Texas law reflects this important distinction. I have seen cases where the woman has gone from completely normal to septic shock in less than an hour, Dr. Carpenter said. Thats why Crawford said its important for patients to quickly seek medical care if they notice their pregnancy isnt progressing normally or they are bleeding. Losing a pregnancy is a particular kind of loss, one that tends to make other people even health professionals uncomfortable. I'm actually headed home right now because I have to await my dead baby's delivery.' (Texas Hospital Licensing Law); (3) an institution required to be licensed under . '", "It was devastating to hear that," Elizabeth says. Hall, raised in a conservative Christian family outside Dallas, felt like she had whiplash from the sudden and tragic events that had brought her to an abortion clinic halfway across the country. Greg Abbott said there were some things that we need to work on to ensure patients can get treatment for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. I knew something was wrong.. Because at this point, I'm in survival mode. The law makes no exceptions for nonviable pregnancies in which the fetus has no chance of survival. If the lawsuit is successful, plaintiffs can receive up to $10,000. The law, which still remains in effect, does contain one exception for a "medical emergency." Even in Texas, whose "heartbeat bill" was one . Seek help right away for signs of ectopic pregnancy your doctor can talk you through next steps. After all, she didnt need an abortion she needed convenient pregnancy care. According to a letter from the Texas Medical Association, a physician in Central Texas was instructed not to treat an ectopic pregnancy until it ruptured, which can cause serious medical complications. In Texas, a 2021 law made it easier to sue anyone who helps a person get an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. Austin woman trying for baby says Texas abortion law nearly caused her death. If I dont provide my patient the standard of care, which they are due, I could be sued.. We do what we can to honor each of those cases.. If someone is hemorrhaging while miscarrying, how long do I have to wait?. A more common scenario also raises difficult questions, said Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Texas who provides abortions. Like other physicians, Dr. Palmer said she was uncertain whether counseling that patient about all of her options, including terminating the pregnancy outside Texas, would have been considered aiding and abetting., The law is murky, but heres the bottom line, she said. It was just a matter of time before the baby died, or maybe Id have to go through the trauma of carrying to term knowing I wasnt bringing a baby home, said 27-year-old Lauren Hall. But Prager believes that the laws in Texas and perhaps elsewhere soon could boost physicians' vulnerability to medical malpractice lawsuits. Find a complete list of them here. Texas' "trigger" law, which outlaws abortion "wholly or partly", is set to be in effect 30 days following the . Later in pregnancy, doctors can try to delay delivery to give the fetus more time to develop, while also warding off infection or other maternal complications such as hemorrhage. But in cases of unviable pregnancies in which fetal cardiac activity can still be detected, treatment to remove the expected miscarriage could be considered illegal under Texas laws, Grossman said. Halls maternal-fetal medicine specialist laid out the best-case scenario: If she managed to carry to term and deliver a live baby, with miracles of medicine, science and technology, they might be able to keep her alive for a few weeks, tied to machines and without hope of recovery. Still, states like Missouri could put this pro-abortion talking point to rest by protecting treatment of ectopic pregnancy explicitly in the law. In fact, no abortion law in any state in America prevents lifesaving treatment for women with ectopic pregnancies and other life-threatening conditions . Very young rape victims tend to seek prenatal care late, and they are more likely to have small babies that score poorly on tests of heart rate and muscle tone given immediately after birth. Post-Roe v. Wade, abortion bans may keep doctors from providing timely, necessary care. On September 1, 2021, Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB 8) went into effect, banning virtually all abortions and medical counseling and support related to abortion after six weeks. Her discharge was yellow and smelled weird. One option was to end the pregnancy; that's called "a termination for medical reasons." Right there in the office, James pulled out his cell phone, and started looking for flights to states with less restrictive abortion laws. The measure deputizes private citizens even those with no connection to the patient, doctor or health center to sue anyone who performs an abortion once cardiac activity can be detected in the embryo. Idaho, Tennessee and Texas will implement abortion bans in 30 days, according to the text of the laws. An ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg . There has been apprehension by doctors about dealing with both of those two issues, Abbott told Fox 4 News. Lauren Hall, 27, fought the urge to scream back and tell them just how badly she wished life was a choice she could have made. But it was the only choice they had to save this young woman. She eventually agreed, and the treatment was begun as soon as an abortion was performed. Her water had broken midway through the pregnancy, but her doctors, fearing prosecution if they violated the abortion ban, did not begin treating her until the fetuss heart stopped on its own. "Most women would find it extremely difficult and emotionally very challenging. