"Nothing We Could Do"

Imagine your beautiful wife is pregnant. You have been having a great time preparing for the new baby. You've painted the nursery and set up a nice crib and changing table. The ultrasound has revealed that the baby will be a boy, and the two of you are seriously debating what name to give him. Life is wonderful.

Then one night, you hear your wife moaning and gasping in the bathroom. You walk in to see her lying on the floor, blood soaking the bathroom rug and her nightgown. Fortunately, your phone is in your pocket, so you can stay with her while you call 911. The ambulance arrives quickly, and the EMTs tell you what you already suspected: it looks like your wife is having a miscarriage.

At the hospital, the doctors confirm the bad news. In the morning, they release her with some medication and instructions for home care. It seems she can't stop crying over this loss, and you are feeling the grief.

Two days later, she does not feel better physically. In fact, she is in more pain, and she's still bleeding. The doctor said there might be light bleeding, but this seems like too much. You take her back to the hospital. The doctor says that some tissue was left behind by the miscarriage. There is now a risk of infection. Unfortunately, there is nothing they can do at this time.

You feel stunned. Nothing they can do? The nurse explains that the traditional treatment would be a minor surgical procedure, known as a D&C, to remove the tissue from the uterus. However, because of your state's anti-abortion laws, they cannot perform this procedure.

"Abortion?" you ask. "But my wife isn't pregnant. She had a miscarriage two days ago, so there's no possible abortion!" The nurse looks grim as she explains that because of the law, hospital policy prohibits any D&C unless a woman's life is in danger. If the doctor violated this policy, he could risk life in prison.

"But isn't her life in danger?" you demand. "If an infection develops, it could kill her!"

The nurse just shakes her head sadly as she hands you your wife's discharge papers. "Just go home and have her rest. She can take these antibiotics. Maybe her body will expel the tissue naturally. If she develops a high fever or bleeds enough to fill a few maxi pads, bring her back."

Feeling like you're in a nightmare, you take your wife home again. The painkillers and antibiotics don't seem to be helping. She continues to bleed, and by now she's a bit feverish. You find yourself pacing back and forth, checking on her every two minutes. When her fever reaches 102, you can't stand it any more, and, once again, you drive her to the hospital.

The doctor confirms that she now has a septic infection. Her life is in immediate danger, so at last they can treat her. She is whisked off to the operating room. You wait, pacing the hallway, for hours.

Finally, the doctor reappears, looking sad. "I'm so sorry," he says. "We did everything we could, but we couldn't save her."

You feel a surge of hot anger, and you start yelling. "You didn't do everything you could! You could have helped her two days ago, or even yesterday. But you just waited until she was dying!" You choke on your own rage and pain, hot tears and snot running down your face.

"I'm sorry," the doctor repeats. You realize that he is truly sorry, but that is not going to bring back the woman you love.

Later, as you stand next to the gurney that holds your wife's body, looking down at her sweet face, the nurse hands you a clipboard with some papers to sign. "Is there anyone we can call for you?" she asks. You realize that your parents, and your wife's parents, have no idea what has happened. Having the hospital call them so that you don't have to is the kindest thing that has happened to you here.

Somehow, you get home. The house seems too big and too quiet. Upstairs, you rip the blood-soaked sheets off the bed, throw them into the nursery, and close the door.

 

 

The Doctor Won't See You Now

When I had cancer, my doctors were glad that it had been discovered at a very early stage. We scheduled surgery right away, and they were able to remove the entire tumor, with no trace left behind. I made a full recovery, and I'm healthy now.

It is important to note that the doctors were aware that the tumor could grow, and that, left untreated, the cancer would eventually progress from stage one to stage four, and if that happened, I would be in serious trouble. They didn't wait to see if things got worse, but instead took action quickly to make sure that I would be as safe as possible.

Again, when my mother was diagnosed with glaucoma, the disease was in an early stage. If glaucoma is left untreated, it will put increasing pressure on the eye, causing pain and impaired vision, eventually damaging the optic nerve, resulting in blindness. But when caught early, the condition can be managed with medication, laser treatments, and surgery. No reputable doctor would withhold treatment, waiting until you can't see anything and your eye is about to explode, before intervening.

