The comments button is at the bottom right of this post.
The NZ Herald is reporting difficulties with finding nurses to do second-trimester abortions (13-18 weeks gestation). Here’s some excerpts from that article:
In papers written for a committee meeting today, the general manager of the board’s National Women’s Health Service, Kay Hyman, said the second trimester surgical abortion service was at “critical” risk.
[...]
Yesterday, however, she said the problem of having too few nurses prepared to take part in surgical abortions for women up to 18 weeks pregnant had been resolved a fortnight ago by employing some who did not object, and by changes to staff rosters.”[It is] an issue of nurses expressing an unwillingness to continue contributing to this particular service. It’s not an area of practice where many staff choose or are comfortable to work.”
[...]
Abortion Law Reform Association president Margaret Sparrow said staffing abortion services generally did not pose problems, although those for the second trimester were more difficult.
“A lot of those nurses are quite happy to be involved in early abortions but with the increasing gestation they do find it difficult.”
Dr Sparrow said this was because of the greater development of the fetus, “rather than having a complete moral objection to abortion“. [emphasis added]
The last three paragraphs get to the heart of the matter. With an early abortion the baby is slightly less recognisable as a baby and I expect that it is more likely to be obscured by the placenta and other tissues (click here for graphic pictures of the results of early abortions, see also the picture below). With a later abortion the baby is much more recognisable, as shown by the pictures at the end of this post.
I am reminded of those murderers who mutilate the faces of their victims in order to depersonalise (dehumanise) them and make the murder easier. Likewise, it is easier for nurses to maintain the fiction that “it’s just a piece of tissue” when the baby is harder to recognise as a baby.
What can we learn from the staffing difficulties of the abortion “service”? To me it clearly shows that killing unborn babies is an act contrary to human nature, and that like all murder it takes a toll on those who commit it. Compare this with life-giving nursing, which has attracted (mainly) women for centuries and has proven to be a rewarding and fulfilling career for many of them.
Giving and nurturing life is what God designed us to do (especially women), and when we act in accordance with God’s design the road is smoother. Abortion nurses find that the road is rough when our actions are contrary to God’s design so they look for an alternative.
What do you think about the points that I have made here?
***
See also Abortion: is an unwanted baby a trespasser?
Click here to see graphic pictures showing what happens to babies who are murdered/aborted.
***
Click on the photos for information regarding what the baby is doing at each stage plus the source.
8 weeks gestation, length about ½ to ¾ inch
(Little trouble finding nurses for abortions at this stage)
16 weeks gestation, length about 4-5 inches
(Trouble finding nurses for abortions done at 13 weeks+)
18 weeks gestation, length about 5-6 inches
~~~~~~~~~~
![](http://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1"> <input type="hidden" name="encrypted" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- "> </form>)
ok.. Abortion is wrong, and i DON’T care who you are. I’m 17 years old, and i feel that you are making a BIG mistake when you call, or make the decision to get an anortion.
You are killing an innocent baby, because your selfish, and its obvious that you only care about yourself.
Abortion SHOUD NEVER cross your mind while pregnant.
If you didn’t want a baby, than you shouldn’t have opened your legs.
Comment by Kim — February 6, 2009 @ 4:23 am
Kim: I quite agree with what you say. Sex almost always carries the risk of pregnancy.
You may be interested in this post:
http://christianclassicalliberalist.wordpress.com/2008/11/14/abortion-is-an-unwanted-baby-a-trespasser/
Comment by kiwipolemicist — February 6, 2009 @ 11:02 am
[...] Nurses find late term abortions difficult [...]
Pingback by Octuplets result of IVF: what are the ethical issues? « Kiwi Polemicist — February 8, 2009 @ 8:33 am
It frankly amazes me that Christians are so vehemently against abortion.
Have you forgotten it was the Christian God that drowned everyone on the planet in the genocidal great flood (excepting of course, the polygamist, drunk Noah and his brats. The off-spring of whom, by definition, went on to indulge in incest) – did this act of mass murder include (a.) pregnant woman (b.) babies/infants that were too young to know what was right and what was wrong?
Did the Christian God not kill hundreds of thousands if not millions of pregnant women and babies/toddlers?
Is not the termination of a pregnacy an abortion?
So God is an abortionist (and mass-murderer) on a scale never seen again, right?
Has this one escaped you CCL?
Cheers.
Paul
Comment by Paul from Canterbury Atheists Blog — February 18, 2009 @ 7:12 am
Paul: I know that you won’t agree with this, but there is a difference between God executing judgement and a woman murdering her baby. God is entitled to execute judgement, a woman is not entitled to murder her baby.
