A life never lived.

This topic I know is going to be a controversial one. One which I know people have opposing view on. That of abortion. The reason my opinion has been further cemented is due to an experience I had the other day in hospital. I came on shift, to discover a woman had miscarried her child at 22 weeks. I had never up until that point seen a foetus of that gestation. And so all day, I knew that I had to look at the the foetus, as one day, I will have to care for a woman who has miscarried, and I did not want to confront the body of a dead baby for the first time while looking after the the mother, as I knew that I would be a wreck.

I eventually plucked up the courage to go and look at this child. I say child, because this baby was perfect in its form, her little hands and feet were miniature versions of the healthy term baby which I had delivered earlier that day, while her skin was not yet the healthy pink, and her head in comparison to the rest of her body was overly large- looking at this baby- she was perfectly formed.

Her mother had no doubt had dreamt of, and already visualised how she would raise her, and cherish her, before that fateful day struck. And yes, I did cry. I wept for the loss of a baby. For the loss of life which the mother had so very much wanted to bring into this world. It took me quite the while to regain my composure, and only after several hugs and conversations with my lovely matron and fellow midwives.

I feel blessed that I believe, and know that this mother will have the chance to raise her daughter in the life hereafter, that perhaps this daughter is now going to become one of her mothers guardian angels. That this baby will be reunited with its mother in the life here after. I couldn't tell the mother this, as it is not allowed by the rules and regulations of the NMC. But, I know it to be true.

So, yes, abortion. Why this came to mind, was that I realised, that this baby was 22 weeks, and was already a fully formed baby from 12 weeks. And yet, women can abort their baby up until 24 weeks, if its medically "not perfect" . Its pure murder- this is strong language, but this is how I see it. If a woman could see the child that she is consenting to kill, I wonder  how many would go through with it. I've been on the ward when a foetus with Downs Syndrome was aborted at 22 weeks- one mother, who was so desperate to have a child, and another who voluntarily took the life of her child. If only, they could see and realise how precious this child is- its a creation of God, it has a soul. While its "quality of life" may be different- it is life that the mother is toying with and taking away. Every baby has the right to life. No one would ever consent to killing a baby once its out of the uterus, and yet somehow its seen as ok to kill a baby while it is living in the womb.

Every soul is precious in the eyes of God- whether they are a 12 week baby or a 100 year old woman! Respect life. Love life. Love the miracle that is a creation baby.