I was an anti-abortion advocate, but after being forced to carry my dead baby for months, it's made me rethink EVERYTHING
Elisabeth Weber grew up an ultra-conservative Christian and used to protest outside abortion clinics.
The now 31-year-old mother from South Carolina believed at the time that she was doing the right thing.
But now, Weber has found herself in the crosshairs of the very abortion laws she once supported, unable to terminate her pregnancy, even after her baby had died.
She was overjoyed to be pregnant again, naming the child Enzo despite not knowing the gender because, in her heart, she felt certain it was a boy.
But at her nine-week ultrasound, doctors couldn't find a heartbeat. They told her the fetus measured just over six weeks, about the size of a pea.
Follow-up tests confirmed that the baby had died. Her doctors recommended a termination to avoid infection or a potentially life-threatening hemorrhage.
But because of South Carolina's near-total abortion ban after six weeks — one of the strictest in the country — she was forced to carry the non-viable pregnancy for weeks.
In a tearful video posted online, Weber said: 'I grew up very Conservative Christian. We stood outside of abortion clinics. Like, that was my growing-up years.
'But what you guys need to understand with these laws is it's not just people who are going having elective abortions that are being affected... because my baby is dead, my baby doesn't have a heartbeat, my baby is gone, but I am not allowed to do anything about it.'
Sobbing, she added: 'I just sit here and wait for another week and suffer and have a chance at hemorrhaging and have a chance at infection all because of these stupid laws.'
South Carolina imposed a six-week fetal heartbeat law in May 2023, which forbids all abortions after week six, around the time a fetal heartbeat is first detected.
The few exceptions include when the pregnant mother is experiencing a medical emergency or fetal anomaly, and in cases of rape or incest reported to law enforcement during the first trimester.
In cases where a heartbeat is not detected at six weeks, patients are still asked to wait at least another two weeks to prove a pregnancy is non-viable and that due care has been taken, according to lawyers in the state.
After doctors first concluded Weber's baby was dead, she was sent home to try to miscarry the fetus naturally.
But her morning sickness continued unabated and she did not miscarry, leading her to return to doctors to ask for a termination.
They refused, saying they could not end the pregnancy unless she was hemorrhaging or suffering from sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection.
Weber then went to another hospital, where tests showed her white blood cell count was very high, suggesting an infection, but that staff at this hospital also concluded they couldn't end the pregnancy.
What followed was a grueling three-week wait before doctors finally decided they would be able to end the pregnancy.
She had a dilation and curettage, where the cervix is dilated using medication and a surgical instrument is inserted that gently removes the tissue lining the uterus to end the pregnancy.
She is heartbroken by the whole process, saying it led her to take weeks off work and delayed her getting the chance to mourn her dead baby.
She has set up a GoFundMe to help cover expenses, which has so far raised $5,211 out of the $6,500 goal.
Weber has three other children aged six, five and 18 months. She also had a son who died in 2018 from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
She is no longer an ultra-conservative and said she has left her religion and did not vote for President Donald Trump.
She was a member of the International House of Prayer, an ultra-Christian group that often takes a pro-life view on abortion.
She revealed her issues in a post on TikTok, that has now been viewed more than 213,000 times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Alcohol is killing more Americans today than 20 years ago
The number of alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. has been rising over the course of the past two decades. On Wednesday, a group of physicians from across the country said that liver disease deaths had roughly doubled over the course of 20 years, noting significant acceleration during and following the Covid pandemic. Alcohol consumption can damage the liver, with the sharp rise in issues coming at a time when other liver diseases like hepatitis C were falling. 'Mortality from alcohol-associated liver disease has increased significantly across most demographic groups in the US from 1999 to 2022,' they said in their findings. Looking at 436,814 alcohol-associated liver disease deaths recorded during that period, they found that the mortality rate had surged from 6.7 to 12.5 deaths per 100,000 people. The annual increase was higher among women than men, and young people showed 'concerning trends.' That was also the case among American Indian or Alaska Native populations, which faced the highest death rates. Those increased from about 25 to nearly 47 per 100,000 between 1999 to 2022. Among white Americans, the rates also rose. Deaths among Black Americans initially fell, but then spiked in 2019. They rose about 21 percent annually through 2022. Before and during the pandemic, Mortality rates also surged an annual average of 9 percent from 2018 to 2022. Researchers pinned the rise during this period on pandemic-related stressor, such as financial insecurity and social isolation, which led to an increase in drinking. The research was published in the journal JAMA Network Open. The news comes after similar research presented last month found the number of annual alcohol deaths due to cancer had doubled in recent years, rising from 11,896 in 1990 to 23,207 by 2021. Those conclusions also noted a spike during the pandemic, and upticks among women. In both cases, the authors said that these worrying results indicate the 'urgent' need for enhanced prevention. 'These findings demand comprehensive public health strategies focused on enhanced screening, improved addiction treatment access, and targeted interventions for high-risk groups. Long-term monitoring and research into intervention effectiveness are crucial for addressing this growing public health crisis,' the doctors said.
