Minnesota Introduces Stricter Abortion Bill: None Past 20 Weeks
Today, Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature introduced a new bill, which would ban abortion after 20 weeks’ gestation. It is the strictest abortion bill to be introduced. If it passes, women would be unable to obtain an abortion past 20 weeks’ gestation unless the mother’s life was in immediate danger.
This bill is very similar to the bill passed in Nebraska last October. A heartbreaking story resulted from that bill: Nebraska Couple Watches Their Baby Die Due to New Law. However, there is a lot more to this debate.
These new abortion bills are based on new research that suggest that fetuses can feel pain by 20 weeks’ gestation. Although, older research suggests that fetuses don’t feel pain until 24 – 28 weeks’ gestation. Doctors are currently unsure exactly when fetuses can feel pain but their decision on when to abort is based on what they believe to be true.
Babies are not considered “viable” (able to live outside the uterus) until 24 weeks’ gestation, and even then only with a significant amount of medical help. The “youngest” baby ever to survive was born at 21 weeks, 6 days gestation (see her picture and story here). She weighed under 10 oz. and was only 9.5″ long. Her mother lied about her gestational age, saying she was 23 weeks, 6 days, so that doctors would not let her baby die. The little girl, named Amilia, is now 18 months old and perfectly healthy. This, too, has fueled the debate — if a baby so young can survive, is it okay to abort babies of the same age?
Other women say that the lawmakers have no business telling them what to do with their babies and their bodies, and many are thinking of the terrible circumstances faced by Danielle Deaver.
This debate isn’t over, and the answer isn’t easy. What do you think about the new abortion laws?
Top image by Cesar Rincon
That story was the most amazing thing I’ve ever read. I’m bawling my eyes out. So amazing, so touching.
As for the abortion laws, I really don’t know. I struggle with the concept of later term abortions. But, I also don’t feel that a woman would be a good mother if she doesn’t even want her child.
Late term abortions account for around 1% of all abortions in the US. The overwhelming majority of late term abortions are due to catastrophic fetal defect or imminent threat to the life of the woman. Most of the pregnancies were wanted, some desperately. To ignore the reality of the situation sets women and families up for more heartbreaking scenarios like the one in Nebraska.
Exactly ditto Lynnsey. I don’t think anyone is using a late-term abortion casually or as birth control – or if there was one person out of a thousand, that’s not enough to force women who want to make that choice due to heartbreaking fetal issues (maybe even where their child is feeling pain!) to continue a pregnancy that will not result in a live baby.
Speaking as a father who has had to hold his dead baby, I am baffled by the couple who felt so brutalized by this law – being forced to take that 10% chance of life that their baby might live. To me, as one who has endured the pain of loss and the sensations of helplessness – I cant see how the though of my baby having its head pulled partially out, its skull torn open and its brains sucked out would have given me comfort. Sure I would not have had to watch but its suffering would have been directly my choice rather than natures. Suffering and death at my hands. My heart breaks for any parent who has lost. My heart is still broken over my own loss, but had I known the outcome for my baby I would still have glad fully gone the path we did.
If anyone has ever seen “I didn’t know I was pregnant” and come away still believing “no one” would ever electively choose a late-term abortion, I wonder how your logic skills have gotten you so far in life. You’re saying there are literally NO women who might not find out they’re pregnant till 20+ weeks and not want to continue the pregnancy, and damn the consequences of killing their perfectly healthy, viable babies?
If I knew my baby was likely to die, I would treasure the moments with her I had left, rather than wish I could have ended her life sooner, artificially and in the one place in the world she should feel warm, close and safe.
I Cant believe there was nothing the Dr.s could do.My deepest sorrow to the family. That is the worse loss a parent can have. I feel even with the new law they should have been able to abort, i feel mom was in danger, that law really sucks it needs to be changed again.
I agree with these laws 100 percent. I too had my water break too early in a pregnancy. I was given the option to abort or to set a date to be “induced”. I chose to set a date. It was the hardest decision to make ,but my first child was born at exaxctly 24 weeks so I knew the nightmare that being earlier would be. Anyways, I actually went into labor a couple days after my water had broke. We got to hold our son and take pictures. There was NO way I was aborting knowing HOW it is done and not having the chance to at least see our baby. I dont know why ANYONE would choose that.
In the end it was her choice and really I would never wish this on anyone. Them wanting to abort does not make them bad people. Theres are a lot more worse things in this world today. I give them and anyone else to go through this my deepest sympathy. I will never let ones choice/decision be a reason to judge anyone.