Irish abortion midwife: ‘The hardest thing is seeing the little fetus… they are formed so well’

(Pro-Life Campaign) A midwife who assists in carrying out abortions under Ireland’s abortion regime has said that “morally and ethically the hardest thing definitely is seeing the little foetus, you know, at the end of it all … they are formed so well, like even little fingernails and, you know, it’s just unbelievable really the formation even just at, you know, coming up to that twelve-week mark.”

The First 10 Weeks Of Human Life

She offered this observation as well: “A lot of the time, they just have their little hands underneath their chin, or their hands could be across their chest … On a personal level, you just have to try and forget about it as quick as you can, but there’s certain cases that you don’t forget about, you know, as much as others and especially the babies that are, you know, all older babies and babies that are, you know, practically formed in every way, you know, so that can be very very difficult.”

The midwife quoted above is one of thirteen abortion providers interviewed recently about their experiences performing terminations, for research undertaken by academics in UCD’s schools of nursing and perinatal health. The interviews featured six GPs, three midwives, two obstetricians and two nurses.

One of the nurses interviewed said: “In theatre during a termination … you kind of have to take yourself out of the room a little bit in your head cause I think if I thought about it too much, I would have gotten upset, just the physical thought of what’s actually happening.”

It’s sad the lengths abortion advocates go to, to withhold information about the developmental stages of the unborn child from women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Yet, it’s something abortion providers openly talk about and grapple with among themselves.

A majority of those interviewed referred to moments when they question the morality of what they are doing. None of the interviewees, however, expressed a desire to cease carrying out abortions.

Another of the midwives interviewed said she was content to be involved in abortions but remarked: “It’s funny, my own personal belief on termination is that I wouldn’t have one, I don’t really agree with it.”

The interviews are replete with muddled and contradictory remarks like the ones above. Remember, these are the healthcare workers at the forefront of abortion provision. While they may seek refuge in terms like “abortion care”, they’re unable to escape the reality of what they’re involved in. That’s the obvious and standout conclusion one reaches after reading the interviews and findings of the research, which is published in the Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters journal.

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, repeatedly refers to abortion as “healthcare” as he seeks to force more healthcare workers to participate in abortions. Instead of continually pushing that particular falsehood, he should look at what’s actually happening under the abortion law he celebrates. He could start by reading the traumatic testimonies of those tasked with looking after the remains of unborn babies after an abortion – testimonies that can be found in the UCD study.

You can access the study here.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in an email from Pro-Life Campaign.