Last year we had a cluster of micropreemies complete with the cluster of desperate, scared parents that went with them. Our unit is small, 17 beds, and when you have 6 or 7 micropreemies with HFJV, multiple drips, bililights ect. , it was a very intimidating environment for parents not to mention the nurses having to deal with the parents and the babies. Our unit is on the ground floor and our windows look out onto the parking lot and a street that runs by the hospital. Directly above us is the PCN and directly above that is mother- infant. One day I had to go to the unit for a class. As I work nights I am not usually there during the afternoon. Imagine my surprise, horror, disgust, dismay to approach the hospital riding down the street beside my unit and see the anti-abortion protesters there. Apparently there is a doc at our hospital that does abortions. The protesters were there with their signs and pictures of dead babies. I wanted to stop and shake the living daylights out of these morons. They were right IN FRONT of the NICU!!!
waiting for the news crews to come film their antics.
I wouldnt deny anyone their free speech and if they want to spend their time carrying around pictures of dead babies and snappy pro-life slogans then more power to them but they should not be allowed to pick their location cart blanche. I was just about livid thinking of all these scared parents trying to visit their sick babies (some dying), or the new moms with healthy babies having to look out and see that. My NM didn't think there was anything we could do. I really wanted to confront them and at least ask if they knew that where they were standing was causing more pain to some folks who already had enough to deal with. In the end I didnt do anything but that wasn't because of my normally docile, non-confrontational self. It was because I knew that if I found out that these people had intentionally picked that location I would have lost it. I was that mad and the protesters would probably have gotten the publicity they were looking for.
Personally, I dont fit into either category. I would not have an abortion for convenience sake. I think I could only consider it under very terrible circumstances. Fortunately I never had to do that and refuse to cast judgement on any parent who has had to walk where I have never tread.
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