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Abortion guidelines....

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, I know its not a nice subject to talk about when were all looking forward to getting our little bundles image So I don't mean to cause offence.

I was just wondering what are peoples opinions on the legislation parliament are trying vote in on reducing the abortion limit? Personally I'm abit confused :? Over the media coverage I've heard the last couple of days I've not heard anything about termination on medical grounds and if the limit is still 24 weeks for this reason? Does this mean more scans will be needed? A scan at 20 weeks and a cut off limit of 22 weeks doesn't leave much time to make a decision for medical reasons or does it?

I heard the Jeremy Vine piece yesterday and it left me furious, lots of people ringing in to slag women off for aborting so late and I've found the whole subject very one sided. I'm 15+6 myself now and hurtling towards the 20 week mark so it's a subject thats struck a chord, and then last week when we saw my consultant he talked about the scan and things they pick up and he also mentioned termination if necessary at this late stage.....

Trying not to think about it or contemplate bad news at my scan, but I spose you do especially when the subject is hot stuff in the press at the moment.... :?

Replies

  • oh I find the whole situation very difficult.....on one hand I think that 24 weeks is too late, but my cousin just discovered she was pregnant at 35 weeks and had she found out any earlier I'm sure she would have had a termination...she's said so herself, so I think in ceratin circumstances...like potentially life threatening illnesses then the law as its stands is right...but I worry that woman will have serious issues with aborting a baby they believe they don't want at say 23 weeks........I felt soooooooooo very pregnant at that stage...it really is a worry and a situation that really only depends on each case so think maybe there should be an odd loophole here or there.......???????????? don't know this is a hard subject ????????????
  • I have found this whole thing very confusing too as i thought 24 weeks was cut off for all terminations and if they reduced the limits we would not get an option about terminating on medical grounds.

    Thanks for letting us know that Joanne&brood.
  • Hi ladies although I am pro choice I do think 24 weeks is a tad to late for me, I know a nurse who deals with abortion and some of those babies are born alive and I think personnelly unless there are medical grounds it should be 20 weeks after that it should only happen if something is found to be wrong. Just my opinion though and I am sure many would disagree.
  • I have to say i agree with you jmp. I am pro choice and I think that 20 weeks would be suitable as there is no chance of the baby surviving. It would be better if everyone who chose to have an abortion did it as soon as they could but sometimes thats just not possible especially given waiting lists. I do think that if the abortion limit was reduced significantly (they did vote on it moving to 12 weeks) people would endanger themselves by going abroad or to illegal clinics.
  • I think they should have dropped it to 20 weeks. At 24 weeks it's no longer a foetus it's classified a baby.
  • Hi...this may upset some people..so be warned!
    Every situation is individual..my sis had a problem with her baby that may or maynot have corrected itself with time..if the cut off point was earlier than 24 weeks her choice to wait and see would have been influenced by the earlier time limit! As it was more problems could be seen when the baby was bigger & it was obvious that survival was not possible.. she had a termination at 22 weeks..if she hadnt, the baby would have died struggling for breath minutes after birth..would that have been any better for mother, baby or her other small child?!
    She waited to give her the best chance possible..she also had longer with her little angel being inside, getting to know her..she cherished the time she was pregnant & waited untill she knew independant survival was not possible before making her heartbreaking decision.
    She would not have chosen a termination in any other situation relevant to her life..ie money, timing,age etc
    Every situation is different.xx
  • Its a very touchy subject this one with everyone having their own opinions. I personally dnt think i cud have an abortion at any stage (especially after been pregnant twice), however i completely understand why people do.

    I think its completely up to the mother whether they want to have an abortion or not and i hate seeing all these anti-abortion people on the news talking about the rights of the feotus wen i just wonder if they wud feel the same if they were put in a position where an abortion might be needed.

    As long as abortion isnt used as a form of contraception then i dnt see why its a problem if it is wats best for the mother and i think all these politicians and activists should stop making comments and judgements on issues that have probably never affected them. Kerry xxx
    http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev183pf___.png

  • I think the goverment need to do more so less people get pregnant in the first place. i read a piece in the paper on monday that thousands of women in the uk have had at least 4 abortions each with at least 50 of them having more than 8 and a lot of them were under 18 if more was done to educate them on protection it would help bring the numbers down. I personaly think 20 wks is too late as the baby is growing and moving inside you EXCEPT for medical reasons. It is a subject that will always be an issue and with medicine advancing as it does babies are being born earlier and surving.
  • Babies have been born at 20 weeks and survived, so I personally believe that anything beond this is wrong. I think everyone should have a choice when it comes to their body and any chioces made should be respected. When it comes to a person who terminate a healthy baby it should be lower than 24 weeks, In my opinion beyond this your talking about an actual baby rather than a fetus. If you gave birth at 20 weeks and your baby survived and someone killed it after it would be murder. why is it anydifferent inside the womb at that stage?

    For medical issues is a different matter and if there is a proble that would comprimise the baby's quality of life of the health of the mother, then decissions will need to be made at whatever stage of pregnancy you're at, and if it means a terminatition at 30 weeks then that may be what needs to be done for the best.

    Sorry it's just my opinion and I dont mean to offend anyone.
  • What worries me is that you hear about people terminating after the 20 weeks scan if the babies sex isn't waht they were hoping for and things like that, which I really don't agree with tbh
  • Its a really difficult subject. I personally think abortions are done far too easily in this country, as some of you might know I fell pregnant with my daughter at 15 and was offered an abortion so many times but I was determined to continue with the pregnancy. But thats just me, there are thousands of situations where abortions are done for completley viable reasons like illness or if the pregnancy has occured as a result of a rape. I do think that 24 weeks is too late but then again the scan to detect abnormalities is only done at 20 weeks and I think that if the child is going to have absolutely no quality of life or die in agony minutes after birth then an abortion is the right thing to do. Its a tricky one, there are lots of times when abortions are performed and the baby could have been given up for adoption and lead a long happy life with a loving family who might not have had children otherwise.
    xxx
  • Hi all,

    I think that so long as there is a good enough medical reason then you should be allowed to abort after 20weeks. But if it's just because of selfish reasons then you shouldn't! I think it's only fair!

    I know that at the stage I am now (24weeks) if I found out my son had a problem and it wasn't going to get better or need extra care then I would have to have an abortion and I know it wouldn't be easy but it's best for the baby! I can easily look after an able child but someone who needed that extra care I coudln't do and work full time too.

    I don't think people should be judged because it makes things worse but I think people should be made aware of what they are doing before they do it.

    Falling pregnant is a massive thing and so many people a year have abortions after one night stands- maybe a little more education would help?!?!?

    Medical reasons are fine by me- people who can't control themsleves them shame on them!

    I had an abortion when I was 7weeks pregnant because I was in a violent relationship and I heard girls in there saying how they had already had 3 abortions and laughing and I was there feeling so crap!

    So after all that the rate should be lowered on all circumstances other than medical!

    Yeah??!!
  • Im very pro choice and originally was booked in for a termination at 8 weeks in January. this year. I changed my mind on the day when i arrived at the hospital and am now 26+2 with a little girl. Its difficult but i am glad i changed my mind now.

    I have a friend who had an abortion at 23 weeks 5 days after finding our she was pregnant at 19 weeks. Whilst its her choice i personally couldnt have done it that late knowing that if the baby had been born there would have been a good chance of survival.

    I think that the cut off for abortion without any medical reasons should be around 14 weeks.
  • Im pro abortion, as i found out when i was younger its not always the right time or the right situation. But i defnietly think that 24 weeks should be for medical conditions only and 10 weeks should be the cut off point for everyone else.
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