. Regardless of the reason pregnancy, even the most uncomplicated ones can cause adverse health effects, and no one should be forced to make a healthcare decision they don’t want to. I also want to address that the vast majority of people receiving abortions are not using it as birth control. The Bronx abortion clinic reported that about fifty percent of the women who receive abortion used some time of birth control. In addition, more than fifty percent of the women receiving abortions had never had one before. While I want to emphasize that not all abortions are because of unplanned pregnancies, this should not limit abortions to only those cases. Some people who have unplanned pregnancies may want to continue with it, but if they do not it is unethical to make someone continue a pregnancy. This will violate many people’s autonomy if they have no choice in what changes occur to their body.
Women are now second class citizens in states where abortiion is not allowed. W/O legal, safe abortion, women will die. We must be allowed to make our own decisions. I come from the era before Roe and had to get a safe if illegal abortion. I was lucky, but my granddaughter who is 19 may not be. If this woman can get to California or Washington, she will be ok. I encourage you to do everything you can to get to a state that is legal.
No matter what the reason for an abortion is, it’s healthcare that should be universally available to everyone who has a uterus. All reasons are VALID! Reproductive Healthcare CHOICES should not be regulated by politicians! You’re morals and values (most likely based on religious upbringing) have no bearing on another person’s healthcare.
I think abortion should be available for those women who get raped but those that have a relationship and want abortion is wrong because in the first place there is protection and like this family just because the doc says something is wrong with the kids whether the kid has mental or physical problems does not mean get rid of the child it’s called being a parent and dealing with the kid
But she is alive to tell about this so it did not threaten her life to have a baby in this condition which normally would produce a stillborn. What is the difference between an abortion and a stillborn? She just wanted control over the extraction? It actually may have been better for her health to see all the hormones through such as progesterone, estrogen, and prolactin to encourage easier recovery from the loss. . . The body needs those hormones to balance and promote healing after a pregnancy. This isn’t burger king where you can order what you want without considering the repercussions, are they saying that they know more than medical professionals or that abortion should be like a product and they can have it whenever they want for a reason they are more worried about than professional medical providers? People need to learn their anxiety does not equal medical knowledge and just because they are consumers of medical care does not make the whole industry of medicine like a store where idiots can dictate their medical care without exhibiting medical need. They definitely should move out of Texas though, there are plenty of states that align with their expectations.
You know, I had sympathy for them until their comment about disagreeing with abortion ‘as a form of birth control’. Gives big ‘my abortion is the only moral abortion’ energy. Pointless gatekeeping and splitting hairs about which types of abortions are justifiable is why America is in the mess that it’s in. They were quite happy to feel smug in the fact that they would never have to deal with an unintended pregnancy but now the draconian anti abortion laws attitudes like theirs have supported have meant that they are now in an awful situation.
Clearly there is a difference between using abortion as birth control (I simply don’t want the baby because I’m not ready/cannot afford it/lack a support system, etc) and aborting a baby that has no chance of survival AND threatens the mother’s life. Any sane pro-life stance should allow for nonviable abortions. When people (myself included) argue for abortion to be banned, this is NOT what we had in mind…how can anyone be so insane to let something like this happen?
This is what happens when a conservative Supreme Court changes laws that are not broken. This woman passed judgment in this interview that she only agreed in this procedure for her circumstances. That is why she is in this predicament because her lawmakers banned all procedures for all circumstances.
I understand the want to terminate in this case . In Texas when something like this happens, you go out of state. I’m a Christian and I vote for republican all the way. Abortion is a fine line however. I think it’s more of a moral issue. I think we should have the choice. I believe we should have the personal choice that we then have to live with for the rest of our lives and in my Christian beliefs, we then will be judged by our maker for that choice. It should still be a choice. It’s freedom and the Lord gave us freedom. Every choice however has a consequence. The problem is the women that use abortion as birth control happens far too often, this is murder.
This is exactly why abortion laws based on weeks are not realistic. Anyone who has been pregnant knows that the 20 week ultra sound is what determines viability of the baby. I am so sorry that this happened to you. And I’m so sorry for your loss. If a pregnacy is not viable you cannot force woman to carry a baby to term. It’s unbelievably cruel.
The majority voted in the politicians that bought these types of non exempt laws to the table. And instead of the public thoroughly examining the bills before siding yes or no blindly, this is what we get. So we all live with the outcomes until further notice. In the states, where it is illegal, let’s not expect any changes too soon.
