Have a stillbirth, be accused of murder.

[2xx1xy1JD]

You have to wonder if these guys have any idea how women's bodies work.

Spoiler because of graphic details:

I passed miscarriage #2 into a toilet bowl at work. At least, I think it was the remains - there was a large clump that looked vaguely like a large goldfish. Contrary to propoganda, the "remains" at that point don't look remotely like a baby.

How, exactly, was I supposed to preserve remains? Was I supposed to go fishing in the toilet bowl, or put up some big hazmat sign? I flushed, because that it was normal people do.

To get even more graphic and gross, miscarriages 1 and 3 were "missed miscarriages", which means that I had no idea when fetal death occurred because my body held onto the death fetus. Care to prosecute that?

[Mama Mia]

You have to wonder if these guys have any idea how women's bodies work.

Spoiler because of graphic details:

I passed miscarriage #2 into a toilet bowl at work. At least, I think it was the remains - there was a large clump that looked vaguely like a large goldfish. Contrary to propoganda, the "remains" at that point don't look remotely like a baby.

How, exactly, was I supposed to preserve remains? Was I supposed to go fishing in the toilet bowl, or put up some big hazmat sign? I flushed, because that it was normal people do.

To get even more graphic and gross, miscarriages 1 and 3 were "missed miscarriages", which means that I had no idea when fetal death occurred because my body held onto the death fetus. Care to prosecute that?

Yeah, there seems to be a mind boggling lack of basic knowledge about how miscarriages work. They seem to think a 6 week miscarriage is exactly the same process as a 6 month stillbirth. You kind of see the same lack of knowledge at the other end of the political spectrum, where people seem to think that the woman doesn't have to still go through some sort of delivery ( surgical or otherwise) when talking about late abortions. Do they not teach basic fetal development in health class anymore? If these are all men who are making these laws, do they not even know any women?

[Chowder Head]

"The experts maintain that there were other problems with the findings as well. Hayne, they say, did not order tests to rule out infection or fetal abnormality, two common causes of stillbirth. Hayne said that Gibbs’s placenta was normal, but closer examination, the defense experts assert, showed the presence of blood clots — a sign that the baby’s oxygen supply had been cut off. (In a 2011 study by a consortium of researchers around the U.S., 24 percent of stillbirths were caused by blood clots or other placenta abnormalities.)"

http://www.propublica.org/article/still ... fetal-harm

So there is multiple reasons for this stillbirth and yet they choose to waste time, money & resources on this stupid case.

[Childless]

Law that didn't pass... so far in virginia. If thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/05/20/2035411/virginia-gop-nominee-for-attorney-general-would-force-women-to-report-their-miscarriages-to-police/

And, currently, kansas is trying to put this into play.

What a great way to ensure women don't get prenatal treatment. I would certainly be hesitant to let anyone (even a doctor) know I was pregnant in case I miscarried and someone tried to throw me in jail over it. Apparently, these idiots really don't know how a woman's body works because a woman can be pregnant for 5 to 6 months (and sometimes even longer) without anyone being able to tell. But then, maybe that's their goal. A clever way to deny women health coverage and save big business money without having to run afoul of those pesky anti-discrimination laws. I wouldn't put it past them.

Republicans: So pro-life, we're going to pass laws that make it less likely a woman would seek prenatal care for her fetus. Cause we love the babies so much! :roll:

[2xx1xy1JD]

There are good reasons for ACOG to be opposed to this prosecution.

Not all pregnant women live perfect lives. If they are using drugs like crack, it's not a rational choice - it's more likely to be an addiction. Chances are, they are more likely to have unstable housing, poor nutrition, lack stable employment, be involved in risky behavior (like crime or sex work) to pay for the drugs, and lack good medical care. Laws will not make these women stop using drugs while pregnant - it's already illegal, it's already dangerous, and if they could stop using without help, they would have done so. They may, however, fear the legal consequences enough that they would take steps to avoid getting caught. For a group that is already marginalized, this could be enough to persuade them to avoid any prenatal care, and to avoid telling anyone about the pregnancy for as long as possible. It may even lead some to avoid seeking medical attention while giving birth, or having pregnancy complications.

That would be tragic, because treatment for addicted pregnant women can be effective. I've had clients who were motivated to come off cocaine during their pregnancies - but it doesn't always happen instantly, and they don't always give up all vices (one, for example, continued to smoke pot). The babies will need extra care, but many of them can go on to lead normal lives - but not if they end up in a dumpster, or abused and neglected in a crack house, because their mother was too scared of the law and decided to drop off the radar.

Also, not everything that is illegal harms pregnancies, and not everything that is legal is safe. In terms of permanent damage to the fetus, alcohol abuse is often more dangerous.

[Mama Mia]

There are good reasons for ACOG to be opposed to this prosecution.

Not all pregnant women live perfect lives. If they are using drugs like crack, it's not a rational choice - it's more likely to be an addiction. Chances are, they are more likely to have unstable housing, poor nutrition, lack stable employment, be involved in risky behavior (like crime or sex work) to pay for the drugs, and lack good medical care. Laws will not make these women stop using drugs while pregnant - it's already illegal, it's already dangerous, and if they could stop using without help, they would have done so. They may, however, fear the legal consequences enough that they would take steps to avoid getting caught. For a group that is already marginalized, this could be enough to persuade them to avoid any prenatal care, and to avoid telling anyone about the pregnancy for as long as possible. It may even lead some to avoid seeking medical attention while giving birth, or having pregnancy complications.

That would be tragic, because treatment for addicted pregnant women can be effective. I've had clients who were motivated to come off cocaine during their pregnancies - but it doesn't always happen instantly, and they don't always give up all vices (one, for example, continued to smoke pot). The babies will need extra care, but many of them can go on to lead normal lives - but not if they end up in a dumpster, or abused and neglected in a crack house, because their mother was too scared of the law and decided to drop off the radar.

Also, not everything that is illegal harms pregnancies, and not everything that is legal is safe. In terms of permanent damage to the fetus, alcohol abuse is often more dangerous.

Not to mention that with some illegal substances it causes MORE harm to the fetus to go they withdrawals. For instance with heroin it is very dangerous to stop cold turkey while pregnant. Getting substance addicted women to get prenatal care is hard enough without these kind of ridiculous laws.