A Scottish mother who refused to give in to pressure to abort her unborn baby has given birth to a healthy boy.
Lauren Webster, from North Lanarkshire, was told at a 13-week scan that her unborn son had a ‘bladder obstruction’ and could possibly be suffering from Edwards’ syndrome.
Speaking to The Scotsman, the young mum said “every week” the doctor asked if she wanted an abortion.
Pressured
Edwards’ syndrome is a severely life-limiting condition resulting in heart defects and mental impairment.
But mum Lauren resisted all pressure from her doctors to abort, saying she had “a gut feeling” her baby would survive.
She said that at her 13-week scan, the doctor said the unborn child had a bladder obstruction. “She asked me if I wanted to terminate, saying there was a low chance he would survive.”
“Every week she was asking me if I wanted to terminate. She said she had to ask me.”
No health problems
Doctors were astonished when baby Ollie was born with no health problems.
His bladder obstruction had resolved itself, and Edwards’ syndrome was ruled out at a scan.
Lauren said she wouldn’t want other scared mothers in her situation to be pressured into abortion.
“Everything they told me turned out not to have happened”, she said, “you don’t know what’s going to happen”.
Coercion
According to the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), the issue of pressured and coerced abortion is becoming “common-place” in the UK.
Last month, Natalie Halson was asked to abort her daughter ten times after doctors diagnosed her with spina bifida – a spinal development problem which can result in paralysis and brain damage.
But Mirabelle was born healthy and, following a spinal operation, mum Natalie is confident she will live a happy and normal life.
Michael Robinson of SPUC said: “The stories now surfacing of these young women who have been pressured to abort their children, show not only an entire lack of compassion and care from medical staff, but also just how seriously mistaken medical staff can be.”