Ok, my story on pro-choice

[johnnie]

I had no part in this story except for the fact that it involved my mother, father and brothers. To me this is one of the main reasons I am pro-choice. Obviously it isn't the only reason, but this happened to my family and it is something that I think about all the time.

When I was 16 my parents called us children (one older and two younger than I) into the kitchen to tell us that my mother was pregnant and to be expecting the arrival of a baby in the house in the future. At first it was a little strange because we four were all teens and my mother was already 40 and seemed way too old to have a child. In short time we all started getting excited about it and when they informed my mother that it was twins, we became twice as excited.

Barely into her fifth month of pregnancy my mother's water broke and my father rushed her to the hospital. Back then the fifth month was much more of a risk than today to try to induce and hope for the survival of the twins. It was also very risky to my mother the longer the twins remained in her.

The doctors were very concerned for my mother's health and told her that she could become infectious and her life was at risk if she decided to try to prolong the birth of her children. My mother along with my father made the decision to try to have the babies. My mother was in the hospital for a week or so when the first of the twins was born while my mother was using the bathroom at the hospital, he lived about 20 minutes. The second baby was born after 15 hours of inducing and he lived for a little over two hours.

That was 26 years ago and I think about Matthew and Mark now and again and wonder what it would be like to have two more younger brothers to mess with. I really wish they could have made it. But I am grateful to the fact that I still have my mother with us and that she was given the choice to decide what to do with her life.

It's hard to believe that 26 years later there are places in the U.S. that doctors would have to tell my mother: "You have no choice in the matter". "I hope you make it, but if not I'm sure your husband can finish raising your four other children".

I just wanted to share this because when I hear the anti-choice people out there, I wonder what they would *really* do in certain situations. I remember when my parents had to make that choice, but at least they were allowed to make it.

[sui generis]

1. they would be boiling water and polishing hangers

while eagerly waiting for news of the next state execution. They ARE hypocrits, always.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Since her life was at risk, she would have fallen under the exception

even of todays draconian anti-choice laws

[Coexist]

5. No - her life was not at risk - her health was

by 'life at risk' I believe only severe hemorraging is allowed, along with this:


http://home.flash.net/~bob001/abortion.htm
Abortion is morally wrong except in very rare cases where it is required to save the life of the mother. These cases might include a tubal pregnancy where the zygote remains in the fallopian tube (where the mother will die if an abortion is not performed) and the removal of a cancerous uterus.

[johnnie]

6. Not necessarily

The new law in SD basically states that all other methods to save the woman's life must be exhausted first.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. ok , my bad

[Ilsa]

9. Right; they'd have to wait and see if she developed

sepsis first, treat the infection, and then the abortion would be performed if her vital sign deteriorated enough to place her at imminent risk of death.

[Caoimhe]

3. Thanks for sharing

and how wonderful that your mother turned out okay and was able to continue being your mother. It could have easily been very different.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Anti-abortionists do not recognize living mothers or their already

born children as people. Therefore, the loss of a mother's life and the pain of such a death for her surviving children and husband, cannot be taken into consideration. Only the pre-born are of value.

I'm sorry that your family had to experience the loss of two little boys who were wanted and would have been apart of a loving family.

[lastliberalintexas]

12. I know this wasn't what you meant

but your post is also how the anti-choicers view females- as *mothers* rather than *women*. I took your post in context and didn't take any offense, but I've heard enough right wingers (esp men) talk about women in those very terms, regardless of the context of the conversation. It just makes my blood boil.

[Ilsa]

8. Even now, when the amniotic membrane breaks, delivery

needs to be within 24 hours or so, or the diad runs the risk of sepsis. Yeah, mothers can die from sepsis.

Five months would be about 20-22 weeks. Not enough gestational time even for a singleton birth, much less twins.

I feel for what your family went through then, especially your mom. And I'm glad she was able to make her choice. Alot of people assume all mothers would go that route, so they might as well legislate it. But that simply isn't true. If I had been in her health situation with my current family situation, I would have had to have the abortion. I wouldn't be able to run the risk of dying with no one left to help take care of my kids, especially my disabled son. And while many people believe that hte wrost thing is to lose a child, my husband actually believes that the wrost thing is for a child to lose a parent, especially a mother.

[niyad]

10. thank you so much for sharing that with us. I am glad that your mother

survived, and in good health, I trust?

[johnnie]

11. Thanks

Yeah, my mom is doing pretty well. We just celebrated her 66th b-day last month and took her out for steak and beer..lol.