In the modern world, we expect our medical providers to recognize symptoms, understand the prognosis, and provide treatment that will reduce pain, prevent long-term damage, and avoid death.

However, in some parts of America, once considered a medically advanced nation, there are laws that require doctors to refuse care to some patients, even when the doctors know that these patients are likely to suffer and can predict that the patients will experience life-threatening complications that, if they manage to survive, may leave them with permanent damage. These are patients whose suffering, damage, and death are completely preventable. Yet the doctor must wait until the moment the patient is about to die before providing treatment.

I'm talking about women who experience miscarriages. In some states, bizarre anti-abortion laws prevent doctors from providing what was once standard care for miscarriage. Instead, women are left bleeding in hospital parking lots or told to go home and wait until things get worse. Some of these women are left so damaged that they cannot have more children; others die.

Read about Amber Thurman: This young mother's death was preventable.

Read about Jaci Stratton: She was told to bleed out.

Sadly, these are not isolated cases. It doesn't take much effort to find women who were neglected in the most horrible way. Many women have had to travel to other states to get the life-saving care they needed. Women who are too sick to travel are trapped.

There is no excuse for this. We live in a country with well-trained doctors and nurses, with well-equipped hospitals. Any condition other than pregnancy is treated with the patient's best interests in mind. What is deliberately being done to women in certain Republican-dominated states is beyond inexcusable. It is evil.

We must stop fanatical, undereducated politicians from intruding in the life-and-death decisions that should be made by medical professionals. As individuals, we can contact elected representatives and express our opinions. Most importantly, we can vote against the politicians who are willing to kill us.

 

Don't Cross That Line

Imagine you are pregnant and you live in a state that has completely outlawed all abortions. That's okay, because you don't want an abortion. They've also made it illegal to travel out of state for the purpose of getting an abortion somewhere else. That's still okay, because you definitely don't want an abortion.

You're driving to visit your sister in the next state, and she's going to give you some baby furniture and clothes that she has from her five kids. As you near the state line, you see a flashing light in your rear view mirror. You pull over. The state trooper checks your license and registration and asks where you're going. You tell him, and he says, "Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to turn around."

"But why?" you ask.

He looks annoyed, but explains, "There's a women's clinic just over the state line on this road. It's illegal for you to go there."

You smile. "I'm not going to a clinic. I'm heading to my sister's house, 50 miles beyond the state line."

The trooper shakes his head. "Ma'am, I'm sure you understand why I can't just take your word for that. We get a lot of lawbreakers on this stretch of highway."

"But look at me!" you protest. "I'm eight months pregnant. This baby was planned. We've already named her."

The trooper is starting to lose patience. "Ma'am, I'm pretty sure you know as well as I do they could abort that baby right up until birth. You need to turn the car around and go home."

You realize that it's pointless to argue, so you make a U-turn while the trooper watches, and go back the way you came.

Later, you call your sister and tell her what happened. You suggest that maybe she could bring the baby things to you, but she declines because she's afraid that if she sets foot in your state, she'll never get out.

 

What is Contraception?

“Conception,” as it relates to pregnancy, is not a medical term. It has become customary to use this term to refer to fertilization, the coming together of egg and sperm. Some people use “conception” to mean the beginning of a pregnancy.

Fertilization by itself does not constitute pregnancy. For a pregnancy to exist, the fertilized egg must implant itself in the lining of the uterus. It is not unusual for fertilized eggs to pass out of a woman’s body without implanting.

Contraception is any method that is used to prevent pregnancy. Contraception is sometimes referred to as “birth control”. Some well-known contraceptives are condoms and birth control pills.

Barrier methods of contraception prevent the sperm from reaching the egg, so fertilization cannot occur. These include condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, sponges, and spermicides.

Hormonal methods of contraception use medication to prevent ovulation. That means that they stop eggs from being released. These include pills, injections, patches, and implants.

An intrauterine device (typically called an IUD) is a device that is placed inside the uterus. IUDs use hormones or copper to prevent sperm from fertilizing eggs.

