Two-minus-one pregnancy

[Elvish]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/magazine/the-two-minus-one-pregnancy.html?pagewanted=1&smid=fb-nytimes

As Jenny lay on the obstetrician's examination table, she was grateful that the ultrasound tech had turned off the overhead screen. She didn't want to see the two shadows floating inside her. Since making her decision, she had tried hard not to think about them, though she could often think of little else. She was 45 and pregnant after six years of fertility bills, ovulation injections, donor eggs and disappointment-and yet here she was, 14 weeks into her pregnancy, choosing to extinguish one of two healthy fetuses, almost as if having half an abortion. As the doctor inserted the needle into Jenny's abdomen, aiming at one of the fetuses, Jenny tried not to flinch, caught between intense relief and intense guilt.

Unintended consequences of reproductive technology?

[klone, MSN, RN]

I will say that I am fairly pro-choice, but this makes me uneasy. I would not be comfortable assisting with this procedure knowing I was helping "reduce" a healthy baby.

Would it make a difference to you if there were 3 or 4 (or more) babies inside her instead of 2?

I am very pro-choice, and that includes selective reduction. I've learned over the years that even if it's not something I would do personally, I have learned to be accepting of any choice a woman makes WRT her fertility. I would not selectively reduce twins, but I do not judge the woman who doesn't feel like she's emotionally/mentally able to handle two newborns.

[decembergrad2011, BSN, RN]

Single replacement?? I'd like to think my life was worth more than just being a "spare".... geez

I meant to phrase it in a way that was not emotional because it's not for me. I don't think our earth can continue to support every family having a lot of children for years to come. I'm sorry if you feel differently about it. You may notice that I also do not believe that my belief about family size should be forced upon anyone

[klone, MSN, RN]

Single replacement?? I'd like to think my life was worth more than just being a "spare".... geez

I think by "single replacement" she means "zero population growth" - you reproduce just enough to replace yourself, no more.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

This is the sort of scenario that changed me from a lukewarm pro-choicer to a staunch pro-lifer. Sometimes, there are TOO MANY choices, and humans just don't handle them well. 'nuff said (by me anyhow).

This article alone is enough to change me from a lukewarm pro-choicer to a staunch pro-lifer.

Shame on them. They have manipulated the creative process every which way they can and then violated it.

[Hushi05]

For those who have changed from "lukewarm pro-choicers" to "staunch pro-lifers", how would you craft a law to make some abortions ok and some not which would account for the myriad circumstances of each woman?

[futurenicunurse2008]

I am pro-choice but this article makes me sad I respect her right to choose but it feels wrong. Maybe she should have thought of these things before impregnating herself,especially when she had older children. I guess it felt very selfish to me. Its not like she was medically in danger at that point. Again I am pro choice but I dont think it should be treated like a commodity. I dont know it made me uneasy

[roser13, ASN, RN]

For those who have changed from "lukewarm pro-choicers" to "staunch pro-lifers", how would you craft a law to make some abortions ok and some not which would account for the myriad circumstances of each woman?

I have no idea. I just know "wrong" when I encouter it.

[SweetheartRN]

I am pro-choice though I would not personally abort my child..that aside, why does this feel so different from a single child abortion? How can you choose which fetus to kill? Stick the needle on the left or the right? This particular situation just seems so wrong for me? If you want a child that freaking bad to the point you use artificial means to get it you need to just be happy with what you end up with....I just don't get it. How can you claim you're worried about not having enough love for two? Um really? Seriously? If your love has the potential to be that easily restricted then you shouldn't have been trying to get pregnant again period....just disgusted.

[AgentR]

I'm confused as to why the MD would implant more than one embryo if the patient had already decided to only have a singleton pregnancy?

[jlpsu]

As a mother of 4...3 of whom were adopted...this makes me really sad. I also have trouble with the quote that it was "almost like having half an abortion". No....it was an abortion. Call it selectively reducing or whatever, but if you are terminating a fetus, it's abortion whether you are pro-choice or pro-life.

I get as mad at people like this as I do the OctoMom who recklessly had 8 at one time. I'm all for fertility treatments, but I think there should be some limits on selectively reducing. If you go through all of this to get pregnant, it's no accident. You aren't 16 and unmarried. You should know the risk of having multiples and accept that. And yes, it would still be abortion if they were selectively reducing from 4 to 2, but in that case, I would guess that the health of the mother would be at risk so I could accept it more than someone selectively reducing from 2 to 1. That just seems so....selfish. And knowing many who went through IVF, something that I cannot fathom anyone going through IVF even considering.

But regardless of the reason for any abortion, it would still make me sad, because I have three beautiful, gorgeous, smart, funny fabulous kids I couldn't live without who are only here because their mothers had the courage to continue with their pregnancy in very uncertain circumstances. And I am so very thankful to them.

I understand choice, and I'm not arguing for or against abortion - just that it makes me sad.

[jlpsu]

I believe in general that parents should not have kids beyond single replacement (so 2 per couple), but also believe it is not my right to force that belief upon others.

I get what you were getting at here, and certainly others have had that feeling...Including the Countries of India and China - and I have to tell you from experience that it hasn't worked out so well in those countries. There are now generations of Men who cannot find a female to marry. It has led to millions of baby girls being killed...aborted or killed at birth.

I agree that I'd rather see people who want more kids adopt them - that is what we did. I have 1 born to us, and 3 adopted when I could have had more biologically if I'd wanted to. But we decided that our goal was to be parents, not necessarily biological parents. And I can tell you it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. But I certainly wouldn't want to MAKE people adopt children rather than having them themselves.

I don't like abortion, but believe it's a womans choice..even stupid and selfish women like the woman in the article (my opinion). It's also their choice to have 1, 2 or 20 kids. I don't really like the 20 kids idea either...but choice is choice. And I know that's sort of what you were saying - so I'm not even disagreeing with you, but just pointing out that population concern, while valid, has been addressed, with disasterous results, in other parts of the world. I don't know what the answer is - but it's not limits on how many children one can have...in my opinion.

[Hushi05]

I have no idea. I just know "wrong" when I encouter it.

I understand; I feel that way too. There are many circumstances of abortion, the one in this article included, that just disgust me. But practically speaking, either women have a choice or they don't. I know this is what frustrates many Americans in the middle (neither absolutely completely anti-abortion or unquestioiningly prochoice).