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What can I expect during an abortion?
The following information provides a brief description of the various types of abortion. Please recognize that all abortions involve risk of more or less serious complications.
Suction Curettage and Dilation and Curettage D&C: Suction abortions are generally performed during the first three months of your pregnancy. This procedure essentially uses a vacuum device (with a hollow tube having a knife-like tip) that is about 29 times more powerful than your home vacuum cleaner. Since the opening to your cervix (uterus) is closed tightly to hold your baby, the abortionist frequently gives a local anesthetic injection near or into the cervix or neck of the uterus. Since your body ordinarily releases hormones to signal the cervix to open naturally only at the time of labor, to perform an abortion, the cervix must be opened by gradual means. The cervix muscle is gradually stretched with a series of thick rods called dilators. Though the local anesthesia numbs the cervix, inserting the rods can cause cramps. These dilators are inserted one after the other, gradually increasing in size. Sometimes this results in damage to the cervix.
When your cervix is sufficiently opened, the doctor will insert a suction tube into your uterus. The suction machine will then be turned on and the baby sucked or torn from your uterus along with the placenta. Because the baby is too large to fit through the suction tube, it is pulled apart and then the abortionist finishes the process by using forceps to crush the baby’s skull so that it can pass through the narrow suction tube. The baby’s body and limbs are then removed form the suction canister and then reassembled to assure that the entire baby has been removed from the uterus and none of the parts are left behind to cause infection. Great care must be used to prevent the womb from being torn and in checking body parts to ensure a complete abortion. When the suction catheter is removed, a curette or a narrow loop shaped may be used to scrape the walls of the uterus to be sure that nothing remains behind.
Dilation and Evacuation (D&E): In the second and third trimester, the abortion industry will most routinely use a procedure called a D&E on your baby. A D&E is performed in two parts; the cervix must be dilated even wider than that in a first trimester abortion because your baby is older and more fully developed. This may require several hours or you may have to wait over night. You may be given intravenous medication to ease the pain and prevent infection. A local anesthetic is then injected into or near the cervix and the dilators are removed from the cervix.
The abortionist uses a combination of forceps, suction and curettage to remove the arms and legs off your baby. The abortionist then punctures the soft spot on your baby’s head, suctions out the brain, and crushes your baby’s skull. Then the abortionist removes the remaining parts of your baby with forceps and then reassembles them to make sure that he has all the parts removed from the uterus. Because the cutting is done by feel along the inside of the womb, there is usually considerable bleeding and frequently there can be damage to the womb.
Hysterotomy: In the last trimester a hysterotomy, which is essentially a miniature Caesarian (C-section), is done by making an incision in your abdomen and then your child is lifted out. Prior to removing your baby, the abortionist clamps the umbilical cord, waits about five minutes, and then delivers your baby, hopefully stillborn. If your baby is still alive he/she is placed in a covered basin and allowed to die from exposure. Since a baby at this stage may take hours or days to die some abortionists have drowned or choked them to death.
Intercardiac Injection: At about 16 weeks, an ultrasound is used to pinpoint the location of your baby’s heart. A needle then injects a fluid into your baby’s heart causing an immediate heart attack, killing your baby. Your baby is then delivered dead.
MYX Medical Abortion: This procedure is very similar to RU 486 described below. Two chemicals are used. The first is MTX or methotrexate. It is an anti cancer drug. It attacks diseased cells and breaks them down thereby slowing their growth. It acts the same way on a baby in the womb. It attacks the baby’s fast growing cells and the baby’s life support system. Your baby’s life support system fails and your baby dies.
The second chemical used is misoprostol and it is used 4-7 days later at home. It is inserted into your vagina as a suppository and causes contractions, pushing the dead baby out of the womb.
A third visit is made to the abortion clinic for another examination to assure the abortion was complete. If it was not, a surgical abortion is then required.
