Can I be a feminist and not be fully pro-choice until term?

[Moonfishstar]

As in to think there should be some restrictions on stopping a mother aborting their foetus very close to term if there is no reason other than the mother has decided not to proceed?

There are restrictions??

I think not, personally. Bodily autonomy for women is pretty basic.

Nope.

Yes, You can feel this way and be a feminist.

Yes absolutely. I'm the same OP.

I am on board with the "early as possible, late as necessary" theory.

I believe it would take a lot of desperation to abort a term foetus. I doubt itvwould ever happen. But if a woman honestly felt it was necessary... I can't even begin to imagine why they would that way. So is it right to judge them?

This is an American lens you are bringing to the party yes?

Many people don't understand that about the USA abortion issue and why it is such a hot topic.

Where is that legal?

You can have bodily autonomy without having an abortion, though.

I fully believe that a woman has the right to decide at any point that she doesn’t want to be pregnant any more. But if the foetus could survive and be healthy outside its mother, it should be given the chance to do so - so the pregnancy should be ended by a live birth rather than by abortion.

I don’t consider that position anti-feminist.

The idea that women are having 38 week abortions of healthy foetuses on a whim is in itself misogynistic, btw. The idea that this is a common enough scenario to need legislation to prevent it is really offensive. Unrestricted access to abortion isn't about aborting more foetuses, it's about respecting that women are adults who can be trusted to make their own reproductive choices. Your position is inherently anti-feminist.

@ZebraPensAreLife what you're describing is forced birth. It's anathema to any feminist.

Yes, you can but I don't think on demand termination is available anywhere.

I'd be very surprised if a femanist actually fell for that bullshit argument tbh.
We generally understand that women simply do not get to 39 weeks and go actually, you know what? I've changed my mind, let's kill it...

It's a tactic often used by anti choice activists trying to get people to think this is something that would be happening if we didn't restrict women's choices.

in ireland we have a restriction on abortion to about 12 weeks. I’m uncomfortable with abortions after this personally; and very uncomfortable with them after c 23 weeks when the baby could live. I consider myself a feminist. My kids were born prematurely so the idea that has definitely coloured my view

I see it as balancing two competing rights

That's as anti-feminist as it gets.

I agree.

I don't see it's something that I would spend much time thinking about. Precisely because I cannot imagine a situation where a mentally competent adult woman who was in the last few weeks of pregnancy would then decide to have an abortion, for no other reason than no longer wanting to be pregnant and have a baby. I mean, I just cannot see that ever being a genuine choice a woman would make.

It's also something that I think would be extremely hard to persuade politicians to back and for it to be voted for by a majority of politicians (pro choice to term). It's such a massive shift from the current position that I can't see that it would ever be a possibility for a long time. I would rather focus on getting abortion out of the criminal framework altogether, and for keeping the current time limit in the UK rather than reducing it at all.

I am absolutely a feminist but I strongly disagree with abortion beyond the point at which the foetus is viable.

Why do you think that?

Surely anti-feminist would be saying that women should never have an abortion? I have no issues with abortion up to the point of potential viability.

It’s a hypothetical discussion anyway, as most women aren’t about to choose to suddenly abort a late-term foetus for no reason.

My understanding of feminism here is to allow women choices. That means letting them choose to abort if they wish. You could choose not to abort: another woman could choose differently.

So what's viable? 24 weeks? 26 weeks?

You really have no right to decide that.

Being feminist doesn't mean all the rights and none of the responsibilities, imo.

Plus I can think of a lot of things that are way more anti-feminist.

Exactly, you dont want a late term abortion? Well don't have one then.

Women are not out aborting 38 week pregnancies for shits and giggles, if a woman wants an abortion that late, she needs support not legal action

@OdinsHorse understand with medical advancement now 23 weeks is potentially viable (tho I think 21 weeks has also survived)