To say that some women use abortion as “birth control” was utterly shocking and offensive…. and just goes to show the incredible judgements people make about abortion, without actually knowing real womens stories behind it….. because i know many women who have been forced to make that choice, and i can not think of a single ONE where abortion was being used as a form of birth control… i can not think of a single woman who was so irresponsible, and selfish that they did not care about getting pregnant, because abortion was an option….. thats so ridiculous, it would be laughable if it wasnt so offensive and evil to say….and i firmly believe that the energy you put out into the world, comes back to you….. and sadly, i think thats what happened here…. i feel horrible for her, and im shocked and disgusted that she was forced to endure that…. but sadly, i dont think the experience has changed her ignorant thinking on abortion… because apparently she is the judge of when it is acceptable…. yikes…. karma!
So there is a reason to kill a child ? A friend of mine was pregnant with a child that had Trisomy 18… these children typically pass away within hours after birth. My friend was told she HAD to have an abortion, but she went full term and got to hold her child for several hours before God took his life. The parents wouldn’t have had it any other way… it’s impossible to know a parent will feel when a child is in these critical situations, but WE shouldn’t be the ones to terminate Any life from Womb to Tomb. There are also countless times an unborn child is Misdiagnosed and is killed out of fear of a defect, only to find the child was perfectly healthy. Put it Gods hands… PAX
Texas mother banned from saying, “Welp, kid’s gonna die anyway, so we might as well torture and butcher ‘im to death for grins and giggles.” FTFY. There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATSOEVER to torture children to death. If your three-year-old were dying of cancer, would you proceed to dismember and disembowel them? Or would you put them on pain meds and hold their hand until the end like a NORMAL human being who is actually capable of love? Why should it be any different for any child younger than that?
she literally said it shouldn’t be used as a form of birth control because realistically no it shouldn’t. she did however say that in medical instances she supports it. she isn’t “facing the consequences of her own actions” and you can’t assume how this woman voted. if you asked me if i 100% support abortion, i’d say not entirely. BUT i damn sure did not vote for the politicians who took away a woman’s right to choose. Regardless of my opinions on elective abortion, it’s still every woman’s right to make the choice for her body. Stop attacking this woman who’s going through something traumatic that most of y’all have never experienced. It’s sick
This is a horrible situation. Texas is wrong for banning abortion. And it’s also wrong to abort after the 20th week. First trimester abortion is necessary for population control of unwanted babies. These abortions have been banned because the system supports human trafficking, child pornography, etc. The system needs unwanted children to exist so that they can be abused in this way. Abortion should not be an option because a privileged couple’s wanted pregnancy didn’t result in a healthy child. It’s extremely sad but this couple wants this child, probably planned the pregnancy. This child won’t survive beyond his first year and that’s heartbreaking. But this child will never be subjected to child porn or trafficking. Abortion should not be an option because it’s inconvenient for the couple to care for their unhealthy child.
The decisions regarding a woman’s womb need to be done by the woman and her medical caregivers. Only males who support this stance have a part in the discussions. If you do not have a viable womb, butt out. If you are not a certified medical caregiver for the female, butt out unless invited. Keep your praying, prying, protective, and creepy hands off of a woman’s body.
For people who are against abortion, that Is your right you can be against it. That does not mean you can force others to have the same stance. That is their right. You can believe it is imoral and murder, but you have no right to another person’s body. For those that are against it for religious beliefs thats fine, but not everyone has the same religious beliefs. I could be wrong here as I have not been church since I have been old enough to make my own choices that I do not follow those beliefs, but it is gods job to deal with those that sin, not yours. So you csn belief these people are doing wrong and sinning, but its still not your place to do anything about it. Instead trust in your God, and let them handle it.
So the states are already overwhelmed with too many children they can’t care for and that’s all that this is going to do is add to that problem so the people who so badly want this to be legal will be the ones who end up so badly having to figure out what to do about the mess that they made and the children will suffer for it
Wait until all the compassionate OB/GYN’s leave the state so they make medically necessary decisions with their patients and not with politicians who have zero business doing so. This woman and her husband had the means to go to another state, although by that time it was too late. But how many women and girls have to suffer with no hope before bodily autonomy, right to privacy and separation of church and state are given back to them?
If Texas wants to make the decisions for people they should pay the costs of pregnancy and raising the children. Including for mother’s that must stay home to take care of those children, medical, food, rent, childcare. If they are the ones who think they need to make the decision for others. And if the mother’s life is lost they should pay maybe 5million to the survivor?
