I'm sure many people this morning will have seen this article in The Guardian. It is an article about murder charges being brought against women who suffer miscarriage and still birth in some American States. I'm sure most of you are as outraged as I am!
It is completely inappropriate to demonise and punish women who sadly loose their babies before, during or after birth without considerable, undeniable proof of wrong doing.
Miscarriage is surprisingly common and not something that the women who suffer the loss of their baby have control over. Those of us who have lost babies through miscarriage burden ourselves more than enough with unfounded guilt without needing societies judgement.
Still birth is a cruel event which causes untold pain and suffering for the parents who loose a child this way. It is physically, emotionally and socially torturous and in no way something that anyone would engineer.
The article brings together a broad range of issues from antenatal depression to drug abuse to the abortion debate; in fact it can be confusing in it's breadth. I will not deal with all of these. But I will say.....
Drug abuse and depression are psychological issues for which an individual needs support not condemnation
Poor diet, smoking and drinking during pregnancy are often the result of lack of education for mothers.
I believe in the value of life.
I long for better care for mothers and babies prior to birth.
I will support women who loose their baby before, during or after birth.
If any good can come from this article is it raising the very real and painful experience of baby loss; the women who have to live through the death of their child need support not accusation.
1 comment:
I agree completely. Like you I was astounded and dismayed by reading about the women still in custody after losing their babies. Pray it never crosses the Atlantic!
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