Some of the possible side effects from using MTX are: It is potentially poisonous to your body, possible liver damage may occur, kidney destruction has been reported, heart muscle damage, pulmonary failure, gastrointestinal problems have also occurred, stroke and convulsions remain possibilities. The possible side effects from the use of misoprostol suppository are kidney problems; infertility (sterility), cramping, and bleeding. Based on a brochure published by the American Life League, Inc., entitled: The MTX Medical Abortion. You may contact them by phone 540.659.4171 or fax at 540.659.2586 for further details.
Prostaglandin: Prostaglandins are chemically manufactured hormones that induce labor. These hormones are injected into the sac that surrounds your baby. The chemical causes violent, painful, and long-lasting contractions of the womb until your baby is forced out of the womb. You then go into labor and give birth to a baby who is often capable of living outside the womb. It has been reported, however, that if your baby should live, then he or she is simply placed into a basin, covered with a towel and your baby is allowed to die from neglect.
You may require a D&C to remove the placenta after your baby is born. This procedure and the saline procedure have been discontinued for the most part because of the number of live births that still occurred.
RU-486: You are first given an oral steroid drug (mifepristone) consisting of three pills that either destroys your baby’s placenta or prevents it from being formed. The baby starves or suffocates to death as RU-486 works against the progesterone chemical in your body that is crucial to the baby’s survival.
Then a second oral drug called a prostaglandin is taken to induce the uterus to contract and push your baby’s body out through your vagina. An alternative is to vaginally insert 4 tablets of a medication called misoprostol. The tablets will trigger uterine contractions with cramping and bleeding. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also be experienced and in some instances heart attacks, hemorrhage, impaired future fertility and harm to future children have been reported. The time period between taking the first and second medications varies, sometimes between 48 and 72 hours, or more. The cramping and bleeding normally last about four hours but can extend for longer periods of time. About half of the women abort within four hours.
This procedure requires two or, as proposed recently, 3 visits to the abortionist. The third visit, which normally takes place two weeks after the first, confirms whether or not the abortion has taken place. The range of failure to abort is between 8% and 23% according to the March 2000 National Right to Life News publication. When this procedure does not work, a vacuum aspiration machine must be used. This medication has been approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration.
Ru-486 is often referred to as the abortion pill or as a medical abortion or chemical abortion because it does not involve surgery, unless the chemicals fail to kill the baby.
Saline Solution Method (Salt Poisoning): If you are four to seven months pregnant the abortionist will generally use a saline or salt solution to kill your baby. The abortionist inserts a long needle through your abdomen into the protective bag of water that surrounds your baby. Some of this protective fluid is removed and the saline solution injected. Your baby breathes and swallows the poison salt solution that will slowly kill your baby, destroying his/her organs and burning off your baby’s skin. After several hours your baby dies. You then go into hard labor and deliver your dead baby, usually a day later. The injection of saline causes a sudden and severe drop in the blood clotting ability of the mother. This striking abnormality can cause serious internal bleeding and sometimes death. This procedure has been outlawed in Japan and in other countries because of the potential damage to the mother.
Is the clinic safe for me and is the procedure they will use safe for me?
An abortion is a medical surgery. You should use the same precautions as you would in choosing any hospital, perhaps more caution since most clinics do not have the extensive controls and facilities that are available at hospitals.
Has the clinic been sued as a result of injuries sustained during an abortion?
If there have been a number of lawsuits as a result of previous problems with abortions at their center you need to be aware of your increased potential for problems.
What types of health risks could I encounter with this abortion?
Possible physical complications include severe infections, excessive bleeding, problems in becoming pregnant later in your life, and perforation of the uterus and the bowel, kidney damage, and cervical laceration (5% of women). Other complications entail hepatitis from blood transfusions, embolisms, blood clots, and blood infection. Long term complications may entail sterility (in 2%-5% of abortions), and miscarriages in future pregnancies. Twenty-Nine of 38 worldwide studies have shown an increase in breast cancer among women who have had an abortion. There is a link between abortion and breast cancer that you need to be aware.
