To be glad that the Down Syndrome abortion appeal was defeated

[Fififafa]

A woman with DS has twice tried and failed to get the courts to outlaw abortion beyond 24 weeks for foetuses with DS. Under current legislation for England, Wales and Scotland, there is a 24-week time limit for abortion, unless "there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped", which includes Down's syndrome.
I read that she has is being supported by some religious group.

I’m glad that the appeal was lost. This is a personal decision that every woman has the choice and the right to make. What Heidi Crowter et al are doing, is fighting to remove that choice from women. AIBU?

I am perfectly entitled to my opinion , you are not entitled to comment on my life or that of my child so do one .

@Problemorno - yes, I've had friends with the same. It is a hideous decision to make and the majority of people fully understand the horror of it.

There are some sanctimonious people who thinking suffering is morally improving. It is not.

It's disgusting.

People with Down's Syndrome vary greatly and most can live happy lives. It doesn't have the slight putative justification of for instance Patau's syndrome, where the baby can often be seen on scans to be unlikely to live long at all.

Not all of them do. There is justification for it.

I have a child with Down's syndrome and for us, at the minute, it's is an easy time. He has no health issues and is a delight.

There is SO much focus on DS. I have a much, much easier life than my friend who has children with ADHD. I'm sure once they decode that and many other diseases there will be a even more discussions on this issue.

Yes - please can you give a source for this @pinheadlarry ?

Its not murder.

Not all of them do.

@Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious Most of them do though. I think at most it should go on whether a scan shows them to be going to be born with severe health problems, rather than just on a label within which people can vary widely.

Yes. Upon birth they legally become their own person and as such acquire all the rights of other born people.

Someone up thread said it's like the day we turn 18 we get all the rights of being an adult.

OP:

Completely agree.

It doesnt matter. All that matters is if someone wants to raise a disabled child. If they don't, then that is their valid choice.

No one is talking about murder here @OldFan.🙄 Women are discussing their right to terminate pregnancy.

As early as possible, as late as necessary.

It's not murder, a fetus is not a person in law and has no bodily autonomy. The woman has full bodily autonomy and it is therefore entirely her decision as to whether she allows the pregnancy to continue given that it needs her body to do so. Considering these post-24wk abortions are all tragic cases where parents are making heartbreaking decisions, they also get to make the decision they feel is best for their child which is to not allow the pregnancy to continue.

Hang on. So you think it's murder of a human being. But you think it's OK if they are 'going to be born with severe health problems'??!?

So you support the murder of people with severe health problems? 😮

@OldFan it's not murder because we don't have personhood laws in the UK.

And you can't predict from scans how severely affected a baby with DS is going to be in life. You can see some comorbidities, but not all. What you can't see is whether your DS child is going to be mildly affected or in need of 24 hour care, non verbal, doubly incontinent and never able to live independently. That's a gamble and it is one nobody should be forced to take.

And that is aside from the very young onset dementia issue in people with DS.

And the increased risk of leukaemia l.

It took me a long, long time not to think of myself as a murderer. The self blame, the guilt, the horror and the grief is less raw now, but still very present.

My DC who was born live after compassionate induction actually was awarded personhood, and has both a birth and death certificate. We had to endure an inquest in coroner's court because he lived and died outside of the womb.

If it was murder, I would be in prison.

It's not murder, legally or otherwise. It is pure love that means we take on the pain and suffering so our precious children won't ever feel it.

And your point is?

there has to be a start point to “personhood” somewhere in the eyes of the law. And it’s at birth.

and stop calling this murder and by extension women who make these heart rending decisions murderers. It’s absolutely disgusting.

The scans and other tests will show as much information as can be known at that point. The mother then has to make the right decision for her based on all that information- scope of severity being one of the factors.

she (hopefully with the support of a good family) will make the right decision for her. What others think shouldnt matter

Have you not read the posts on here by women who went through traumatic late term terminations?

Or do you just not give a shit about what they've said?

The latter, at a guess.

@SnotRag22 I am so sorry for your loss, I cannot imagine how heartbreaking it was