You
can't get pregnant doing it just once, ... at least that's what
Lisa used to think. But now she's pregnant and very confused
and a little afraid. She is too embarrassed to tell anyone,
even her ex-boyfriend.One day while idly flipping through the Yellow Pages she saw on the very first page just what she needed ... ABORTION ALTERNATIVES.
Lisa called and made an appointment with one of the volunteers. When she walked into the place she was surprised how homey and comfortable it was. The volunteer greeted her and they sat down to talk.
The lady explained to Lisa what abortion really does. With a suction abortion (the kind that are done early) the abortionist has to stretch open the opening to the womb. Then he inserts a hollow plastic tube that is attached to a powerful vacuum machine. He uses this to tear the baby to pieces and to suck the body parts and placenta from the womb.
If the baby is more than 12 weeks along the bones may be hard. The abortionist uses ring forceps, a tool similar to a pair of pliers. First, he reaches in and grabs an arm or leg. He'll twist and tear it from the baby's body. When he's removed all the limbs he'll crush the ribs and skull and then pull them out. Then he removes the placenta. This causes much bleeding.
Another way to kill the baby when it is more than 16 weeks grown is to poison it with salt. The abortionist sticks a needle through the mother's abdomen into the womb and injects a strong salt solution. The baby's eyes, skin, lungs ... everything is burned by the salt. The baby might struggle to live for an hour or more before dying. The woman will usually go into labor the next day and deliver a dead baby.
When the baby is a little bigger the abortionist will use a different approach. Again he has to stretch the cervix open - wider this time. Then he reaches in the womb with a metal loop that has a knife edge that scrapes and cuts as it is pulled. He uses it to cut the placenta and the baby into small pieces, then scrapes them out into a basin.
Lisa knew her biology and hadn't thought that she really wanted an abortion, now she was sure she didn't! But, she wasn't sure she could really take care of a baby, either. The volunteer suggested that she allow her baby to be adopted. Lisa liked that idea but realized that she would still have to tell her parents that she was pregnant; and all the kids at school.
The volunteer admitted that telling her parents would probably be the hardest part for Lisa. But, most girls find out just how loving and supportive their parents can really be. Some parents do try to get their daughter to have an abortion or even kick her out of the house.
BUT THERE IS HELP. There are many people who would gladly open up their homes to young women needing a home while waiting for their baby to be born. And there's additional help later.
Lisa did decide to let a family adopt her baby. It was a painfully hard decision to make. She chose the couple herself. They had been trying for a long time to have a baby and she knew that they would love and take good care of hers. She knew it wouldn't be easy though. She was sure she'd miss her baby. But she also knew that at this time, the most loving thing she could do for her baby was give her a loving and stable home.