General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Should there be any restrictions at all on abortion? [View all]moriah
(8,312 posts)And woah about the doc.
My mother, who would have been 70 yesterday, didn't plan either of us, but tried to explain her feelings -- that while she was pro-choice, in that moment she knew what her choice was with each of us. i totally respect that (and wouldn't be here without her making that choice).
I saw a friend struggle w/ preeclampsia in two of her three pregnancies, and there's only so much Labetalol they can give someone. In the last she was trying so hard to hit 36 weeks with a gigantic (9 lbs 2 oz at birth, was measuring on ultrasound as a 10 lb baby) singleton, and really IMHO would have had less complications had she been induced 2 weeks before. They did it at 35 weeks 6 days. It was her choice, made out of love and a desire to do anything for her child, but her pressure stayed high for a VERY long time after birth and she really wasn't able to nurse as she wished because she was just so ill.
Even a week before, instead of two, would have probably helped her be a healthier mother to her baby, and he didn't need any NICU at all -- he was HUGE.
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What I fear, and what I believe the R lawmakers who are trying to codify things into law are going to accidentally do, is DEMAND that mothers wait until they're circling the drain and remain ill longer or die just to prolong a viable pregnancy, when live delivery is an option that a doctor should be able to advise at their discretion when both patiients will make it with few complications. If a mom wishes to suffer more to reduce her child's potential suffering, that should be her choice and respected, too.
I just don't think it should be forced or codified into a law that cripples a physician's ability to act on a gut instinct that they need to deliver this pregnancy alive now but can't back it up with more than raised blood pressure and slightly unhappy bloodwork.