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg is implanted outside the uterus, most commonly in a fallopian tube. "And yet we were. On Saturday, May 14, about 2 a.m., she gave birth. Amplify your impact and donate now. Hall declined those services. Many offer no exemptions for rape, incest or fetal anomolies. Aborting the embryo is often the best treatment for an ectopic . Anyone who aids and abets the procedure can also be sued, and the law promises plaintiffs $10,000 and legal fees if they win the lawsuit. Pregnant people are now required to just wait, endangering their own lives with no hope of ever bringing home a baby. Wade and the return of laws governing abortion legality to the states. For Elizabeth, that tragic conversation was just "the beginning of the hell that was going to ensue" for the rest of the week. But as has been true in Texas and in many of the 12 other states where abortion is banned . Patients experiencing miscarriage have also struggled to get prescriptions filled for misoprostol, which is used both to treat miscarriages and induce abortions. Or what if the pregnancy wasnt viable? she said. Elizabeth chose to go home rather than wait to get sick at the hospital. I was losing my mind, Hall said. Time is of the essence. In Texas it's literally written in the law that an act is not an abortion to remove an ectopic pregnancy. Methotrexate also is listed in the Texas law passed last year. James and Elizabeth cried out their thanks to the doctor. I looked at her little hands and I just cried. But now were forcing someone to continue the pregnancy and go through all the risks of a potentially term delivery and all those potential complications for a pregnancy that has no chance of surviving. . She was admitted to the hospital, and later that night, when her own obstetrician called, she begged her for information. "We skipped over the genetic testing offered in the first trimester," Elizabeth says. Hall managed not to scream any of this at the protesters, instead just silently flipping them off. When she first saw that positive pregnancy test, she panicked even at 27, she said, her first reaction was that of a 15-year-old, worried about telling her parents. 245.001. At 18 weeks, the watery, protective cushion of amniotic fluid was gone. Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, an obstetrician/gynecologist and abortion provider in Texas, said the new law leaves unclear whether a physician can act when a woman has a spontaneous miscarriage and is bleeding heavily, but the fetus has not passed. Under another new Texas abortion law, someone who "aids or abets" an abortion after cardiac activity can be detected typically around six weeks can be subject to at least a $10,000 fine per occurrence. Seventeen weeks into the pregnancy, they learned they were expecting a girl. A wait for fetal death, or her own encroaching illness. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. Everyone was so scared.. The only way to stop the heavy bleeding is to end the pregnancy and contract the uterus, Dr. Moayedi said. Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 171. Another area of Texas law that Seago cited provides an exception to the state's abortion restrictions if the mother's life is in danger or she's at "serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function" unless an abortion is performed. . A doctor sat down and told her: "There's very little amniotic fluid left. ", Her waters had broken, launching her into what she calls a "dystopian nightmare" of "physical, emotional and mental anguish." Recently passed laws make abortion illegal after about six weeks into a pregnancy. These are the patients that are the most affected.. forbids dispensing and shipping abortion-inducing medications, rheumatic illnesses, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and cancer. Hall had to travel to Washington state for an abortion after receiving a lethal fetal diagnosis, for which Texas abortion laws make no exception. Disclosure: Texas Medical Association and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. And not only can they not provide it, but they can't talk to you about it," Cavazos says. Cheng, in San Antonio, said that even as she cautiously points her patients to their options out-of-state, shes well aware that many of them struggle to even make it to their appointments in-state. But first, shes focused on her mental health and getting through the next few months. I think most people would give tremendously leeway to that. I'm trying to mentally survive this.". It is just possible that chemical abortions more than half of all U.S. abortions soon could be outlawed nationwide. Or hell honestly it shouldn't even get to the point where you're having to save a woman's life. The definition of abortion in Texas Health and Safety Code explicitly states an act that is done to "remove an ectopic pregnancy" is not defined as an abortion. Sometimes patients don't realize that they have lost the pregnancy until they come in for a checkup and no cardiac activity can be detected, said Dr. Emily Briggs, a family physician who delivers babies in New Braunfels, Texas. For patients who are not pregnant, it can also open up the cervix and make surgeries safer, Crawford said. CONROE, Texas (KTRK) -- A Conroe woman who suffered a miscarriage says the state's restrictive abortion laws forced her into a dangerous health situation. In the meantime, Grossman said the delay and denial of care will likely become more common. Miscarriages occur in roughly 1 out of 10 pregnancies. I have a code of ethics to uphold, and that is making sure I discuss with my patients all of their options, regardless of what is available in their area, Ms. Uhles said. Enough to make her retch. Her mental health spiraled to the point that she considered checking herself into the hospital. Dr. Jennifer Liedtke, a family physician in Sweetwater, Texas, who delivers about 175 babies annually, no