Nebraska Woman Denied Abortion Even as Uterus Crushed Fetus

[ceg045]

Danielle Deaver was 22 weeks pregnant when her water broke and doctors gave her a devastating prognosis: With undeveloped lungs, the baby likely would never survive outside the womb, and because all the amniotic fluid had drained, the tiny growing fetus slowly would be crushed by the uterus walls.

"What we learned from the perinatologist was that because there was no cushion, she couldn't move her arms and legs because of contractures," said Deaver, a 34-year-old nurse from Grand Isle, Neb. "And her face and head would be deformed because the uterus pushed down so hard."

After having had three miscarriages, Deaver and her husband, Robb Deaver, looked for every medical way possible to save the baby. Deaver's prior pregnancy ended the same way at 15 weeks, and doctors induced her to spare the pain.

But this time, when the couple sought the same procedure, doctors could not legally help them.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/20-week-ab ... d=13116214

[debrand]

I read the article and I don't understand how anyone can think that letting the baby slowly be crushed to death is better then inducing labor. It makes absolutely no sense.

Taking the lead from Nebraska this week, the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted 94 to 2 to similarly ban abortion later than 20 weeks of gestation in what it called the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act." Bill 1888 will go on to the state Senate.

"It's a very sad situation all around," said Rep. Pam Peterson, who sponsored the Oklahoma bill. "It's about the humanness. These unborn babies are in excruciating pain in the abortion process at 20 weeks."We know they feel pain early on -- there is medical evidence

Rep. Pam Peterson doesn't give a damn about the fetus' pain. IF she actually cared she would admit that inducing labor would be far more humane then allowing the uterus to crush the fetus to death.

[BelieveinScience]

So it's better to be crushed to death over a period of time than to have a quick abortion that would end the suffereing? Mmkay makes a lot of sense.

[gustava]

These politicians will go to the hot place....the very, very hot place.

[Stickers]

I'm not very well read on the subject, as it's hard to come by factual science based information. But at 22 weeks I'm not sure if being crushed to death would be more painful then being born and dying. I think something about being in utero can lull senses, but amniotic fluid might play a role is that and here it drained.

But no matter what, I think it'd be more painful for the women walk around knowing her body was killing her baby. These people just plainly hate women.

[ilovetchotchkes]

So it's better to be crushed to death over a period of time than to have a quick abortion that would end the suffereing? Mmkay makes a lot of sense.

You took the words right out of my mouth... erm, keyboard.

[Minerva]

I'm not very well read on the subject, as it's hard to come by factual science based information. But at 22 weeks I'm not sure if being crushed to death would be more painful then being born and dying. I think something about being in utero can lull senses, but amniotic fluid might play a role is that and here it drained.

But no matter what, I think it'd be more painful for the women walk around knowing her body was killing her baby. These people just plainly hate women.

It's pretty much established that the neural pathways required to feel...well anything aren't developed enough to be functional until 24 weeks. So at that point, amniotic fluid's got nothing to do with it. But yes, it would be considerably more traumatic to birth a crushed baby after days of knowing it's in there dying than to just be induced.

[Peas n carrots]

It really makes me sad...my home state is apparently jumped into the competition on trying to be the most conservative state. I state again, the anti-choice movement isn't about saving babies, it is about pushing through an agenda to punish women for having sex.

[Lillybee]

This is the story of a woman who was denied an abortion in the ER. It is totally scary.

http://www.salon.com/2011/05/26/abortion_saved_my_life/

[3 is enough]

The thing that really bothers me about this is that it has become a matter of semantics. She wasn't asking for an abortion in the traditional sense, she wanted to have to have labor induced. True, technically it was an abortion because she was terminating the pregnancy, but the fetus wasn't going to be cut out of her- the "fetuses can feel pain" argument doesn't apply here. The baby wasn't going to live anyhow, and continuing the pregnancy would cause the baby to suffer as she was being crushed by the uterus.

I can't believe this is happening in 2012. My childbearing days are over, but I fear for my daughter and future granddaughters.

[ADoyle90815]

Stories like this are very scary because if the woman-hating nuts get elected, women will die because a fetus is seen as more valuable than the living incubator who might have other children who need her. It's a reminder for us women to get out and vote to tell these sexist assholes that we're tired of their shit. I'm voting because I'm scared for the society my niece and her future daughter might grow up in.

