When people learn what abortion really is, they change. That’s the impetus behind Live Action’s groundbreaking new “What is Abortion?” video series.
In the video below, OB/GYN Kathi Aultman, who committed over 500 abortions, explains in detail a dilation and evacuation abortion procedure (D&E), which takes place during the second trimester and is typically performed between 14 and 22 weeks of pregnancy.
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Dr. Aultman begins by explaining how the mother’s body is prepared for the abortion. She says that the abortionist will use laminaria, a type of seaweed, to dilate the cervix — a process that takes one to two days. When the woman arrives for the procedure, she is given anesthesia while a speculum is used to open the vagina and an instrument stabilizes the cervix. The abortionist then uses a cannula attached to suction tubing to suction the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus.
Dr. Aultman then describes the brutal procedure:
The fetus is too large to fit through the cannula, so it must be removed in pieces with a clamp, such as this Sopher clamp. A Sopher clamp is made of stainless steel and is about 13 inches long. At the tip, there are rows of teeth for grasping. The abortionist reaches into the uterus with the clamp and tries to grasp an arm or leg. Once the abortionist has a firm grip, she pulls forcefully in order to remove the limb.
Piece by piece, the abortionist removes the arms and legs followed by the head or the body, including the torso and the pelvis, along with the intestines, the heart, and the lungs. The placenta is also removed.
Because of the child’s size, there may be some difficulty in removing the entire child. “Usually, the most difficult part of the procedure is extracting the fetus’s head, which at 20 weeks is about the size of a large plum. The abortionist must open the clamp widely to grab the head, and then crush it so that it will fit through the cervix. The abortionist knows he has crushed the skull when a white substance, the fetus’s brain, leaks out of the cervix. The abortionist then removes the compressed head,” explains Aultman.
Once the fetus is removed, the abortionist uses a curette or the suction cannula to scrape the uterine lining and ensure nothing has been left behind. The pieces of the child are reassembled to ensure there is nothing missing, as pieces remaining in the mother could cause infection or bleeding.
As Dr. Aultman describes, the D&E abortion does come with a risk of major complications, including perforation or laceration of the uterus or cervix, with possible damage to the bowel, bladder, and other maternal organs. Infection and hemorrhage can also occur, which can lead to death. The abortion may also impact future pregnancies, as the mother is now at increased risk for loss or premature delivery due to abortion-related physical trauma and injury to the cervix.
Dr. Aultman ends her video with a message of hope, explaining that it was only through the birth of her daughter that she was able to realize exactly what abortion does, eventually leading to her pro-life conversion. “I realized that abortion doesn’t just end a pregnancy; it kills an innocent human being. Terms such as zygote, embryo, or fetus are simply terms that refer to age, like infant, toddler, and adult, and do nothing to diminish the humanity of the child,” she says. “I am proof that anyone can change, no matter who they are or what they have done. I invite you to join me and make a decision to protect the preborn.”
Watch all the videos in the “What is Abortion” series here.
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