By Molly Clare Lange
How many young women and teenagers have murdered their child because no one was there to encourage them otherwise? How many women’s hearts are heavy and scarred with the knowledge that they have destroyed a new life, out of fear or ignorance? According to the CDC, “A total of 625,978 abortions for 2021 were reported” (Kortsmit, et al.). Approximately 93% of these are performed in the first trimester.
In reading a fascinating document put out by Massachusetts Citizens for Life called “Facts about Fetal Development: From Fertilization to Birth,” I discovered something astonishing about a baby’s embryonic age: “All the intricate changes, cellular migrations, and cell differentiation were completed by eight weeks to form perfect, albeit tiny, organ systems.”
Fertilization takes place on day 0. The baby then travels up the fallopian tube and implants into the uterine wall. Over the next three weeks, the embryo’s brain and nervous system are being constituted, and around 21 days, the infant’s heart begins to beat. By the fourth week, the muscle tissue is being established, as well as the development of the arms, legs, eyes, and inner ear. But the baby is still very small, only about a quarter of an inch (page 8).
During the fifth week, the hands and feet begin to mature, and by the sixth week, brain waves have been recorded. In addition to the darkening of the eyes, the simple movements have begun (page 10).
Between the seventh and eighth weeks, while the stomach and digestive organs have been forming, the eyelids start to seal over until the seventh month. Now, the permanent kidneys are preparing to operate. The baby is a little bigger than an inch and is called a “fetus,” meaning “offspring” or “young one” in Latin (page 12).
During the ninth week, beginnings of all important body systems have been established, and the eyelids are closed, while the face continues to become well defined. In the tenth week, the fingernails, toenails, and unique fingerprints have begun to develop. At this time, the activities of the fetus become more specialized (page 14).
Between the eleventh and the twelfth weeks, the baby can open his mouth, swallow, make a fist, and touch his face. He is now only four inches tall. His brain, however, is still forming, so as to enable the child to learn things, process information, and remember certain events (page 16).
By the twelfth week, we can now visually see the gender of the beautiful little baby, although that was already determined by God at conception/creation and is imprinted in the child’s chromosomes (page 16). Thus ends the first trimester and begins the solidification of the bones and the further development of the baby.
The truth is, many women do not abort their babies out of spite or anger but out of ignorance, or in many cases, fear. How can we change this? We can’t just wake up one morning and end abortion. But bit by bit, we can endeavor to make a dent in this culture of death.
A kind word to a struggling young mother to tell her that she is doing a great job can mean a world of difference. Even just a little thing, like buying her a coffee at the grocery store, showing her that she is noticed and appreciated, can lift her spirits immensely.
There are a few extraordinary programs in the United States that enable single mothers to get an education that include free room, board, and volunteer childcare. Spreading information about these programs, such as the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers at the University of Mary in North Dakota, might decrease the number of abortions obtained because of financial hardships.
There are numerous other pro-life organizations in America, but due to the increasing pressure on these establishments, many have been forced to close. In addition to praying for those women considering abortion, you could do many simple things to help these organizations, such as donating baby clothes, volunteering at the clinic, or even just sitting and talking with the waiting expectant mothers.
How much difference can one simple word make? The answer?
A baby’s life.
“What is taking place in America, is a war against the child. And if we accept that the mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another.” – St. Teresa of Calcutta
Molly Clare Lange received an honorable mention in the middle school category of the Culture of Life Studies Program’s 2024 Pro-Life Essay Contest.