[PennySycamore]

I fear for my daughters and granddaughters, too, 3 is enough.

Btw, didn't a certain conservative politician's wife have labor induced at the same point of pregnancy? Oh,what's her name? Yeah, it was Karen Santorum, Frothy's wife

[Red]

I can't believe this is happening in 2012. My childbearing days are over, but I fear for my daughter and future granddaughters.

Exactly. I have seven daughters, the oldest of whom is engaged and may try to conceive as early as next year. She's juuuust barely too young to vote in the 2012 elections, born in late November, very ironic considering how much the 2012 elections could affect her.

[Third]

At 22 weeks it's possible the baby could have lived. Babies have survived at 22 weeks. Even if she most likely passed away the parents could have held her, said their goodbyes etc. I do not see how you can say you value life and then would let someone he crushed to death. Most of us would prefer a quick death vs a slow extremely painful one.

[Lainey]

This is the story of a woman who was denied an abortion in the ER. It is totally scary.

http://www.salon.com/2011/05/26/abortion_saved_my_life/

This makes me fucking furious. I don't understand the sudden war on women in the US. Why all at once? Why now? What's happening? It makes no sense to me. :(

[SpeshulTaterTot]

I just don't understand how in this case people cann still be all, "OMG abortion is ebil!!1!!!111!!", when clearly, this woman would give anything to have a healthy baby. How dare these people talk about humaneness? How humane is it to let a woman who longs to be a mother walk around for days knowing her baby is dying inside of her? I don't get it at all.

It's sad that a country like the US seems to have declared a war on women.

[Katiebug]

The thing that really bothers me about this is that it has become a matter of semantics. She wasn't asking for an abortion in the traditional sense, she wanted to have to have labor induced. True, technically it was an abortion because she was terminating the pregnancy, but the fetus wasn't going to be cut out of her- the "fetuses can feel pain" argument doesn't apply here. The baby wasn't going to live anyhow, and continuing the pregnancy would cause the baby to suffer as she was being crushed by the uterus.

I can't believe this is happening in 2012. My childbearing days are over, but I fear for my daughter and future granddaughters.

I have heard of parents who have a fatal or poor prenatal diagnosis choosing to induce prior to viability so that they have the opportunity to see and hold their babies. I've also heard that in terms of access and emotional support it's easier to induce prior to viability than have a 2nd trimester abortion, at least in this area (a liberal New England state).

My childbearing days are not over. We have a toddler daughter and I wonder what kind of world she'll grow up in. My husband and I are able to decide when we'll have children and how many we'll have, and I just want her to have the same rights. We're pretty pro-life for ourselves, but in our view an unplanned but healthy pregnancy is very different from one in which my life is at risk before viability or there's no way for the baby to make it.

The story about the woman being denied an abortion (really, a D&E) in the ER when she was bleeding out was very frightening. This is why I'd take the extra 5 minutes to get to "our" hospital with my OB or the on-call doctor from his practice. Since one or two of the OBs also work at Planned Parenthood, I have a sneaking suspicion that I would get appropriate care. Our hospital here in town is affiliated with a Catholic hospital and I don't know the extent of the affiliation, so I wouldn't go there for anything related to pregnancy.

[browngrl]

This is a sad story and I am very sorry for the parents. While I support a woman's right to have an abortion, I am not at all sure that this case should have been managed differently. IMO this case is not about abortion - it is about the management of a high risk pregnancy.

Severe oligohydramnios (very low amniotic fluid) is a problem with a bad prognosis. Management largely involves diagnosing why the fluid is so very low, trying to increase the fluid, maturing the fetal lungs,preventing premature labour and preventing infection in the mother. Managing expectantly (as was done in this case) at this gestational stage is reasonable - and all things considered - it is probably the safest option for both mother and baby.

[Spider Burps]

Exactly. I have seven daughters, the oldest of whom is engaged and may try to conceive as early as next year. She's juuuust barely too young to vote in the 2012 elections, born in late November, very ironic considering how much the 2012 elections could affect her.

Your daughter is too young to vote, but is planning to become a parent as early as next year? Wow. Maybe you should encourage her to take advantage of birth control for a few years while it's still, you know, legal.