Women who have had abortions are reporting severe emotional trauma after their abortions. Many women suffer from Post Abortion Stress. There are various support systems around the country helping men and women deal with the emotion trauma caused by an abortion. Be cautious if the abortion clinic is not willing to discuss these complications with you or if they deny them.
Is a complete laboratory analysis performed prior to my abortion?
Since an abortion is surgery, you should be prepared for any medical complication that arises as a result of procedure.
Is whole blood immediately available if I need it?
You will be undergoing surgery and the risks associated with surgery. You could well be faced with any of the complications detailed above from this surgery, and a blood transfusion could be necessary.
Is resuscitation equipment available if I need it?
You will be undergoing surgery and the risks associated with surgery. You could be faced with any of the complications detailed above from this surgery.
Can the abortion facility deal with cardiac arrest or convulsions if I have a problem?
Your body will be undergoing surgery that will put a severe strain on your entire system. If you have heart or other health problems (diagnosed or undiagnosed) you need to be assured competent medical staff and facilities are there to assist you. Be sure to alert the abortion provider of any prior medical conditions you may have prior to the abortion.
Does the abortionist who will perform my abortion have nearby hospital privileges?
First you need to find out whether your abortion will be performed by a doctor or a technician, nurse, etc.—a very important point when you are dealing with surgery. Secondly, you need to know where the abortionist can refer you to if there are any complications or if follow-up procedures are required due to complications.
Do I have to sign a paper that protects the facility from a lawsuit if I incur physical injury during the abortions procedure or if I have emotional problems after my abortion?
Would you sign such a piece of paper if you were having a broken leg set or if you were going in for cancer surgery? If you would not sign such a paper under those circumstances, then you should not sign the paper if you are having an abortion either. In some limited instances abortions result in sterility or leave other lasting consequences, both physical and emotional. The clinic should be responsible for any damage it causes to you as a result of the abortion. For information on abortion malpractice contact Life Dynamics at 940.380.8800.
Is this facility board-certified (Department of Health)?
You do not want to have surgery in a facility that is not licensed and accredited by the state where you reside.
Will counseling, including such critical issues as fetal development, be explained to me so I fully understand about my baby, about what the abortion will involve for me and my baby, and what short and long-term health risks I could face?
You need to be aware of the developmental stage of your baby. For example, at 8 weeks your baby is fully formed in your womb and the only remaining physical change that will take a place is that your baby will grow. The abortionist is doing you a significant disservice if he or she dismisses your questions about what an abortion involves by simply telling you that it is safe and painless. This can be a devastating procedure that many people spend the rest of their lives trying to overcome.
Will the facility counsel me for severe physical or emotional trauma before or after my abortion?
Like any surgery, this will be extremely traumatic on your body. Your entire system changes to get your body ready to deliver, nourish, and nurture a baby. When this process is suddenly and traumatically ended, it is a severe jolt to your entire body. A factor that makes this surgery different from others is that there frequently are emotional scars that accompany an abortion. Sometimes it takes months and often years for these scars to manifest themselves in your life.
What if I decide to have the abortion?
There are no easy ways to become “un-pregnant.” We recognize that an untimely pregnancy can be extremely frightening and that you will be looking for a quick and seemingly easy solution to this situation. If you have had a pregnancy test, and it confirms that you are indeed pregnant, the next thing to do is to be sure that your pregnancy is viable. You can be sure that your pregnancy is viable with an ultrasound at our center. You can make an appointment for an ultrasound by calling 513.321.3100. You should do this before you schedule your abortion. After this step you can be sure that you are pregnant with a viable pregnancy. Now it is important to understand that no matter what decision you make there are real and lasting consequences. Pregnancy Center East will give you accurate information about your options so you can make an informed choice. We will support you during your crisis and after. You never have to be alone.
Will my abortion be painful to either me or my baby?
