Latest news with #ElisabethWeber
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Ex anti-abortion advocate rethinks her views after being forced to carry dead baby
Elisabeth Weber grew up an ultra-conservative Christian who used to protest outside abortion clinics but is now reconsidering her stance due to her own health. The now 31-year-old mother from South Carolina believed at the time that she was doing the right thing but she is now unable to terminate her pregnancy, even after her baby has died. Weber 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. However, at Weber's 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 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.' 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 same 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 that the 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 and she did not miscarry, leading her to return to doctors asking 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 that her white blood cell count was very high, suggesting that she had an infection, but they also concluded that they could not end the pregnancy. What followed was a grueling three-week wait before doctors finally made the decision that they were legally able to end the pregnancy. Weber had a dilation and curettage, where the cervix is dilated using medication and a surgical instrument is inserted to gently remove the tissue lining the uterus, ending the pregnancy. The mother is heartbroken by the process, saying it forced her to take weeks off work and delayed her getting the chance to mourn her dead baby. She has since 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). The mother 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.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
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.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
'My womb becomes a tomb': South Carolina woman forced to carry dead fetus for weeks due to strict abortion laws
A South Carolina woman has gone public with her emotional and medical experience, alleging she was refused lifesaving medical care after suffering from fetal loss, as a result of the state's restrictive abortion law. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The woman, Elisabeth Weber, reports being required to carry a nonviable fetus for weeks, even though there was no heartbeat, because doctors were unwilling to deliver treatment within the limitations of the "heartbeat bill." Her experience illustrates how such legislation could accidentally delay necessary medical treatment for women with pregnancy loss. South Carolina woman forced to carry fetus with no heartbeat for weeks Elisabeth Weber, a 31-year-old mother of three from South Carolina, said that she was close to ten weeks pregnant when her doctor told her her fetus did not have a heartbeat anymore. She went in right away and asked for a dilation and curettage (D&C), a procedure applied to extract fetal tissue from the uterus following miscarriage or abortion. Even though the fetus was not viable, Weber was said to have been refused the procedure on the grounds that medical staff feared breaking the heartbeat law. "My baby has been sitting inside me dead for three weeks already," Weber posted on an Instagram video. "And now I have to wait another week knowing my baby is dead to do anything about it." Poll Do you believe current abortion laws adequately protect women's health? No, they do not. Yes, they do. South Carolina woman Weber complications suffered Weber has Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), a serious pregnancy complication that results in severe nausea and vomiting. While the fetus had ceased to grow, Weber's body still reacted as if she were pregnant, leading to ongoing illness and physical decline. "My body wasn't realizing that I wasn't pregnant anymore. I was still totally bedridden with nausea, vomiting all the time," she explained. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The baby hadn't developed at all. There is still no heartbeat. At that point, I was nearly 10 weeks pregnant." Weber also complained of frustration at being questioned about whether her pregnancy was "wanted," implying that such questioning was directed at ascertaining the lawfulness of providing care, and not her healthcare needs. Weber faces psychological trauma under strict abortion law Weber has had deep-seated grief in the past, having lost her infant son in 2018 to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). She now has three daughters—Neveah, Story, and Finley. The psychological trauma of having a dead fetus, added to her background of loss and continued physical illness, has had a lasting effect. 'I can't believe that I'm being forced to carry around my dead baby. They know it's gone, they know it's dead, they know it's stopped developing. There's really no feeling like when your womb becomes a tomb,' she said. Weber's viral account exposes the real-life harm of abortion bans gone too far Weber's account has attracted nationwide attention, as reproductive rights advocates have pointed to her case as proof of the unintended damage of overly broad abortion bans. Her account has spread widely on media like Instagram and TikTok, where she has chronicled her experience in real-time. Those against the heartbeat bill contend that instances like these portray a perilous intersection of medicine and politics under which legal confusion and fear of prosecution discourage doctors from making effective, life-sustaining medical decisions in time. Medical workers, legal observers, and feminist groups have affirmed the necessity of clearer legislative terms that permit effective and humane care in miscarriages and fetal demise. South Carolina's abortion law sparks debate over medical judgment and legal risk South Carolina's "Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act," the so-called heartbeat bill, took effect in 2021. The act prohibits all but extremely rare abortions once fetal cardiac activity is identified, usually around six weeks into the pregnancy. Exceptions are provided, but only on a very tight basis, in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is threatened. Yet, critics contend that the ambiguous language of the law and harsh legal sanctions have a chilling effect. Healthcare providers might be reluctant to provide timely treatment in cases of miscarriage or fetal death because of fear of legal repercussions—even when fetal viability is no longer an issue. Also Read |
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
South Carolina mom forced to carry fetus with no heartbeat for weeks due to strict laws: ‘My baby is dead'
A mother from South Carolina claimed that she was forced to carry a fetus with no heartbeat for weeks after being denied medical care due to the existing anti-abortion laws in the state. 31-year-old Elisabeth Weber said that she visited the ER to get a dilation and curettage - a procedure where the doctor removes tissue from the inside of a woman's uterus - but was denied care due to the heartbeat bill, reported People. A South Carolina mom claimed she had to wait for weeks to get medical help while carrying a fetus with no heartbeat. (Instagram/@elisabeth__hope) Weber shared a video on Instagram detailing her situation. 'I am posting my updates on Instagram, since I have only been updated on TikTok. I recorded this minutes after finding this information out, so not everything was worded correctly. I grew up in a very conservative household, but I have not been conservative since I was very young. I am not conservative and I did NOT vote for Trump. It was not my choice to stand outside planned parenthood. I grew up in a cult,' she wrote. In the video, she claimed that she came to know the fetus in her womb had no heartbeat, and she decided to seek medical help. 'My baby has been sitting inside me dead for three weeks already,' Weber said in the viral video. 'And now I have to wait another week knowing my baby is dead to do anything about it,' she continued. 'The baby stopped growing at 6 weeks and one day,' she told People. She added, 'With my HG and all of that, I'm so sick. I have three kids, and waiting around to go into a mini-labor is just hard.' Weber has three daughters Neveah, Story, and Finley. She had a son who died in 2018 due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). 'My body was not recognizing that I wasn't pregnant anymore. I was still completely bedridden with nausea, throwing up all the time,' Weber told the outlet, adding, 'The baby had not grown at all. There's still no heartbeat. At that point, I was almost 10 weeks.' Also Read: Woman's gender reveal party ruined after wrong paternity test led to abortion, only to find out it was incorrect 'My baby didn't have a heartbeat, and it still prevented me from getting care,' she said, recalling that she was asked by the medical professionals if her pregnancy was 'wanted'. 'I can't believe that I'm being forced to carry around my dead baby. They know it's gone, they know it's dead, they know it's stopped developing, and now I'm being forced to carry it… there's really no feeling like when your womb becomes a tomb,' she told the outlet.
