To think there are a lot of misconceptions about terminating a pregnancy

[fiveacres]

Obviously, about abortion, which is a contentious issue for some.

I am approaching the third due date of the pregnancy I terminated in the autumn of 2011 at 9 weeks.

I was a very pious sort once, who believed that abortions were morally wrong. i admit that freely. I still do feel that the best option is not to be in that position in the first place.

However, although I do sometimes think about it, I don't regret it. I've been pregnant twice since so it hasn't affected my fertility.

I paid privately. I did not have any counselling - I was undecided when I went for the initial appointment but I have to say it was very much 'assumed' that I wanted to terminate. The record of the abortion is not in my medical file.

You don't have to give a reason, although they did press me to have the implant, which I refused. They did do a scan, which was a bit upsetting.

It did not hurt. I was warned I would bleed a lot but I didn't. My periods came back in 6 weeks.

You are in a room with a LOT of other women after the procedure, which is upsetting.

Other than that, I felt good after having it done, relieved, happy, mainly relieved.

I do have the odd flash of guilt. I wouldn't do it again.

But, I was reading another thread and it crossed my mind a lot of people do not really seem to know what having a termination is like. My experience may be typical or it may not be, I don't know, but it would be interesting to see what the experiences of others are to try to dispel or to address some of the myths that surround this difficult but sometimes necessary issue.

No, just 'gives a fuck' about the other life that's involved as well. I'm not sure why you're treating this as some sort of revelation.

I know, but they brought the 'partial birth abortion ban' act in so many people know it as that.

"It's a procedure only used in very extreme medical needs cases where they are trying to cause least injury and suffering to the woman."

False, hence the need for the law. I asked if you wanted to see a picture of an abortion because you started posting graphic pictures. Apparently ok for you to do that...

Not all the women would resort to it but some would, out of desperation or necessity, and some of them will die. They'll die horribly, in pain

trust me, yes, the pain is very very intense.

I had a uterine infection leading to systemic sepsis. Did not realise at the time; looked it up later. It came very, very close to being a septic miscarriage; the gynecologist was somewhat emphatic about that.

The medical jargon for septic miscarriage is actually septic abortion (I suppose that the medical terms don't look into the motivation for the abortion of foetus, ie, whether it was accidental or deliberate).

So apparently I was undergoing a septic abortion, old fashioned term puerpal fever. You'll see the relevance.

Without treatment I would have died in excruciating pain.

That's what we'd be going back to if termination services were not available because the reality it, people would attempt backstreet abortions. Excruciating pain leading to death.

You didn't answer the question, bumbley.

"Partial birth abortion" is a term invented by extreme pro-lifers and has no medical or scientific meaning (remember how you were so hot on scientific meaning when it suited.
The people who talk about "partial birth abortion" are the people who shoot abortion doctors and harass women outside clinics.

Bumbley, why won't you answer a very simple question? Do you have any concept of the fact that these are not just abstract ideas to be debated but real womens real lives

Take ownership of your position and admit the consequences of that position, at the very least. Otherwise you're just another coward hiding behind a SPUC poster.

"False, hence the need for the law. "

Actually, some people have argued that there is no need for the law (which is a US law, are you in the US?). Just because a lot of non-medical people have fought for a ban doesn't mean that they're necessarily right, or even necessarily medically-informed.

Re its use in the UK: ""We are not aware of the procedure referred to as 'partial-birth abortion' being used in Great Britain. It is the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' (RCOG) belief that this method of abortion is never used as a primary or pro-active technique and is only ever likely to be performed in unforeseen circumstances in order to reduce maternal mortality or severe morbidity."

• which was basically my understanding. And no, I don't want any links so we can go off on another gigantic bumbley-induced derailment.

Also FFS, my warning about the photograph was in case someone wanted to read an interesting article about the history of abortion in the US and didn't want to see a photograph of a corpse. I wasn't "posting graphic pictures".

thank you for speaking up baby-faced assassin. Your post was very important, and I think your comment about the lack of compassion for women was bang-on.

Thank you and flowers to you.

bumbley, we all know that you don't think abortion is okay. so...may i respectfully ask why you are here?

Winter, see my post at 15.07 re why I used 'partial birth abortion'. It's not an 'invented' term - the 'partial birth abortion ban act' exists in the U.S.

Which question do you think I haven't answered? Yes, I am aware we're talking about real lives. You only consider the women though.

You brought up abortion in the U.S. - hence also talking about a procedure that was used in the U.S.

