Who gets aborted?
Day 1: At the moment of conception, when the sperm penetrates the egg, a new, unrepeatable human life is formed. This new tiny person differs from born children and adults only in size, level of development, environment, and degree of dependency, none of which makes him or her less valuable.
"…each of us has a unique beginning, the moment of conception … As soon as the 23 chromosomes carried by the sperm encounter the 23 chromosomes carried by the ovum, the whole information necessary and sufficient to spell out all the characteristics of the new being is gathered … a new human being is defined which has never occurred before and will never occur again … [it] is not just simply a non-descript cell, or a ‘population’ or loose ‘collection’ of cells, but a very specialized individual …"1
“Human embryos and human fetuses are human beings, each with their own unique genetic DNA” ~ Ralph P. Miech, Associate Professor of Molecular Pharmacology, Emeritus,
“Science has a very simple conception of man; as soon as he has been conceived, a man is a man.” ~Jerome Lejeune, M.D., Ph.D., former professor of Fundamental Genetics, Hôpital des Enfants Malades, Paris, France
Day 21:
7 week year old fetus (Life Issues Institute)
Day 42 (week 6): The baby develops nerve connections that will lead to a sense of smell. The brain is now divided into 3 parts – one to experience emotion and understand language, one for hearing and one for seeing. Joints begin to form.4
Size of baby feet at 10 weeks (Dr. Russell Sacco)
Week 14: Muscles become more developed. The baby’s eyes, mouth, nose, and ears are almost completely formed creating a well defined and beautiful face. She also has adult taste buds and can even savor.
Baby foot at 14 weeks
Week 16: The baby has quadrupled in size by now. Fingernails and toenails are also present. She sleeps and wakes regularly and is about 6 – 8 in. long.
16 weeks
Week 20: The baby hears and can distinguish different voices. She also sleeps and dreams. Rhythmic music is calming and loud sounds excite her.
20 weeks (5 months) (Life Issues Institute)
Week 23: At this stage sometimes breathing movements will get amniotic fluid in the windpipe causing hiccups.
Week 24: The baby is covered in a fine hair called lanugo and is also protected by a waxy substance.
24 weeks (6 months)
Week 30: The baby’s skin pigment changes from red to pink because of the accumulation of fat. Signs of personality also begin to shine through because the baby will move to the rhythm of the music it hears and will also show a preference for particular types of music. She also can see.
Baby's hands at 30 weeks (7.5 months)
Week 38: The baby is ready for life outside the womb and may drop to a lower position in the womb, preparing for birth.
A baby ready for birth at 38 weeks (9.5 months)
Visible evidence and science clearly show that as soon as the sperm and egg meet, a new human life comes into existence. Please soak in these pictures and take them to heart. Abortion is NOT your only option. Abortion is not about "women's rights" it is about the life of another innocent human being. It will kill your child and destroy the most intimate bond on earth - that between mother and child.
You deserve better than abortion.
Notes:
1. J. Lejeune, A symphony of the preborn child: part 2. (Hagerstown, MD: NAACP, 1989)
2. K.L. Moore and T.V.N. Persaud, The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology. (Philadelphia: Saunders, 2003) 77.
3. R. O’Rahilly and F. Muller, Developmental Stages in Human Embryos. (Washington, DC.: Carnegie Inst. of Washington, 1987) 183.
4. Moore and Persaud 408-411.
Other Sources:
Anand, K.J.S. and P.R. Hickey. 1987. Pain and its Effects in the Human Neonate and Fetus. The New England Journal of Medicine 317:1321-1329.
Fetal Development. Wellness Center. 1999.