Yes. Abortion is not the simple procedure the abortion procedure industry likes to portray. It is actually a very serious surgery that can have significant consequences on your physical, spiritual and emotional health for years to come. Unless your abortionist puts you to sleep during the suction procedure, your abortion will be very painful. A general anesthesia can be very dangerous and should only be administered by a well-trained medical person. A Para cervical block is frequently used to numb the cervix, but it doesn’t alleviate all the pain or discomfort. Following the abortion women frequently report that the noise from this suction or vacuum procedure haunts them for years to come, especially when the suction device pulls out parts of the baby through the tube. Dilating the cervix causes cramping. Emptying out the uterus causes severe contractions.
Your baby’s pain receptive nerve cells, neural pathways, and the thalamus of your baby’s brain are nervous system structures necessary to feel pain. They begin to form in the eighth week and are operative by the thirteenth week. At eleven weeks your baby’s face, arms, and legs are all sensitive to touch. The entire body your baby, with the exception of the back and top of the head, respond to painful stimuli by 13.5 weeks. The first detectable brain activity in response to pain stimuli occurs in the thalamus of the brain between the 9th and 10th weeks.
Your baby will therefore feel the pain from being ripped out of your uterus by the suction device. As your baby grows in your womb, it becomes more and more difficult to suck the baby out without dismembering him /her. Pictures of abortions using the saline method have shown babies thrashing around trying to swim away from the saline solution that severely burns their fully-formed organs and their tissue and skin. This procedure generally takes about two hours to kill your baby.
Saline abortions are always painful because they force you into hard labor that may last for hours or even days before your dead baby is delivered.
How will I explain my abortion to my other children?
Abortion frequently undermines the relationship between a mother and her other children. It raises the question in the child’s mind “Why not me?” or “Could they get rid of me in the future?” Many parents try to put the decision into financial terms such as “If we have another child, we will not be able to take that vacation” or “mother may have to stop working.” Many times it comes down to convenience or whether a child fits into plans. It is very difficult to explain this to the children and to get them to accept it. Frequently, an abortion will undermine the bond between a mother and her children.
The relationship between a husband and a wife is also frequently damaged or even destroyed by an abortion. Divorce rates are extremely high after an abortion and if the couple is not married, their relationship is even more subject to strain from abortion. The anniversary date of the abortion, holidays, other significant events all serve to recall the abortion, making it more difficult to forget.
This is very different from the grieving process that you go through with the loss of a family member or a friend. Grieving is denied in an abortion. There is no funeral and there is no gravesite visit. Most of the time you cannot even talk about the loss of your child through abortion with friends or family, but the loss is nonetheless real and very painful.
What are a father’s options in abortion?
In the 1976 Supreme Court case brought by Planned Parenthood v. Danforth, it was ruled that a father need not give his consent or even be informed of the mother’s decision to abort the child. As a result of this ruling, father’s have no voice in the decision concerning the abortion of their unborn child. Fathers have been systematically denied the right to be involved in life or death decisions concerning their unborn child. Abortion is not a simple procedure that has no psychological impact. Yet one study, facilitated by Arthur Shostak, reports that 3 out of 4 fathers had difficulty with the abortion of their child suffering from guilt, remorse and sadness. The death of any person causes a sense of emptiness and sadness. The death of an unborn child can carry these same consequences later even if it seems like there is no other way out now. There are other ways. If you are a father and you are involved with a crisis pregnancy we are here to help you, too. Please call us a 513.321.3100. If you are a parent suffering from the loss of a child and you need help healing, please call us. Men are frequently bypassed, ignored, or left helpless by the abortion process. Many men identify their pain as being unable to protect the life of their son or daughter. Abortion is commonly viewed as an issue that advocates women’s rights and is irrelevant to men. Both men and women are parents, and thus both have rolls in the abortion process. Pain does not gender discriminate. Men frequently need as much support because of the grief they feel after abortion, as do women.
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