…comes legislation for babies with heartbeats. Read more here,
The bill would require a doctor to check for a fetal heartbeat and inform the woman. If there is a detectable heartbeat, an abortion would be prohibited unless there was a risk of death or major injury to the woman’s health. Supporters believe the bill would block tens of thousands of abortions, as a fetal heartbeat can be typically heard around the sixth week of pregnancy, and sometimes as soon as three weeks’ gestation.
I’m not a huge fan of IVF to begin with. So this article outlining the controversy surrounding providing IVF to obese women fails to move me. I don’t think having children is a right and so if there are circumstances under which a woman can’t conceive, we are not obligated to help. Furthermore, some of the doctors sound to be legitimately concerned for the health of the women they’d be helping to get pregnant. I understand that being told no would need to be done gently, and that it would come as a terrible shock. But is that not mostly the same sadness any woman who would like to get pregnant and can’t feels? And obesity is not the only cause of that. I don’t think it’s discrimination to say no, and in fact, as the article points out, upon losing some weight, some of these women would get pregnant without the cost–financial, physical and emotional–of IVF.
…more often than you think, in this case of ectopic pregnancies:
While the reports of such mistakes are uncommon, the authors say there is evidence it is a broader problem. Not only has use of methotrexate boomed, but some research indicates the initial diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy ends up being wrong in 40% of cases.
Ectopic pregnancy is serious business, as this is a true example of a mother’s life being at risk. Still, it is necessary to be reminded of how doctors are not God. They make mistakes.
A young man with Down’s was on the ferry from the Toronto Island airport this past weekend. He was excited to get off first and had positioned himself accordingly. But then he let me go before him with a smile, in a kind of chivalric gesture. It was one of those nice, if small, moments in a busy city.
I already get choked up when I see people with Down Syndrome, knowing as I do that we don’t see as many of them as we should.
If you’re pregnant, trying to conceive, or think you might be pregnant, there’s a new study you should be aware of.
The risk of miscarriage may be higher among women who take certain anti-inflammatory drugs in early pregnancy, a new study suggests.
The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs in the study included ibuprofen such as Advil, naproxen, diclofenac, and celecoxib (Celebrex), some of the most common medications used during pregnancy, according to earlier research.
Just to be safe, I’m going to switch out the Advil in the medicine cabinet for aspirin.
This isn’t exactly the leading article in the New York Times or anything. Just a small item about a small country that had a referendum and kept their ban on abortion. Here’s what made me smile:
Campaigners for the change argued that the threat of prosecution meant women had to go secretly to neighboring Austria or Switzerland even just to get advice on their options in an unwanted pregnancy.
Imagine having to go to a whole different country just to get advice! Except that their country is probably about the same size as Ottawa. Certainly couldn’t be too much bigger than the GTA. In the abortion debate it’s all the same arguments getting pulled out in different places.
Is this a joke? An Edmonton radio station has a wife-winning contest:
The Bear is giving away a wife! See the Latest Entries below! But we’re not going to give this opportunity to just anybody…. to weed out the no-hopers and time-wasters, we’ve developed the application form below. If you’re interested in potential holy matrimony with a hot foreign chick, fill it out to the best of your abilities. If we pick you, you’ll be heading to Russia with 13 nights’ accomodation, return air fare, and $500 spending money to meet the lucky lady!
In a world where flashy North Americans go on national TV to win a wife/husband, it can all get pretty confusing around what is and isn’t an appropriate way to meet someone and get married. But this one veers dangerously close to human trafficking territory. What do people think?
Good column here, by Susan Martinuk. And thanks to everyone who helped me think this through at my earlier post. I will be discussing this with Brian Lilley on Sun TV today. His show airs at 9pm.