There are four major ways of performing abortions, all of which compromise the health and safety of the woman as well as taking the lives of their preborn children.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, 19% of all unborn children in the United States are aborted. Nearly a fifth of Americans are killed before they have the opportunity to continue their lives outside the womb. Globally, 25% of all pre-born infants are aborted, meaning a fourth of our world's citizens are not given the chance to be born, and only live for a few weeks or months before meeting a cruel, painful end through abortion.
Once an abortion takes place, a child is lost forever. Reversal processes do exist for medical abortions (please call or click here if you want information on reversing an abortion begun by taking the abortion pill), but the overwhelming majority of abortions stop a child's beating heart. Abortions also cause tremendous pain, killing the infant in unthinkable ways.
By the age of 20 weeks LMP (since the first day of the mother's last menstrual period) at the very latest, pre-born babies are capable of pain, although it is likely that they feel pain even earlier than studies have definitively proven (for example, babies respond to touch at just 5 weeks LMP). It is also likely that the developing child in the womb feels pain with greater intensity than adults.
Here is some information, coupled with videos, that demonstrates the various ways abortions are performed on babies in the womb. The processes of these abortion methods cause immense physical pain and horrific dismemberment to unborn children. Abortion kills a human being while leaving many others hurt physically, emotionally, and spiritually, often for years on end.
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D&E Abortion
A dilation (dilatation) and evacuation abortion, D&E, is a surgical abortion procedure during which an abortionist first dilates the woman’s cervix and then uses instruments to dismember and extract the baby from the uterus. The D&E abortion procedure is usually performed between thirteen and twenty-four weeks LMP (that is thirteen to twenty-four weeks after the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period).
How is a D&E abortion performed?
To prepare for a D&E abortion, the abortionist uses laminaria, a form of sterilized seaweed, to open the woman’s cervix 24 to 48 hours before the procedure. The laminaria soaks up liquid from the woman’s body and expands, widening (i.e., dilating) the cervix.
When the woman returns to the abortion clinic, the abortionist may administer anesthesia and further open the cervix using metal dilators and a speculum. The abortionist inserts a large suction catheter into the uterus and turns it on, emptying the amniotic fluid.
After the amniotic fluid is removed, the abortionist uses a sopher clamp — a grasping instrument with rows of sharp “teeth” — to grasp and pull the baby’s arms and legs, tearing the limbs from the child’s body. The abortionist continues to grasp intestines, spine, heart, lungs, and any other limbs or body parts. The most difficult part of the procedure is usually finding, grasping and crushing the baby’s head. After removing pieces of the child’s skull, the abortionist uses a curette to scrape the uterus and remove the placenta and any remaining parts of the baby.
The abortionist then collects all of the baby’s parts and reassembles them to make sure there are two arms, two legs, and that all of the pieces have been removed.
How developed is the child when this abortion would typically be performed?
D&E abortions are performed on women who are anywhere between thirteen and twenty-four weeks pregnant. Here is some information about fetal development at the ages of thirteen to twenty-four weeks LMP (since the first day of the mother's last menstrual period).
Week 13: At week thirteen LMP, the preborn baby’s fingerprints are visible, and the child’s organs are visible through his or her thin skin. The baby is roughly three inches long during this stage of pregnancy.
Week 16: At week sixteen LMP, the child’s toenails begin to form, and his or her face and limbs are much more developed. The baby’s heart is pumping roughly 25 quarts of blood every day, and will continue as the child develops in the womb. Many mothers feel the baby move by this point in the pregnancy.
Week 20: At twenty weeks LMP, the child’s nervous system is developed enough to feel pain. Research by the University of Toronto shows that babies at this stage can feel pain in the womb — even with greater intensity than adults. Almost all mothers feel the baby move by this point in pregnancy.
Week 24: At twenty-four weeks LMP, the baby is roughly a foot long, and his or her brain is developing rapidly. The child’s lungs are also developing into their branch-like structure. At this age, almost all babies can survive outside the mother if given proper support.
Aspiration Abortion
A suction or aspiration D&C (dilation and curettage) is a procedure in which a suction catheter is inserted into the mother’s uterus to extract the preborn baby. The abortionist then scrapes the lining of the uterus to remove any remaining parts. This first trimester procedure is typically performed between five and thirteen weeks LMP (after the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period).
How is an aspiration (suction) D&C abortion performed?
A suction, or aspiration, D&C abortion is performed in-clinic. Prior to the abortion, the woman should receive an exam that includes an ultrasound in order to confirm that she is pregnant and diagnose any complicating factors, such as a tubal, or ectopic, pregnancy.
An abortionist uses metal rods or medication to dilate the woman’s cervix and gain access to the uterus, where the baby resides. The abortionist then inserts a suction catheter to vacuum the child from the womb. The suction machine has a force approximately 10 to 20 times the force of a household vacuum cleaner.
The procedure is completed as the abortionist uses a sharp metal device called a curette to empty the remains of the child from the mother’s uterus.
A follow up exam and ultrasound can be performed to help minimize the risk of incomplete abortion.
How developed is the child when this abortion would typically be performed?
Aspiration (suction) D&C abortions are performed on women who are anywhere between five and thirteen weeks pregnant. Here is some information about fetal development at the ages of five to thirteen weeks LMP (since the first day of the mother's last menstrual period).
Weeks 4-5: During this stage of pregnancy, the preborn child is developing rapidly. At four to five weeks LMP — that is, four to five weeks since the first day of the mother’s last period, and just two to three weeks following fertilization (conception) — the baby’s organs start to develop, and the heart begins to beat. These developmental milestones often take place before the mother even knows she is pregnant.