longer sends misoprostol prescriptions to the local Walmart. Because once they reached Methodist, while they were still checking in at the emergency room, her doctor called. Such a rupture can be life-threatening. Dr. Ingrid Skop, a San Antonio obstetrician and member of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, during a House Oversight Committee hearing in September. Because the alternative was hell.". Since the Supreme Court ruling of June 24, 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade, many states have banned abortion, or severely restricted abortion access. In Texas' anti-abortion . But the Wellers and 28 million other Texans had already been living under a de facto abortion ban for 8 months, since September 2021. But the womans condition can quickly deteriorate, which is why physicians often prefer to offer an abortion. An ultrasound confirmed that she had suffered premature rupture of membranes, which affects about 3% of pregnancies. Dr. John Thoppil, president of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said doctors usually note a diagnosis when prescribing medicines, and prescription rejections dont appear to be widespread. A clinical battle begins behind the scenes. An attendee holds her child during A Texas Rally for Abortion Rights at Discovery Green in Houston, Texas, on May 7. She took a swipe of the new discharge, and placed the toilet paper in a Ziploc bag to carry with her. Under the current text, any doctor who removes an ectopic pregnancy that is not actively causing the patient to bleed to death faces dire consequences. It includes laws about. The Texas Health and Safety Code allows abortion in cases of an ectopic pregnancy or during a "medical emergency," when a "life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by, or . James rushed home from work and drove Elizabeth to the nearby Woodlands Hospital, part of the Houston Methodist hospital system. It is a horrible gamble that we are making Texas women go through.". However, if the ectopic pregnancy is located in the cervix or on the scar tissue from a cesarean section, the treatment could be the same as an abortion, according to Addante. [1/2] Pro-choice and anti-abortion both demonstrate outside the United States Supreme Court as the court hears arguments over a challenge to a Texas law that bans abortion after six weeks in . Since Sept. 1, abortion has been illegal in Texas after six weeks gestation, with one exception: If a doctor determines that a patient will face a " medical emergency " if the pregnancy continues, they can perform an abortion later on without breaking the law. She called her doctor and begged to get in. But things can be murkier when it comes to treating miscarriages, she said. "The challenge is that the treatment for an abortion and the treatment for a miscarriage are exactly the same," said Dr. Sarah Prager, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Washington in Seattle and an expert in early pregnancy loss. As Elizabeth recalled hearing, it was one particular doctor who had argued her case: "They found a doctor from East Texas who spoke up and was so patient forward, so patient advocating, that he said 'This is ridiculous.'". It went into effect on Sept. 1. And they're telling me to think of the positives. ", The Wellers do want to try again, but first they need to get to a "mentally healthier place," Elizabeth says. When they learned they were having a girl, Hall and her husband even picked out a name: Amelia. When they called the doctor's office back, they were told to go straight to the emergency room. "And yet we're being pulled through this.". Sec. She recalls looking at her baby's little hands and crying. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Here's what current Texas abortion laws say, plus birth control info Elizabeth's experience amounts to a kind of medical trauma, which is layered on top of the grief of pregnancy loss, says Elaine Cavazos, a psychotherapist specializing in the perinatal period, and the chief clinical officer of Reproductive Psychiatry and Counseling in Austin. Since September 1, 2021, Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8) has prohibited abortions after the detection of embryonic cardiac activity, which occurs around 6 weeks after a person's last menstrual period . Elizabeth and James keep remembrances of their baby in a picture frame at home. The bill . Lauren Hall stands for a portrait on Sept. 10, 2022, in the room that she and her husband had prepared as a nursery. The hospital where she works pays me to have these conversations with patients, but theres not necessarily any guarantee they would have my back should someone decide to list my name on a lawsuit, she said. The emotional toll was what worried Hall most of all. About 10% to 20% of confirmed . Dr. John Thoppil, an obstetrician in Austin, doesnt perform abortions, providing prenatal care and delivering babies. Even with the slim chance of survival to 24 weeks, the newborn would face intense physical challenges and aggressive medical interventions. After one conversation, the doctor returned to her bedside. It was because of the state law which forbids termination of a pregnancy as long as there is fetal cardiac activity. Eventually, she found a clinic near Seattle that provides specialty care for patients who have decided to terminate due to lethal fetal abnormalities. She never had to use that bag. But when membranes rupture earlier in pregnancy, particularly before 24 weeks, the chance of a fetus surviving plummets. Or in cases of rape or incest? SB 8, which was signed into law by Texas Gov. Texas' abortion restrictions a ban that prohibits most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, as well as a law passed last year that will ban nearly all abortions, plus older statutes . 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