Emergency contraception, sometimes called “the morning after pill”, can be used after unprotected sex has occurred. This is a hormonal method that delays or prevents ovulation: no egg is released. Some people confuse emergency contraception with abortion, but they are not the same. An “abortion pill” is used to end a pregnancy, whereas emergency contraception prevents pregnancy. They are NOT the same medication.

Behavioral methods of birth control include “withdrawal,” whereby the man withdraws his penis from the vagina before ejaculation; and “fertility awareness,” also known as the “rhythm method,” whereby a couple attempts to avoid intercourse during the days the woman is most likely to be fertile.

Sterilization is a permanent form of contraception, that removes a person’s ability to produce a pregnancy. Methods of sterilization include vasectomy for men and tubal ligation (sometimes called “tying the tubes”) for women. In some cases, these methods can be surgically reversed. A woman who has undergone hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) cannot get pregnant. This is not reversible.

Note that there are some additional methods of contraception not mentioned here. See the links at the end for more detailed information.

Abortion is not a method of contraception. Abortion ends an existing pregnancy, whereas contraception prevents pregnancy.

Some people believe that it is wrong for women to engage in sexual intercourse for pleasure or love, but that they should have sex only for the purpose of getting pregnant. These people oppose the use of contraception, and advise women to remain celibate if they don’t want pregnancy. Thousands of years of human history demonstrate that this is an unrealistic idea.

Article from Medical News Today explaining conception: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/conception

Article from Cleveland Clinic explaining birth control: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11427-birth-control-options

Article from WebMD on the history of contraception: https://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/ss/slideshow-birth-control-history

Article from History on reproductive rights in the U.S.: https://www.history.com/news/reproductive-rights-timeline

 

Abortion, Miscarriage, Birth: Don't Be Confused

"Abortion" is a word used to indicate the expulsion or removal of the contents of the uterus in early pregnancy. Historically, "spontaneous abortion" was the term used when this happened naturally or due to a medical condition, and "induced abortion" referred to performing an abortion intentionally. At some time during the 20th century, it became customary to call a spontaneous abortion a miscarriage, and to refer to an induced abortion simply as an abortion. No matter what terminology is used, this is a situation in which a pregnancy ends without a birth.

Birth is the process by which an infant is expelled from the uterus. This may occur when a pregnant woman undergoes "labor", a series of contractions that enable her to push the infant out. It may also occur surgically, in a process called "Caesarian section", typically shortened to "C-section", during which the surgeon cuts open the uterus and extracts the infant. In some cases, doctors may determine that it is necessary to induce labor medically rather than wait for it to occur naturally. Once a birth occurs, the pregnancy is over.

In recent times, some people have invented the term "post birth abortion" to refer to something that is physically impossible. Abortion ends a pregnancy, as does birth. Once a pregnancy has ended, there cannot be an abortion, just as there cannot be an additional birth.

A typical pregnancy is expected to last about 280 days (40 weeks). An infant born at 39-40 weeks is "full term". An infant born earlier than 37 weeks is considered "premature" or "preterm". Babies born very prematurely are likely to have health problems. The earlier the birth, the greater the risk of severe problems or death. At 28 weeks, a birth is extremely preterm. Successful birth before 28 weeks is not viable; this will be considered a miscarriage.

We now know that more than 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, most so early that the woman may not even realize she was pregnant. In some cases of miscarriage, the contents of the uterus are not fully expelled. To avoid infection or other health risks, medical treatment is needed to remove all the tissue. This may involved a procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C) or dilation and extraction (D&E). Sometimes medication is used. Occasionally, some people get confused and think that the treatment following a miscarriage is the same as an abortion. It is not. A miscarriage ends the pregnancy; at that point an abortion is impossible.

Click this link to see the March of Dimes explanation of miscarriage.

Click this link to see the Britannica explanation of birth.

Click this link to see an NIH discussion of termnology.

 

Is Miscarriage a Crime?

We know that many pregnancies end naturally in spontaneous abortion, aka miscarriage, before the pregnancy is known or even suspected. A typical scenario: Your period is a week or two late (if you are normally irregular, you probably won't notice). Then when it finally comes, it may seem a little heavier than usual. The blood that is discharged will be disposed of on a tampon or pad. Even if you suspect this was a miscarriage (most women don't), you will likely not consider having a funeral for your tampon.