[BoomerLynn]

This is the story of a woman who was denied an abortion in the ER. It is totally scary.

http://www.salon.com/2011/05/26/abortion_saved_my_life/

This doctor needs to either lose his license to practice or at least open a private clinic where he is the sole decision-maker (preferably option 1). It is completely inexcusable that an ER doctor is able to deny a life-saving procedure to his patient. His JOB is to save lives. If he refuses to do what needs to be done he is in the wrong line of work. I don't care what his stance on abortion is, the fetus was going to die no matter what. Clearly if he had any value for life at all, he would at least try to save one life, and not leave 2 other children without a mother and a husband without his wife. This whole war on women is making me very afraid to live in this country, especially for my daughter.

[2xx1xy1JD]

If some lawmakers can impose 24 waiting periods and mandatory ultrasounds on women seeking abortion, I propose that we have something similar for those opposed to legal abortion.

Prior to voting on any abortion-related law or implementing any abortion-related policy, there would be a 24 hour waiting period. Prior to this waiting period, the person would be required to watch graphic video footage of exactly what fetuses and babies may need to go through in cases where appropriate care is denied, and would also be required to watch graphic footage of what could happen to pregnant women who are in danger of bleeding to death or developing massive infections from premature rupture of membranes. In additions to being forced to watch the footage, they would be required to hear a detailed explanation of what was happening from a doctor, and to listen to the anguished sobs of family members of women who died.

[slickcat79]

I just don't understand how in this case people cann still be all, "OMG abortion is ebil!!1!!!111!!", when clearly, this woman would give anything to have a healthy baby. How dare these people talk about humaneness? How humane is it to let a woman who longs to be a mother walk around for days knowing her baby is dying inside of her? I don't get it at all.

Yeah, that. My cousin posted a bit of pro-life propaganda on FB last week; it was a picture of a fetus, supposedly showing burns from a saline abortion:

It was also filled with lies about how abortion is legal in all nine months, and claimed that the fetus in question was 4.5 months old when clearly age =/= gestational development. It also claimed the abortion was performed at around 20 weeks, but the fetus looks much larger and more developed than many living micropremies that I've seen pictures of. An abortion performed past the 20 week mark doesn't just happen because the slutty woman gets tired of being pregnant; there's something wrong there. I feel tons of sympathy for a woman who discovers that her wanted fetus has a condition incompatible with life. It's so irritating that so-called pro-life people can't think beyond "OMG you are MURDERING your baybeeeeee!!1!1!!"

[Kitty]

Is the headline really all that accurate? She wanted to be induced to give birth to a living child, even though the child wouldn't actually live very long. Is it really an abortion then?

Of course, a fetus feeling pain is totally why you can't get an abortion, but it's perfectly fine to sit around while it gets crushed to death by its mother's uterus. This is why lawmakers shouldn't decide on medical care, unless it's improving access to it.

I admit to not being an expert on fetal development, but fundies are awful at it. Look up pictures of Josie Duggar at birth, the fetus slickcat79 posted (behind the spoiler) is NOT a 25-week old fetus, let alone 20 weeks. That's a fetus much further along. Also, saline abortions aren't done anymore, anywhere in the US, because of the risk of the fetus surviving with deformities thanks to the saline.

I wonder what fundies would say about the fact that only 300 third-trimester abortions are done PER YEAR. You know, due to anencephaly or other problems that would result in either a stillbirth or a baby dying within hours or days, not because the mother is simply tired of being pregnant. That's not even the case in the second trimester, either.

[Visionoyahweh]

I wonder what fundies would say about the fact that only 300 third-trimester abortions are done PER YEAR. You know, due to anencephaly or other problems that would result in either a stillbirth or a baby dying within hours or days, not because the mother is simply tired of being pregnant. That's not even the case in the second trimester, either.

This annoys me to no end. They simply pretend that these situations don't exist. Until it happens to them, wonderful exceptions to the rule that they are. Then it's abort away! :x

[smores]

I got induced for severe oligahydraminos and pre-e, which frequently go together. But instead of, you know, actually inducing me right away in the Catholic hospital (which I now regret choosing), they decided waiting over a week for me to hit 37 weeks was the right thing to do. They put my life in danger several times because they believed it would be better for the baby. (ETA: one of these times was refusing to give me additional BP medication when I got very, very close to eclampsia, with a bp of 190/120 with medication. Because the baby was doing fine on the monitor, it wasn't an issue.)

I hate every month that I write a check to them to pay that stupid bill off, thinking about the kinds of games they played with my health. They don't give two shits about pregnant women.