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists reveal foot hack that's guaranteed to help you fall asleep
Scientists have revealed a foolproof method involving your foot to help you drift off. An Instagram post went viral after recommending struggling sleepers to try dozing of with one foot outside the covers, citing a major anthropological analysis. The post read: 'A fascinating 2023 study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology has confirmed that sleeping with one foot outside the blanket isn't just a quirky habit - it's a legit sleep hack.' Try this! If you're struggling to fall asleep, scientists have discovered a simple foot-based hack that can help you drift off faster While this sounds simple, research has shown that the change really can make a big difference to your quality of sleep. The reason the unusual trick works is because a reduction in core body temperature is one of the key signs that tells your body it's time to fall asleep. As the body's temperature falls, a signal is sent to your brain, triggering the production of melatonin - a chemical that eases the body to sleep and regulates the circadian rhythm. In the viral post, which was shared by Biohack Yourself Media, the caption reads: 'The soles of your feet have special blood vessels designed to dump heat fast. 'Exposing just one foot to cooler air helps lower your core body temperature.' Dropping your core body temperature will raise your melatonin levels and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep as well as improve overall sleep quality. Commenters shared the success they have had using this simple hack. One wrote: 'I do it always. Usually the whole one leg.' Another added: 'I've been doing this my whole life.' However, some commenters pointed out that sleeping with a foot out of the duvet triggered an irrational fear. As one commenter wrote: 'This is what a foot grabbing monster would say.' 'So the shadow man can pull me under the bed!!! Nice try but I don't think so,' another chimed in. While another asked: 'Who wrote this, the boogie man?!' Others had more practical concerns about sleeping with their leg exposed to the open air. A commenter complained that this might work fine 'until the mosquitos attack'. Another added that this is a good plan 'unless you have a cat'. While some people might not like the idea, science shows that keeping your feet cool really is one of the best ways to drift off. Although it isn't clarified in the post, the 2023 paper mentioned is likely a study conducted by Japanese researchers on the effects of bathing before bedtime. This study found that having a long, hot bath before getting into bed significantly improved sleep duration and sped up falling asleep. This might sound counterintuitive, but it is the total drop in core body temperature which causes the body's sleep reaction and not just being cold. By temporarily raising the core body temperature one to two hours before bed, you can create a bigger change and a more powerful sleep reaction. Getting your skin hot in the bath triggers a process that causes blood to rush to veins near the surface of the skin in a process called vasodilation. When you get out of the bath, more blood will be running through the exposed veins on your feet, allowing for even faster cooling. One 2023 study conducted by Chinese researchers recommended that taking a 24-minute footbath at 108F before bed was the optimal way to increase sleep quality. Keeping your feet exposed afterwards allows for even faster cooling and a greater sleep reaction. But if you let your feet get too cold the blood will stop flowing to the surface - a process called vasoconstriction - and the cooling process will be inhibited. Some studies have even recommended wearing socks to bed in order to maintain vasodilation and keep the core body temperature cool. A study conducted by Korean researchers found that participants slept significantly better and fell asleep faster while wearing warming socks. On average this led to participants getting 30 minutes extra sleep per night and falling asleep 7.5 minutes quicker.
Daily Mail
32 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's epic four-word troll of Republican against his 'big beautiful bill' after claiming he was snubbed from White House picnic
President Donald Trump 's cheeky bite back to a Senate Republican at odds with his 'big, beautiful bill 'made waves across social media platforms Thursday morning. Kentucky Republican Rand Paul had previously told reporters Wednesday that the White House had disinvited him from the annual Congressional Picnic, set to take place there later Thursday evening. But Trump contradicted his own White House on Thursday, indicating that 'of course' Paul and his family could attend. 'He's the toughest vote in the history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn't he be? Besides, it gives me more time to get his Vote on the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill,' Trump wrote in a post on his social media site Truth Social on Thursday morning. 'It will help to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! I look forward to seeing Rand. The Party will be Great!' Trump concluded. Speaking to reporters out side of the Capitol Wednesday, Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) shared that his invitation to the President's Congressional picnic had been cancelled. 'I've just been told that I've been uninvited from the [ White House ] Democrat will be invited, every Republican invited, but I will be the only one disallowed. I just find this incredibly petty', Paul said. The Daily Mail is reaching out to Paul's office to see if the senator is choosing to take up the president's new invitation. Trump wrote in a post on his social media site Truth Social on Thursday morning that 'of course' Senator Rand Paul and his family could attend the White House Congressional picnic President Trump has had Paul in his crosshairs over the past few weeks, as the Senator has been opposing the president's 'big,beautiful' budget bill. Paul's primary opposition to the legislation has been over the projected new additions to the national debt. While he wants to see the President's 2017 tax cuts extended, Paul has portrayed the current $5 trillion in new debt as 'Biden spending levels.' 'This will be the largest increase in the debt ceiling ever in our history. We've never raised the debt ceiling without meeting the target,' Paul told Fox News earlier this month. 'I think it is a terrible idea to do this' Paul told Fox News earlier in June.' During another recent appearance on CBS' Face the Nation, Paul told host Margaret Brennan that the math in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' 'doesn't really add up.' 'One of the things this big and beautiful bill is, is it's a vehicle for increasing spending for the military and for the border. It's about $320 billion in new spending,' Paul said at the time. Trump has been attacking Paul on social media for weeks just as Senate Republicans have been grappling with the massive spending legislation. 'Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting 'NO' on everything, he thinks it's good politics, but it's not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!' Trump wrote on Truth Social. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also piled on. 'Well, anyone who votes against the one big, beautiful bill including Senator Rand Paul, will be voting for a tax hike of more than $4 trillion on the American people and their voters will know about it,' Leavitt warned earlier this month. Paul was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, long before Trump's foray into politics, and was easily reelected to a third term in 2022 during Joe Biden's presidency. Paul is not up for election again until 2028. Kentucky's other Senate seat is up as an open seat in the 2026 midterms election. The commonwealth's senior senator and former Senate leader Mitch McConnell - another running Trump nemesis -- is not running for another term.
