Trigger Warning: Infant death
The forced birth movement has always used lies to push their agenda. It’s just a part of their toolbox. Sometimes these lies can be hard to combat — “partial birth abortion,” has become part of the lexicon now, even though it doesn’t exist. Lies about Planned Parenthood have made it all the way to Congress, with Republicans trying repeatedly to defund that organization using doctored videos as an excuse.
I’m sure you’ve seen the latest lie they are pushing. It’s amazing to me how quickly this went from an intentional misunderstanding of something Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said into conventional wisdom among the forced birth set. Here’s what he said when asked about the state’s controversial abortion bill that would have loosened restrictions on third trimester abortion in the state:
The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired. And then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.
This is how the quote is generally presented by them, but it is totally out of context. Governor Northam was awkward with his wording, but what he was talking about was situations in which a baby is born that will not survive. Here’s the quote with the part they tend to leave out:
[Third trimester abortions are] done in cases where there may be severe deformities. There may be a fetus that's nonviable. So in this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired. And then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.
This quote, taken out of context, has been twisted into “after-birth abortion,” and has become the new “Planned Parenthood sells baby parts” style lie.
Here’s the President last night:
Trump isn’t the one who made this up. I’ve had people on Twitter and elsewhere who I sometimes cautiously engage tell me with complete certainty that women are allowed to give birth and then decide if they want the baby to live or not. As if 1. that’s totally legal and not at all murder and 2. ANY mother would do that and finally 3. ANY doctor would do that. They take the Democrat’s opposition to new laws outlawing this thing that never happens as proof that “after-birth abortion” is something we support.
The real tragedy of this is that situations in which a very much wanted pregnancy ends in the birth of a boy or girl who cannot survive outside the womb happen with heartbreaking frequency. Any law the Republicans manage to pass in response to this new lie is only going to make those situations harder for everyone involved.
Julia Pulver is a nurse and was a candidate for the Michigan State Senate in 2018. She posted a thread about this last night. I’m sorry to post so many tweets, but I felt this was important to share (content warning: this is about infant death):
I’ve seen other women share their stories about these tragedies. It’s a shame that they are being forced to come forward because of the craven lies told by a movement that claims righteousness.
It’s a testament to how readily the forced birth movement propagates and believes lies that this became a part of their mythology so quickly. I watched it happen in real time and it was shockingly quick. This particular lie is deeply insidious and has the real potential to get people who work in or visit women’s clinics killed.
i honestly don’t know how to combat it effectively.
Updated to add:
Care of Catte Nappe, here’s a more readable version of that Twitter thread:
Thread: As a NICU nurse, I served on the “Bereavement Team.” We were a special team of Nurses tough enough to help new parents go through the worst day of their lives. Parents of babies who had fought so hard for their tiny little lives and weren’t going to make it... 1/
And parents of babies who, after they were born, and wouldn’t have their moms body keeping them alive, would die rather quickly. As these small bodies were failing, it was our job to be there with the parents at every step, give them support, and do our best to make some .../2
Memories of their precious babies that could help easy their impending and overwhelming grief. When heroic measures failed or a baby without a brain or working lungs or heart was born, we knew the end was near, and we encouraged the parents to be present in these finals moments/3
We placed the babies skin to skin with mom and placed a blanket over them both. We lowered the lights and quieted the room. We had as much or as little family and the parents wanted in the room. We sang songs, we prayed, we hugged, we swayed... and we all cried. 4/
I cried until my throat burned for this family who has just had to endure the unthinkable. We were in the moment with those families. We took pictures, even for the ones who were too traumatized to think they’d ever want to see them, just in case they did. We made footprints 5/
We put a lock of hair into a ribbon. We measured the babies length and marked it on a tape measure. We made special tiny white gowns and hats for our angels. We created a memory box for these families who were losing their child that day. 6/
So yes, there are those in hospitals who are around infants who pass: they are the Bereavement Teams & they provide the equivalent of neonatal hospice to families who are living through absolute Hell. Babies and children die, it’s a sad part of life. But no one, absolutely /7
NO ONE ever, in any hospital, nor any mother who has just given birth, is conspiring with a doctor on whether or not to commit infanticide. This is perhaps one of the sickest accusations levied by this deranged dictator yet. Don’t believe a word he says about anything important//
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