I firmly discourage any pregnant woman from trying to Google "17 week old fetus" or any similar phrase on Google images. I did just such a thing, out of curiosity as to what Bean might look like right about now. I was met with an abundance of interesting photos - and a surprising number of photos of aborted fetuses at varying ages of gestation.
I vehemently defend a woman's right to choose abortion or not; no one can tell a woman what should happen with her body. But I also firmly believe that abortions should not be performed past the first trimester regardless of any "viability" arguments. I won't get into my reasons here.
After seeing these photos of aborted fetuses, I feel sick and just generally disturbed. Except in the most mitigating circumstances I would not ever consider abortion in my own choices, and after seeing these photos I feel this ever more strongly. Even a fetus at 9 weeks seems too "real" to consider non-human.
So, another truth about pregnancy, especially in this ever-increasingly technologically accessible world - don't Google for images you're not absolutely sure you're ready to see.
*Actually, one of the genetic tests that, if results were positive, I feel would warrant a termination of the pregnancy (for a defect that would virtually guarantee a life of pain and suffering for the baby once it is born as well as a staggering mortality rate in the first year of life), is performed at the beginning of the second trimester. So in this case, and others with these factors, I would say a second trimester abortion is more humane than carrying the pregnancy to term. Just to clarify...
ReplyDeleteYikes!! Eeew! Okay don't think i could look at those no matter what my opinion on "a woman's right to choose". Anyway just to save your stomach and sanity just go to this nice, informative website for information and pictures of Bean's development . . . http://www.americanpregnancy.org/duringpregnancy/
ReplyDelete- Deb
thanks Deb!
ReplyDelete