Week 8: At eight weeks LMP, the preborn baby’s hands and feet are developing, and the neural pathways in the baby’s brain start to form. The child is constantly moving in the uterus, although the mother cannot feel it.
Week 9: By nine weeks LMP, the child can suck its thumb, open and close its jaw, stretch, and sigh. The baby’s teeth begin to form and the heart completes dividing into four chambers.
Week 10: At week ten LMP, the child’s vital organs have developed and start to function. The baby is rapidly moving in the uterus, and tiny nails begin to form on the child’s hands and feet.
Week 12: At twelve weeks LMP, the child develops reflexes, and can open and close fingers, respond to touch, and make movements with his or her mouth. The child’s nerve cells are developing rapidly.
Abortion Pills
A medical (or chemical) abortion is a non-surgical form of abortion in which the woman takes pills containing Mifepristone (RU-486) and Misoprostol (or Cytotec) to end the life of the baby. This procedure is performed during the first trimester of pregnancy. The drugs are approved by the FDA for use up to ten weeks since the first day of her last menstrual period (LMP).
How is a chemical/medical abortion via abortion pills performed?
The woman visits an abortion clinic or doctor’s office and ingests pills containing Mifepristone (also known as RU-486) at the clinic.
This drug blocks the action of the hormone called “progesterone,” which is naturally produced by the mother’s body to enable the mother to sustain and nourish the pregnancy.
When RU-486 blocks progesterone, the lining of the mother’s uterus breaks down, cutting off blood and nourishment to the baby, who then dies inside the mother’s womb.
Twenty-four to forty-eight hours later, the woman ingests another drug called Misoprostol (also called Cytotec), administered orally or vaginally, which causes contractions and bleeding to expel the baby from the womb.
How developed is the child when this abortion would typically be performed?
Medical abortions via abortion pills are performed on women who are up to ten weeks pregnant. Here is some information about fetal development up to the ages of ten weeks LMP (since the first day of the mother's last menstrual period).
Weeks 4-5: During this stage of pregnancy, the preborn child is developing rapidly. At four to five weeks LMP — that is, four to five weeks since the first day of the mother’s last period, and just two to three weeks following fertilization (conception) — the baby’s organs start to develop, and the heart begins to beat. These developmental milestones often take place before the mother even knows she is pregnant.
Week 8: At eight weeks LMP, the preborn baby’s hands and feet are developing, and the neural pathways in the baby’s brain start to form. The child is constantly moving in the uterus, although the mother cannot feel it.
Week 9: By nine weeks LMP, the child can suck its thumb, open and close its jaw, stretch, and sigh. The baby’s teeth begin to form and the heart completes dividing into four chambers.
If you have taken RU-486 and have changed your mind about abortion, there may still be time to reverse the process. Call 1(877) 558-0333 or visit abortionpillreversal.com for more information now.
Induction Abortion
A third trimester induction abortion is performed at 25 weeks LMP until just before birth. At 25 weeks, a baby is almost fully-developed and is considered viable, meaning he or she could survive outside the womb. For this reason, the abortionist will usually first kill the baby in utero by injecting a substance that causes cardiac arrest, and induces the mother’s labor to deliver her baby stillborn.
How is an induction abortion performed?
Day 1: To help ensure the baby will be delivered dead and not alive, the abortionist uses a large needle to inject digoxin or potassium chloride through the woman’s abdomen or vagina, targeting the baby’s heart, torso, or head.
When the digoxin takes effect, the lethal dose causes a fatal cardiac arrest, and the baby’s life will end. (Even if the needle misses the baby, digoxin can still kill the baby when released into the amniotic sack, but will usually take longer to kill the child.)
During the same visit, the abortionist inserts multiple laminaria sticks, or sterilized seaweed, to open up the woman’s cervix.
Day 2: The abortionist replaces the laminaria and may perform a second ultrasound to ensure that the baby is dead. If the child is still alive, the abortionist administers a second lethal dose of digoxin or potassium chloride. During this visit, the abortionist may administer labor-inducing drugs.
The woman goes back to where she is staying while her cervix continues to dilate. The woman will usually wait a period of two to four days for her cervix to dilate enough for her to deliver the dead baby.
Day 3 or 4: The woman returns to the clinic to deliver her dead baby. If she goes into labor before she can make it to the abortion clinic in time, she will deliver her baby at home or in a hotel room. During this time, a woman may be advised to sit on a bathroom toilet until the abortionist arrives. If she can make it to the clinic, she will do so during her most heavy and severe contractions and deliver the dead baby.
If the child does not come out whole, the procedure becomes a D&E, or a dilation and evacuation. The abortionist uses clamps and forceps to dismember and remove the baby piece by piece.
How developed is the child when this abortion would typically be performed?
At 25 weeks, a preborn child is fully developed and considered viable — that is, with proper medical care and attention, he or she would be able to survive outside of the womb.
Week 25: At twenty-five weeks LMP, the baby’s hair continues to grow, and the color and texture can be discerned. At this stage, the child is around 13 ½ inches long, from the baby’s head to its heels.
Week 27: At twenty-seven weeks LMP, the preborn baby weighs almost two pounds. The child’s brain tissue continues to develop, and the baby is sleeping and waking in regular cycles. The mother may even feel the child hiccup at this stage, which may become more common as the pregnancy progresses.
Week 31: At thirty-one weeks LMP, the baby can turn his or her head to the side, and is very active in the womb. The baby kicks and does somersaults, and develops more fat underneath the skin.