It’s all very simple:
1) God made the universe, therefore he owns it and he makes the rules
2) Every person has sinned and deserves the death penalty for sin
3) God is merciful and does not want people to die so Jesus died and paid the death penalty for us (he also came back to life to remind us that he is stronger than death). It is like a judge imposing a fine then offering to write a cheque and pay the fine
4) Those who do not accept the offer of the cheque will suffer punishment and final destruction: hell is not a place of endless torture {because God is not a sadist}, it is a place of final death
5) God is entitled to destroy anyone such as yourself who refuses the offer of the cheque, but instead he gives you unmerited favour and allows you to live so that you have plenty of opportunities for accepting the cheque
I know that you do not believe any of this, but it is the truth whether or not you acknowledge it as the truth. Likewise “the sun rises in the east” is true even if you believe that it rises in the southwest. That is the nature of objective truth.
Remember this always: God is not a cruel spoil-sport, he is love
Comment by kiwipolemicist — February 19, 2009 @ 12:19 am
I must stop employing temporal logic, before reading things like this, but if I’ve got this right……
The truth as you see it, is: I should believe and follow a God, that would murder children and the unborn that he himself created sinful and then lost patience with, and refer to him as a loving God, despite his genocidal tendencies and the fact he made the problem and then decided to wipe the slate clean & then picked a drunkard, polygamist like Noah to save mankind and his relatives to engage in incest, which we are all by definition, the offspring of.
What bit did I get wrong, in this summation?
Sorry, I began getting a headache, half way through.
Cheers.
Paul
Comment by Paul from Canterbury Atheists Blog — February 19, 2009 @ 9:14 pm
Paul: thank you for your comment. I do not agree with what you say, but I will continue to defend your right to say it.
Comment by kiwipolemicist — February 24, 2009 @ 8:46 pm
I merely stumbled upon this site looking for pictures of what the fantastic miracle growing inside of me now may look like. Unfortunatley, I read some horrible (as well as horribly inaccurate) comments posted. I MUST reply.
I do not understand how anyone can defend the right for a woman to kill her unborn child. I bet you don’t agree with the death penalty or animal abuse. People like you are the real hypocrites.
The bottom line is that it is not our decision to decide who continues to live a mortal life and who doesn’t. Some of us feel that only God can make that judgment. For you to criticize people for having certain beliefs is disturbing. It sounds to me like you are only trying to amuse yourself. It amuses me that people like you will argue to no end about something they have nothing to do with (unless you are just relentlessly trying to erase the guilt you have for having to do with an abortion yourself in some way). Because as far as I can tell, nobody named Paul will need to make a trip to the clinic any time soon.
Lastly, everyone knows that the stories of the Bible cannot be taken literally. Of course, anyone with a functioning brain can figure out the messages without actually thinking that some guy packed every species in the current world unto some massive ark he built himself and floated around until the water receded (or any of the other sensational stories included in the Bible for that matter).
People like you just have to be condescending jerks because most christians have a blind faith and can easily be backed into a corner with your ridiculous questioning. God isn’t a killer. He manifested life and death. While we see things as wrong and unjust, it is basically a transition to a life eternal. Mortal injury and death are not all that bad in the whole scheme of things. However, it isn’t our choice.
We all know nature is cruel. The cycle of life and eveything about it is unforgiving. But for you or anyone else to conclude that someone is worth saving isn’t right. Whether someone is a mass murderer or an unwanted baby, no mortal being has a right to decide if he/she shall live or die.
That’s the point of it. If you need to harass innocent, naive, God-fearing people to help yourself sleep at night, I think may need to talk to a therapist.
Comment by Mother2B — March 2, 2009 @ 12:45 pm
Mother2B: thank you for your comment. You say that everyone knows that the stories of the Bible cannot be taken literally; I would respectfully like to disagree, because myself and many others know that the stories of the Bible can be taken literally.
For example, extensive research has been done into the historicity (truthfulness) of the story about Noah’s Ark. Also, understanding that the book of Genesis is a true historical account is critical to avoiding the problem of having a “blind faith”. Please see http://tinyurl.com/djcmkc
Comment by kiwipolemicist — March 2, 2009 @ 4:53 pm
I think it doesnt matter what any of you believe it should be kept to your selves!their is a situation for each person in life ..It’s not right to judge anyone!People that judge are not right!this is why their is so much crime!you should all be ashamed of your selves!
Comment by pissed off mommy.. — March 8, 2009 @ 4:54 pm
pissed off mommy: thank you for your comment. I do not agree with what you say, but I will continue to defend your right to say it.
