This article made me mad. So I wanted to talk about it. First, did you all hear about the octuplets born? Wow! So this guy in the article thinks that the fact that triplets and higher-order multiple births takes place at all is irresponsible on the part of doctors and negatively affects society. He is so worried about the rise of number of premature births saying that that rise is influenced significantly by multiple births. But isn't it true that doctors consider full term to be a bit different when it comes to twins and other multiples? Twins rarely make it to "full term" 37-40 weeks from what I understand. And they are often fine.
Now I am not saying there is no risk to moms and to babies to have so many born at once, but I think worrying about how one family's muliple babies affect society? Seems like none of society's business to me. (Granted this is coming from someone who thinks that families should have as many children as they feel they can have according to what is right for them and their situation and the will of God for them. So of course I feel this way.) But I did think it was totally offensive that this guy implied that there should maybe be some way to force parents to have "fetal reduction" - meaning getting rid of one or more fetus while in the womb - in the case where a mom is expecting three or more babies at once. As if it is OK at all to take the decision away from the parents.
Wow, strong feelings from me. What do you think?
I totally agree, Bonnie. I think regardless of what your feelings are towards the size of families, it is completely inappropriate to suggest a mother should be forced to dispose of one of her unborn children. What a horrible, barbaric suggestion. There are definitely individuals in our society that are confused about right and wrong and what is in society's best interest. I'm with you entirely on this!
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ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't think I would ever want to have 8 babies at once (yikes!) I cannot imagine saying, "Oh, yeah, just knock off 3 or 4 of them, thank you."
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine?
Even singleton pregnancies carry risks. My cousin just lost a baby due to placenta previa(again) and was given the option to terminate or ride it through. She chose to ride it through because what IF that baby survived...then she would have ended its life. It was better for her, emotionally, (and you know, in other ways) to have the baby spontaneously abort at 20 weeks than to abort earlier...even though it carried health risks for her and her baby.
Anyway, I don't know if that is even contributing to your argument, but I also have strong feelings about abortion. We have no right to decide who dies and who does not.
Yep, I agree too!
ReplyDeletealthough, there is NO way I would have a doctor put more than three fertalized eggs in me!! I just know that three would be MY absolute max, so I wouldn't want to chance it. No way I could handle eight, and NO WAY I would pick and choose which one(s) to kill.
Bont, I am totally content to pay higher premiums if I could be promised that it would go to the care of premature babies born to heterosexual couples.
ReplyDeleteI thought I heard the ethical issue was with actually putting 8 embryos into a woman to begin with. I know they do more than one to ensure that at least one of them will take but it seems they could accomplish the same thing with 3 or 4 instead of 8, thus reducing the risk for both babies and mother. Obviously I don't think mothers should be able to pick and choose which babies to keep if they DO end up having 8.
ReplyDeleteWhile I BY NO MEANS endorse abortion or anything of that sort, you do realise, don't you, that she is a SINGLE mum who ALREADY had 6 kids she couldn't take care of? And it would perhaps have been wise of the doctors and whoever else was working with her to encourage her to give a good home to her 6 current children and perhaps find a husband/father for the kids, rather than being implanted with 8 MORE when she's already struggling. It seems like a prelude to abuse to me.
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