Baby I remember that thread too and appreciate your contribution to this one . I hope reading all this hasn't been too distressing for you.

also the earlier poster (can't remember her name, sorry) who would have been aborted but then wasn't. It's good to get a wide variety of stories on this.

"the 'partial birth abortion ban act' exists in the U.S."

...pushed for by anti-choice activists and named after the invented term.

Winter, see my post at 15.07 re why I used 'partial birth abortion'. It's not an 'invented' term - the 'partial birth abortion ban act' exists in the U.S.

I know why you used it. And it was invented and then applied to a law, which thank fuck has been halted in practical use since its application would further reduce the limited access to even early abortion many women in the UK have.
IT is NOT a medical term and is not recognised by doctors or scientists.

Again, you've avoided another direct question from leedy. This is a thread about dispelling myths about abortion. Many of your contributions are purely myths about abortion. What is your motivation to be here on this thread, other than being the text based equivalent to the people with signs outside clinics?

In the US. DYAC.

Winter, 'invented' and referred to in law - therefore recognised by that term as pointed out in my previous post.

Which direct question from Leeds have I missed? Just reminding you that I didn't 'ignore' the last post - she had quoted your post so I didn't realise there was a question directed at me. You like twisting things don't you?

Lastuser, initially to point out (along with others) that this 'myth' that people were trying to bust didn't really seem to exist. Some people feel guilty, some people don't. Then correcting some of the nonsense spouted about pro-life people which then moved on to answering direct questions.

Winter, 'invented' and referred to in law - therefore recognised by that term as pointed out in my previous post.

Recognised by right wing anti choice republican lawmakers, yes. Recognised by doctors and scientists, no (as I've told you THREE times already).

Now, who is it we rely on to inform us about medical and scientific terminology? Is it the medics and the scientists? OR is it old rich white republicans? Hmm, lets think about that.......

And who was it pages and pages ago who was very certain that we should listen to scientists about questions of science and biology? That was you, bumbley, wasn't it?

Winter,lastuser and leedy I appreciate your continued posts on here, and I'm sure many others do too. I'm sure you all know you will never get a straight answer to any of your questions but thank you anyway for trying.

You're welcome, Ada The general MO of these people is to shout louder and longer and show some nasty pics and think that if they are the last one standing they've won something.
I can shout louder and longer than any of them though. I've been doing it for 25 years.

Just found BabyFaced's post.

BabyFace, are you going to acknowledge that several times on those threads I said that I was reluctant to engage with you/answer direct questions because I knew my honest answers would upset you? Are you going to acknowledge that I said that I would PM you because I didn't want it to turn into a mud slinging session? Are you going to deny that you specifically engaged with me even though you knew my opinion and we were posting on a thread discussing both sides of the debate? Are you going to deny that you encouraged me to post anyway?

And don't said that I didn't offer you sympathy - any time I tried it was thrown back at me.

I have already spoken about my feelings on FFA on this thread and others. If you are coming from a place (as I am) where the foetus is alive in utero then you believe that foetus should be treated the same as a born baby. We do not euthanise born babies/children for life limiting conditions even if it is upsetting for the mother to know that her child is not going to survive. What does that say about us? Are we all lacking in compassion in those situations? Surely moreso because we're talking about born babies/children.

you're welcome.

I'm hoping more women will post their stories too.

Winter, as I have acknowledged several times already. Again, the reason I was using it is because it is more easily recognised by people under that name.

Which question flipp? The only one they've pointed out so far was one I had missed because she had quoted winter and I answered that. Gotta love the pro-choicers lying about Pro-lifers not answering questions...

I haven't done any shouting Winter - you're the one that had a tantrum and started swearing. Yeah, way to win an argument there.

Not that anyone is even trying to 'win' anything

The point I got from baby's post was that she did not experience compassion as the carrier of said foetus. That spoke volumes and bumbley's post further up seems to back up baby's belief that it was all about the foetus, not her.

Well, you didn't answer this one for starters:

"Do you not understand that the laws you support in Ireland are not "saving foetuses", or that the few foetuses they do save are counterbalanced by a significant number of women experiencing distress, injury, and (especially if we didn't have the escape valve of the UK/internet pills) dying as a result of the ban?"

I'm glad the picture was shared of the poor woman who died from the botched abortion. Though it was very hard to look at. It's been a long time for most of us since those days, so it's a good reminder of what will happen if women lose the right to control their own fertility and their own bodies.