In another common scenario, you realize you are pregnant, and may have already received prenatal care. Then one day, you experience cramps, bleeding, and an urge to push (similar in feeling to a difficult bowel movement). Most women go into the bathroom at this point, where they are likely to bleed onto the floor, in the bathtub, or into the toilet. A few will save the bloody mess to be analyzed by a medical lab, but most will just clean it up, washing everything down the drain or flushing it down the toilet. In some cases, it may be necessary to have a "D&C" procedure to remove tissue that was not expelled. The flushed or removed material is not perceived as a "body" or a "corpse".

Many Republicans now want to arrest women for doing the normal thing during and after a miscarriage. Simply seeking medical help during a miscarriage is often viewed with suspicion, or treated as a potential crime. Medical providers report being afraid to treat women undergoing miscarriage, because state laws will lead to accusations of performing an illegal abortion.

• This woman is being prosecuted because she flushed blood and tissue: https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2023/12/08/miscarriage/

• In Alabama, women risk bleeding to death because doctors will not help them when they miscarry: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/05/roe-dobbs-abortion-ban-reproductive-medicine-alabama.html

• This woman spent 19 days having a miscarriage because doctors refused to help her: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/idaho-woman-shares-19-day-miscarriage-tiktok-states/story?id=96363578

• A woman with a cancerous condition was told to go sit in the parking lot and wait for a heart attack: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/04/25/1171851775/oklahoma-woman-abortion-ban-study-shows-confusion-at-hospitals

 

Their Feelings Will Become Law

Abortion is such an emotional, polarizing issue that it's not surprising Republicans decided to use it as a wedge to open the door for them to just take over the country. They have a segment of the population that is so blinded by outrage over the issue, they will support anything that is done. Any violation of human rights is seen as justified in pursuit of what they believe is a righteous crusade.

The same people who screeched that asking about vaccinations violated medical privacy rights have no problem with scrutinizing the medical records of pregnant women, just in case they might contemplate an abortion. People who describe themselves as "pro life" really don't care if a woman's life is endangered - or ended - by an ectopic pregnancy or by complications of a miscarriage, as long as the doctors and nurses who refuse to help her are thoroughly intimidated by the threat of being accused of performing an abortion.

People who want the freedom to go anywhere in public with a rifle on their shoulder or a pistol in their pocket, don't object to laws that restrict the freedom of women to drive across town, just to make sure those women can't get abortions. Overwhelmed by powerful feelings, they see any kind of violation, restriction, or harm to women as completely justified by the massive importance of this one, all-consuming issue.

It never occurs to them that this sets a precedent. They don't foresee a time (coming sooner than we think) when other important issues will be the justification for violations and restrictions against everyone, including them. If we become indifferent to the oppression of women, how hard will it be to become indifferent to all oppression? If they can seize her medical records, why can't they seize yours? If they can prevent her from leaving town, just in case she might do something forbidden, why can't they prevent you from leaving town, just in case you might do some forbidden thing?

If they can refuse to abide by an election because of their opposition to abortion, why can't they refuse to abide by an election because of their opposition to gambling, or guns, or books?

These things matter! They are upsetting! Our strong feelings exempt us from obeying the law!

 

Choices

You may never want or need an abortion. Maybe you won't find yourself facing death from an ectopic pregnancy. Maybe you won't suffer a miscarriage and need lifesaving treatment. Maybe you won't be impregnated by a rapist. Maybe the hundreds of other things that can go wrong won't go wrong in your life. Lucky you. But what we are being told isn't just about babies and pregnancy. We are being told that the government has the right to monitor the most personal aspects of your life. That the government has the right to overrule your doctor regarding health care and emergency procedures. What if the government decides you shouldn't get cancer treatments or that setting your broken leg is contrary to God's will? Do you want the government to tell your doctors they can't treat your diabetes or your high blood pressure? Don't dismiss these ideas as farfetched. There are already politicians planning to tell you you can't have birth control pills or condoms (even if you're married). And there are already politicians planning to limit the medical decisions parents can make for their children. It's easy to think this only affects other people. But you will wake up one morning and find out it affects you. ^@realrkwest