Comment by Kiwi Polemicist — March 10, 2009 @ 10:48 am
I completely agree with mother2b,
One other thing, I am a catholic and i believe in god but dont anyone try and tell me that the bible was written by god because it wasnt, it was written by some sexist men, some accounts are correct and some are not.
Comment by Mum of 1 soon of 2 should have been 3 — April 23, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
Mum of 1 soon of 2 should have been 3: thank you for your comment. I do not agree with what you say, but I will continue to defend your right to say it.
Comment by Kiwi Polemicist — April 25, 2009 @ 10:06 am
I personally could not have an abortion, however, that being said it is a woman’s choice what she wants to do with her body. Christianity and or religion have no place in this medical decision, she has to make peace with herself and no one has the right to judge her until they have walked in her exact shoes, in her exact circumstances. That is all I have to say about it.
Comment by Andrea — May 9, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
Andrea: thank you for your comment. I do not agree with what you say, but I will continue to defend your right to say it.
Comment by Kiwi Polemicist — May 13, 2009 @ 9:44 pm
When I was younger I would have said that everyone should have a right to have an abortion if that was what they felt was best, but having had a little baby inside me made me realise that a baby is a baby no matter how old or where they are. That is inside or outside a stomach. I praise God that I was never in a position to chose life or death for another human being cause I would have made the wrong decision and it would have been a terrible thing to live with. For any who did end up making bad decisions I do know that there is forgiveness in the precious blood of Jesus.
Comment by older now — July 11, 2009 @ 8:51 am
older now: I’m glad that you understand these things and didn’t make a wrong decision
You’re right about forgiveness being available.
A certain portion of the pro-abortionists are woman who have never had children and I wonder if they’d think differently if they had a child. Our former prime minister was a pro-abortion woman with a very low opinion of children and none of her own:
http://kiwipolemicist.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/election-2008-john-key-likes-children-helen-clark-loathes-children/
Comment by Kiwi Polemicist — July 11, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
I’m currently prego, and for the longest time I thought that abortion would be the best thing for me. I had alot going on. I just started school, and wasn’t ready for the whole “mommy to be” idea. Not to mention I was eighteen, and had no insurance whatsoever, but there are alot of groups out there that can help. I spent many nights troubled with what to do, and ultimately I decided keeping it was the best thing for me. Yes, I would have to upset loved ones, but in the end they would be there for me and the baby. I completely understand why some people would think abortion is the best thing for them, and in some cases it is. Before I was pregnant, however, my views on abortion were completely different. I felt it was one of the worst things you could ever do. Afterall for the most part you did put yourself in the situation in the first place. If your not ready to have a baby, don’t have sex. Be smart! For the most part, abortion is your decision, but hopefully you choose the right one for you.
Comment by Alison — September 6, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
Alison: I generally agree with what you say, but I do not agree when you say that abortion is sometimes the best thing for people. Abortion has severe physical and psychological effects. If a woman is unable to raise a baby the best option is adoption: that will save her some grief and bring joy to others. More importantly, it will keep the baby alive.
Comment by Kiwi Polemicist — September 7, 2009 @ 10:09 am
i am 17 yrs. old and am 5 months along with my 3rd. children are a blessing @ any age, i have had an abortion before and it was the most detremantal thing that has ever happened to me. i regret it every day. i am engaged and have been with my fiance’ for almost 5 yrs. we love each other, and we love our children very much. Abortion is not the answer….unfortunetly I LEARNED THAT THE HARD WAY.
Comment by mother of3 — October 29, 2009 @ 3:37 pm
I had 2 abortions because I cared less about getting pregnant as I knew abortion was an option. I made those decisions because I was being selfish and as a teenager, i didn’t want to get fat and didn’t want the responsibility. Since then, I have always wonder what those babies would have looked liked. On Every due dates for those abortions I always think I would’ve been celebrating my child’s birthday. Going back, I should never have done that. There is plenty of birth control available, and if you’re old enough to open your legs, you’re old enough to know you can get pregnant and is our responsibility to prevent a pregnancy. I think most people don’t care because they know abortion is legal and available. Should abortion be illegal, trust me most girls/boys will make sure to use birth control. I think abortion should only be available for certain cases like rape and also there should be a cut off time. It doesn’t make sense women having abortions at 12+ weeks of gestation. FKING RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!
Comment by Ariel B — November 16, 2009 @ 5:43 am
Ariel B: history shows that when abortions are illegal women will get illegal abortions done.
It doesn’t make sense women having abortions at 12+ weeks of gestation.
With all due respect, I don’t see what difference the length of gestation makes. Abortion is always murder.
Comment by Kiwi Polemicist — November 16, 2009 @ 7:22 am