Abortion - It's My Body, Part 1

A frequently heard mantra among pro choicers is that women have the right to decide what to do with their own bodies, including having an abortion. I have a few questions for people who share this view.

1. At the moment of conception, a new and genetically unique human organism has been formed. What part of the woman's body is this?

2. At about 4 weeks, there is a heart beating inside the womb, and this can be heard through doppler at about 6 weeks. Has the woman developed a second heart?

3. At 5 weeks, the embryo has discernible arms and legs, with feet and hand areas visible and individual digits starting to form. Would we say this woman now has 4 arms, 4 legs, 4 hands, 4 feet, and 40 combined fingers and toes?

4. By weeks 7-9, the fetus has a well-formed face. So do we now have a 2-faced woman?

5. By week 13, ultrasound can predict the sex of the baby at nearly 100% certainty. If it's a girl, is the woman now 2 females? If it's a boy, is the woman a kind of boywoman?

6. By week 16, the fetal heartbeat can be heard through a stethoscope. When the doctor hears the heartbeat, does he ask the woman, “Would you like to hear your newly developed 2nd heart beating?"

7. At 28 weeks, the fetus shows brain wave activity that indicates differing sleep cycles, including REM dreaming. Whose brain are these brain waves found in? If the fetus has a thought or an awareness of something, is the woman using a second brain to think?

8. Throughout the pregnancy, the fetus is absorbing nutrients ingested by the mother through the umbilical cord, allowing the fetus to grow and develop. Are these nutrients feeding and growing a new part of the woman's body? If the woman is ingesting drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, is there damage being done to this new part of her body?

9. If the fetus develops a birth defect or has a genetic disorder, is it really the woman who has the medical issue? Is it the woman who has the defective heart valve? Has the woman suddenly developed Down's Syndrome?

10. During birth, is the woman ejecting part of her body from herself? As the baby comes out, does it stop being part of the woman's body one part at a time, as the various parts emerge? Is the woman a mother of the parts that have been born, but the parts still inside her are still part of her body? Is it still part of her body when completely out but while the umbilical cord is still attached?

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