# Would you give up your life for your baby? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 21, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822 "2016-04-21T15:34:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/1 "2016-04-21T15:34:04Z")
Let’s say you’ve been trying very hard to get pregnant and finally manage it. At your 20 week ultrasound you find that there is a cancerous growth on your uterus the only possibly treatment is to remove the uterus entirely which obviously will kill the baby. The cancer is growing quickly and your doctor believes that if you wait till full term it’ll kill you within a year. Obviously if you choose to abort and have your uterus removed you will never be pregnant again. Please note this is not a question about whether it should be legal to abort the baby rather what choice you would make in the situation. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/2 "2016-04-21T16:29:28Z")
Would the baby make it to full term if there is a rapidly growing cancerous growth on the uterus? ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/3 "2016-04-21T16:30:38Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Would the baby make it to full term if there is a rapidly growing cancerous growth on the uterus? In this case yes. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/4 "2016-04-21T16:40:31Z")
1. Is there a guarantee that the baby will be born healthy? 2. Who will raise and support the baby? ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/5 "2016-04-21T16:53:44Z")
No, I would not. My husband would rather have me alive than dead, I wouldn’t want my offspring to have this as the story of its life, and I value my own life just enough to make ending it an undesirable outcome. Plus, if it’s a pre-term delivery, there is a good chance the baby won’t make it anyway and my sacrifice would be all for naught. I’m 20 weeks pregnant right now, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/6 "2016-04-21T16:57:10Z")
Nope. I made that very clear when I was pregnant: If it’s him or me choose me guys. Of course now that’s he’s out I’d choose him first any day, but while they’re on the inside it’s a different story imho. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/7 "2016-04-21T17:02:58Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > In this case yes. Why? As opposed to other less extreme options like adopting or taking out a couple of eggs and using a surrogate. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/8 "2016-04-21T17:07:34Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Why? As opposed to other less extreme options like adopting or taking out a couple of eggs and using a surrogate. The yes meant that the baby will make it to term if allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/9 "2016-04-21T17:15:28Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > The yes meant that the baby will make it to term if allowed. Will the baby be healthy and have someone to raise it? ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/10 "2016-04-21T17:27:22Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Will the baby be healthy and have someone to raise it? There are no guarantees in life but there is no reason to believe that the baby will not be healthy and the father will raise the baby. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/11 "2016-04-21T17:30:25Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > There are no guarantees in life but there is no reason to believe that the baby will not be healthy and the father will raise the baby. So this is taking place in your hypothetical world, not the real one? ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/12 "2016-04-21T17:31:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > So this is taking place in your hypothetical world, not the real one? huh? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/13 "2016-04-21T17:42:20Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > huh? In the real world, problems like these cause complications for the pregnancy, not all pregnancies come out all right even without complications of this sort, and there isn’t always someone capable and/or willing to take care of the child if the mother is taken out of the picture. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/14 "2016-04-21T17:49:21Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > In the real world, problems like these cause complications for the pregnancy, not all pregnancies come out all right even without complications of this sort, and there isn’t always someone capable and/or willing to take care of the child if the mother is taken out of the picture. Well in the original scenario it was stated that you’ve been trying for a while which implies that the father is also interested in the baby. I don’t see any reason to assume the father wouldn’t want to take care of the baby. As far as a healthy outcome I’m not a doctor but it seems like if the growth is on a different area than the placenta it shouldn’t be an extreme problem and the mother’s body usually will protect the baby to the best of it’s ability. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/15 "2016-04-22T23:08:05Z")
Nope. When I say a woman’s right to live trumps that of a fetus I’m including myself. If I was the fetus I wouldn’t have the capacity to care anyway. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/16 "2016-04-22T23:12:38Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > In this case yes. I’ll take my chances. Keep the baby and hope the doctor is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/17 "2016-04-23T00:51:04Z")
I suspect that I would argue for the cancer surgery but that my wife would be inclined to continue the pregnancy. In our experience, for obvious reasons, the developing life inside has been much more tangible for her at that point than it was for me. It would be harder for her to let go of, and easier for her to take chances with her own well-being. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > In the real world, problems like these cause complications for the pregnancy, not all pregnancies come out all right even without complications of this sort, and there isn’t always someone capable and/or willing to take care of the child if the mother is taken out of the picture. Well, in the real world, the cancer removal might fail. There are uncertainties on both sides, many of them unquantifiable, and it’s hard to see that they weigh in one direction or another here. Instead of attacking the limitations of the hypothetical from one side, why not just share the value judgments and conclusions that animate your choice of that side? ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/18 "2016-04-23T01:56:10Z")
That’s a no-brainer. Remove the uterus. You can always use a surrogate, adopt, or even have a uterus transplant to get another baby, but there’s only one you. Now, if the cancer was almost certainly terminal, even if you had surgery quickly, letting the pregnancy go to term would probably be the better choice, but that would depend on the individual person and the various probabilities of outcomes. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/19 "2016-04-23T02:00:38Z")
This has played itself out in real life many times. Not usually uterine cancer, but breast cancer or lymphoma or some such, where chemotherapy might prolong life or even be curative. Of course, sufficient chemotherapy would be very toxic (most likely lethal or worse) to the developing fetus. I’ve heard of at least one case of the mother continuing the pregnancy. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822/20 "2016-04-23T02:15:57Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Instead of attacking the limitations of the hypothetical from one side, why not just share the value judgments and conclusions that animate your choice of that side? Because I felt the hypothetical was stacking the deck in an unrealistic way, assuming in the OP _without saying_ that the baby would be born healthy and that there would be someone there willing and capable to raise it. All the OP actually stated was that the _mother_ had been trying hard to get pregnant and that _she_ wanted the child. In today’s world, that could mean one of several possibilities. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-give-up-your-life-for-your-baby/752822.md?page=2)