An artificial womb?

[NewbieAcademic]

Just came across this on the Guardian and was wondering how people feel about it?

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/04/artifical-womb-women-ectogenesis-baby-fertility?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

On one hand it's empowering to think we could all crack on with careers etc without having to endlessly worry and plan families and have our fertility drive our decision making. OTOH I don't know if it's just social conditioning but it makes me wistful to think of losing the one unique thing my body can do?

Was just curious about how others feel!

With the link : www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/04/artifical-womb-women-ectogenesis-baby-fertility?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I think it's fab! Some of those comments though!
Would have been amazing for my friends daughter who was born at 22 weeks.

I don't think there's any chance that there would be the possibility of a complete pregnancy in an artificial uterus. There's no mention of how you could create a placenta and get an embryo to implant and attach to an artificial placenta. There's an assumption that you would be able to keep an embryo alive and developing properly just by this method of bathing it in nutrients, which I think is hopelessly optimistic. Even if this becomes possible it would presumably be expensive and not available to all, therefore not a wholesale replacement for pregnancy. Rather a specialist treatment for those who might need it.

So I think I'll not worry about it until it actually happens, which won't be in my lifetime I'm sure.

I hate the idea, it would be open to all sorts of exploitation- like the state meddling in who can have children, eugenics- disabled child, wrong sex, wrong hair colour? no problem just turn the machine off.
I can't see how it would be compatible with bonding with the baby, those natural hormones like the flood of oxytocin at birth for example.
My pregnancy and birth were precious to me and I wouldn't have given that up for the world. I think it's privilege of being female.

There was quite a long thread about artificial wombs on here a while ago which is quite interesting...
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/2921141-glosswitch-on-artificial-wombs

I don't like it and don't see the need for it.

I don't like it as it would quicky become another way to oppress women despite at first glance suggesting otherwise.

I also think that they are not valuing the actual woman's role either. Talking and moving around etc will be having a massive influence on a developing brain. I'm not sure how they would recreate those experiences.

I've just finished reading Brave New World so this is very timely for me.
Obviously it sounds great for premature births but the rest is utterly terrifying. It's just another way of erasing mothers.

I like being a woman. I mostly enjoyed pregnancy. Birth made me feel strong and powerful. Breastfeeding has it's ups and downs but I largely enjoy feeding my baby and seeing him thrive.
I can see this going wrong, in the same way that the move from breastfeeding to formula/ pumping seems to be.
In some countries women are asked to go back to work at 3 months pp, because someone else can feed their baby. If a baby can be grown in a pouch, society won't need to make any allowances for women's biology.