I looked for a really lovely interview I’ve seen from them and like four other couples who wanted a baby, but had issues and texas refuse them abortions and the mothers we’re going to die and the babies were going to die and they still wouldn’t do anything and I can’t find those interviews anymore they’ve been scrubbed from the Internet. They were well done and the couples got to tell their side of the story. It was well done like very classy and everything but now its scrubbed off the Internet and this is all I can find is pissing me the f off.
Pro life people act like medical issues with pregnancy are something rare when they are in fact so common. Then they are surprised when it happens to them or someone they know. When something is going wrong with your pregnancy the last thing you want to do is fight with the law. Few women actually choose to get an abortion and most of those women who do are either teenagers, or below the poverty level. The fast majority. It’s easy to say not to get an abortion when you may end up homeless if you don’t.
She chose to have a pregnancy. Of course not all pregnancies are the same. If the child is dead, it is a miscarriage. If the child is alive then it’s a forced miscarriage, also known as an abortion. In other countries they have wiped out the disable kids. Since the doctors see the fetus ” not developing properly” and advice to have an abortion or it would look bad. This is only the second case, that has happened and just needs a bit more research. It does not happen that often, therefore making it not necessarily to reverse the anti-abortion laws.
The only comment I’ll make is that I hope her OB counsels on folic acid and its role in prevention of neural tube defects. Not saying she was ever deficient, or that lack of folate was the cause. I’m just saying she needs to be on it, now, during childbearing years, and continue it, religiously, during any future pregnancy. She also, ideally, should let her body recover from this trauma before trying again. This is not only physically taxing, for her, but the emotional trauma affects both of them. My cousin’s baby girl lived for about 2 hours with what used to be called “water head”. Not a nice way to say it, but that’s how many understand what it is. She had no skull, only a fluid capsule with her brain inside. The doctors immediately put her on a strict daily dose of 800mcg of Folic Acid, and she went on to have a strong, healthy little boy, who is now a US Marine!
Criminal. They want to wait for herself to suffer medical problems?? 😢 I cannot. Thanks for bravely telling this personal journey. It really shows the heartbreak quiet desperation. This is shocking medical professionals should sack up. End this tragedy with some medical dignity for them this should be lawsuit precedence they should get something monetary at least in this ordeal. ❤❤❤
I believe a woman should be able to do what she wants to do with her body. I just had to do an abortion and it’s something i have always said i would never do especially since i always thought i couldn’t have children. Circumstances change. I have 3 children my youngest just turned 5 months, me and my family live in a 2 bedroom apartment and only my husband is working now. We possibly can’t keep the baby as much as it tears my husband and i’s heart it’s something we know is the best for our family. And we will try again once we are where we need to be. I feel for any woman now a days who can’t get what they need to get done in order to live healthy happy lives.
Well maybe this lady should have gone to the state next to her and got her abortion because it did not need to be publicized and every need to be talked I’m so sorry but the fact that you decided to be a victim all on your own that really is on you cuz you could have gone to another state Fortune is not completely legal in the United States this is a big fat lie
Isn’t the point of choice is to use your own discretion on if it’s “necessary” to you and the life you want to live? 🫠🫠 OBVIOUSLY there are women who will abuse this system and use it as a form of birth control. But you better believe I would prefer that over a woman who is either too lazy, not financially capable or not educated enough to use birth control, to one day have the child due to an abortion ban who will abuse the child she did not want in the first place. We have so many children who are born into families that do not want them, who are being tortured and killed as is. Why make that a potentially bigger number because abortion doesn’t feel “necessary” in your own life. Narcissism at its finest. Not everyone has the life you do. Why choice is important!
It is so hard to see these people struggle with the loss of their baby, and now on top of that, this woman must wait to become sick before she can get help. The abortion laws are getting out of hand. The government is sentencing women to the brink of death before allowing medical professionals to intervene and putting healthcare providers between a rock and a hard place. However, what is the government doing to provide women of childbearing age with the resources to prevent getting pregnant in the first place? The answer is nothing. Obtaining birth control can cost hundreds of dollars a year, something some people can’t afford. Sexual education classes are being criticized and removed from schools, not allowing the public to gain information and make informed decisions. Now in South Carolina, a bill is being considered that a woman can be eligible for the death penalty if she receives an abortion. I struggle to see how this is beneficial for anybody. These laws infringe on patient autonomy, making it difficult for medical providers to care for these women because they will also be punished. This is one time that laws and medicine should not be mixed because it has poor patient outcomes. Who is responsible for the patients? Medical providers are not the government. More dangerous things are happening in the country like gun control and school shootings that are on the rise that needs to be addressed first, not a woman’s health that should be between her and her doctor only.