Perinatal Hospice: Giving Terminally Ill Babies and Their Families an Alternative to Abortion

“Perinatal hospices" are a relatively new but important development whose noble goal it is to support parents during the emotional turmoil that is a part of pregnancy and birth of babies diagnosed with serious, if not necessarily always fatal, disorders. They provide an alternative to the "solution" of abortion, a decision that often only heightens the guilt of parents who may already be blaming themselves for producing an “imperfect" child. The perinatal hospice is really an advance in the care of pregnant women. It is a grueling time for them; they're grieving yet having to care for the baby at the same time. We follow the families' lead, and provide the types of support they need. Experience has also shown that carrying the baby to term helps parents deal with the grief that is inevitable when a child dies. If they abort the baby, the parents will always wonder whether the diagnosis was correct - - whether they murdered a healthy child. But if the baby is born, they are able to hold the child, videotape him, baptize him, and even take him home if he lives for a short time. They know that they did everything they could. They gave God a chance to heal the baby; gave every opportunity for a miracle. Perinatal Hospice Abortion Alternative