The Pro-Life Movement: A Decade of Progress
The pro-life movement has had its victories and defeats over the years. But at this historical time of giving thanks, it’s a good time to recount the progress that we have had, particularly over the past decade.
The Pro-Life Movement: A Decade of Progress
Over the past decade, those serving in the pro-life movement have gleaned a greater understanding of a holistic approach to not only speaking up for the unborn but also caring well for women facing unexpected pregnancies. We do this several ways:
1. Increased understanding of the value of empowering women through options education
Education is power, and the pro-life movement has increasingly learned the value of providing women in crisis with accurate information. When women are fully informed, they can make better choices about their unexpected pregnancies.
That’s why we educate women about each of their options, including parenting, adoption, and abortion. Unfortunately, they often have mistaken beliefs about adoption, so we share what adoption means and the different types available. We also provide available community resources they may not have known were available to them.
2. A greater understanding of prenatal development
Too often after abortion, women express regret, some saying they didn’t realize how developed their babies were. So, we educate women about prenatal development to protect their health and prevent remorse that can grow into long-term pain and shame.
Science has learned more about prenatal development over the past decade:
- The heart starts beating three weeks after conception.
- The first synapses begin forming in a fetus’s spinal cord at just five weeks after conception, and electrical activity starts in the prenatal brain at six weeks.
- Fetal movements begin at six weeks after conception.
- At eight to ten weeks, hiccupping, stretching, yawning, sucking, swallowing, grasping, and thumb-sucking can all be seen on ultrasound.
3. Advancement of ultrasound
Another aspect of empowering women with education is the advancement of ultrasound in the pro-life movement over the past decade.
Pro-life pregnancy centers are increasingly becoming pregnancy medical facilities offering women medical-grade pregnancy testing, limited ultrasound, and STI testing.
You have probably heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Of course, we can describe fetal development in full detail, but it’s powerful when a woman sees her baby on a screen.
Ultrasound has been criticized for being a manipulative tool in pregnancy centers, but it is precisely the opposite. The goal of ultrasound is to provide women with the facts they deserve to make the best decisions for their lives.
Ultrasound offers essential information such as:
- How far along she is in her pregnancy, which informs her about which options are available to her.
- If her pregnancy is viable or not.
- The location of the pregnancy to determine the risk of ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is when the pregnancy is located outside of the uterus, which can be a very dangerous medical condition. An ultrasound is vital in ruling out this risk.
- If she is pregnant with multiples
Join Us
Caring Network works to honor and glorify Jesus Christ, the author, and creator of life, by bringing His love and compassion to abortion-minded women and equipping them to choose life — both physical and spiritual. And the work isn’t possible without you.
Contact Caring Network today to learn more about how you can join us in the pro-life movement for another decade of progress.
