Doctor Prescribed Abortion

[lexkx]

My sister in law went for her first ultrasound last week and found out she had had a miscarriage. She and my brother have been married about a year and this is their first time trying to have a baby. They decided she would take drugs to induce the womb to release the child, rather than wait for nature to take its course or to have a surgical procedure (read: abortion procedure). My sil and I are not close, partly because she and my brother are pretty far from the Lord, so I haven't talked to her except for when this first happened last week. Apparently, the doctor "is not satisfied" with her body's response to the drugs and has scheduled her to have a d&c on Tuesday. I'm aware of the dangers of turning a womb into a tomb, but I feel incredibly burdened to pray about this (both for her safety and for the condition of both of their souls), and would appreciate prayer warriors to help stand in the gap on their behalf.

[morganlbusse]

Definitely praying. Are they sure she had a miscarriage? I've known people scheduled for a d&c only to have a heartbeat found. I've experienced a miscarriage and can tell you to definitely be praying for them. Especially if they were hoping for this baby. It took me months to recover from my own.

[birdnerd]

Yikes.

Ya. Will pray for them.

[isabeau]

I have a lot of experience with miscarriages in my family. At the risk of appearing pro-choice, which I am most certainly not, if she had a miscarriage, the baby is dead, and if her body hasn't fully rejected it via drugs, she could be at serious risk for infection. A d&c is the logical next step.

Miscarriages are very difficult experiences, as morwena mentioned. I hope you will have opportunity to be there for your family during this time.

Praying.

[beckyminor]

Praying for your sister in law...that the doctors will use the best techniques available to them, and that the Lord will be able to use this tragic event as an avenue to touch hearts. I can't even imagine the heartache a woman feels when she receives word there's no heartbeat.

[lexkx]

Thanks for your prayers, one and all.

They went through with the procedure on schedule, and it's my understanding that she's getting better. Part of the struggle with my family is that we *really* aren't close (and this brother and sister-in-law are far away from the Lord), and so getting the information second- and third-hand, and having these flashes of prayer direction without always knowing the reason or end result, is distressing. They have actually gone to some lengths to actively exclude my family from their lives, or treat this side of the family with enough callous contempt that there's a lot of awkwardness in even extending common courtesy.

The Lord God calls us to love, which is an action verb and not a passive emotion, so it tends to merge unsuccessfully with the world's definition of the word.

[birdnerd]

Oy... That is a difficult situation. Unfortunately, all you can do is try.