To ask our British sisters for help?

[Hideandgo]

Repeal the 8th. You may not have a vote today but if you are willing, could you show support for the yes vote for us Irish women on social media? I’m sure many of you have Irish friends and if it encourages just one more person not to forget to vote it would be worth it.

I had a termination when I was 22 and felt deeply shocked and less than human when the Irish nurse told me ‘we don’t do that here’ when I asked about my choices. Luckily I was living abroad (just coincidently at home when I found out) so had one as soon as I got back to the country I was living in but I avoided tying myself to an increasingly abusive man who would have been able to take my baby from me and force me out of the country if he’d wished.

I credit my 4 beautiful children, my kind, supportive husband and my freedom to be the kind of Mum I always wanted to be from that decision.

So many Irish women have a loaded gun to their heads when they find out they are pregnant and it’s wrong to force them to become a Mum. This doesn’t even take into account all the mishandled miscarriages and devastating cases of foetal abnormality. Every woman is vulnerable to a miscarriage that doesn’t resolve immediately and Irish women have been forced to hold on to a dying heartbeat till they themselves have septicaemia and/or PTSD. It’s barbaric and wrong. And makes women feel useless and dehumanised.

Please help us.

I posted on FB this morning just as the polls opened. Really hoping for a strong yes vote. Thinking of all the women who have suffered under the current legislation. It's sobering.

I know thats how they feel but frankly I don't care. It's been THIRTY FIVE YEARS since Irish women were told they were lesser humans and that was enshrined in our constitution.
I'm not nice or respectful or kind any more about why they want to vote no, I don't care any more. I only care that there aren't enough of them anymore. I've been respectful for over 3 decades and I'm done. I've none left.

Fair play to the above poster for doing the right thing. You don't have to approve of abortion to vote yes, you just have to understand that your own morals shouldn't impact on others, especially to the point it kills them.

I was also surprised at the number of otherwise liberal people who are voting no.

Yeah, well that misogyny for you.

No, a lot of people feel they're voting to kill babies. And they can't do that.

Those 'babies' are still 'killed' anyway.

mikeyssister Thankyou for supporting women’s right to choose for themselves. I can understand if you are strongly philosophically opposed to abortion for yourself then it could be difficult to vote repeal so Thankyou for seeing the bigger picture. Your initial post was a little unclear and seemed to indicate you’d voted no so apologies on behalf of others if you get some flack for that.

Yeah, well that misogyny for you.

Absolutely. It's interesting actually seeing which men fall into that category. Thankfully all the important men in my life have been Yes voters besides my dad who I've always known to be a misogynist anyway, oh and my Step dad who is very religious. My DH, brothers, DSS are all Yes voters though

Already posted.

We stand with you - I wish I could vote (I am actually entitled to an Irish passport, maybe I should get one...)

Good luck. I hope it’s a vote to repeal but there’s a lot of inertia.

@LoveInTokyo yes I do feel it's "killing babies".

I am aware that girls/women are accessing abortions elsewhere, be it off the internet or by having to travel. I was lucky I never had to make that decision.

I found out how the 8th impacts on healthy pregnancies, on miscarriages, on babies with fatal fetal abnormalities, on girls/women who were raped or suffered incest, who suffered from contraception failure, who didn't use contraception and who took a chance and I decided that I can't impose my beliefs on these people. That I cannot judge why they feel an abortion is the right and/or only decision for them. I've had sleepless nights, mad dreams and I'm not embarassed to admit I've cried.

But I still voted yes, and I'm at peace.

I believe the choice to have an abortion is every women’s right, it is an decision that is not made easily so women need to be close to support at home not in another country ashamed and scared. I’m supporting choice.

But I still voted yes, and I'm at peace.

Good on you mikeyssister xxx

@mikeyssister

Well done. That decision must have been genuinely difficult and I have a lot of respect for you.

mikeyssister Yep, that's why it's pro choice not pro abortion. personally i don't think I'd make that choice myself either but that would be my own personal choice. Having said that I've never been raped etc so who knows how I'd feel in the situation

Come on Ireland you can do this

Been on my FB for ages. Hoping for a strong yes but think it will be tight x

What time do the polls close/are they expecting to have results?

If you don't believe that life begins in the womb it's easy to believe that the only reason people will vote no is because of misogyny.

My SIL is voting no because she believes life begins in the womb. She knows that babies die anyway but she cannot bring herself to vote to agree with it. It may seem wrong to others but it's her belief.

I voted YES first thing this morning. It has been a very emotional day today and I am nervous for the outcome.

Thank you all for your support in the UK x

What time do the polls close/are they expecting to have results?

10pm, I think they might have an idea of how it's going at 11:30pm tonight, it'll be announced on the Late late Show

I've showed support for you on social media OP.

No-one should ever have to tell other women what to do with their bodies.

@AlfredDaButtler polling stations close at 10pm. Poll counting will start at 9am. Could be anywhere from about 4 tomorrow afternoon for us to find out.

I am completely in support of this, and wish I could vote (being English I can't). The current law is a disgrace. I'll do what I can. Good luck!

My SIL is voting no because she believes life begins in the womb. She knows that babies die anyway but she cannot bring herself to vote to agree with it. It may seem wrong to others but it's her belief.

She could abstain. If you believe life starts at conception and you care about women's lives and health; abstain. Don't vote to kill women, send women overseas for poorer care, condemn poor women to stay with abusers.

I'm a woman first and my nationalities after. #repealthe8th

Oh that wait must be excruciating. Fingers crossed for a good Yes result ✊

How come it takes so long to get the results? With Brexit we knew by early next morning?

@AlfredDaButtler polling stations close at 10pm. Poll counting will start at 9am. Could be anywhere from about 4 tomorrow afternoon for us to find out.

Yeah sorry, it's the exit Poll they're announcing on the Late Late show