If you have made the decision to end a wanted pregnancy, it is very normal to experience a range of emotions

Ending pregnancy is known as termination for medical reasons (TFMR). You may also hear the term “compassionate induction.”

You are naturally going to be scared, worried and anxious about what the next steps are and what you will have to go through.

Our LMC members know there is nothing to make this journey any easier, but we can help take the fear of the unknown away a little with our joint experience and individualised support from the moment you contact us. All of the members who will support you through the next journey have gone through this or similar journeys of their own and have been offering support to couples and individuals like us since 2012

What happens during the termination procedure?

Again and again, we hear parents say they did not get enough information on the details of the procedure, that they didn’t realise exactly what would be done or how it would work. Time frames can also vary on a person to person basis and will also depends on if you are in Ireland or abroad.

In most cases, the termination is done as follows and has 2 phases.

Phase 1: the baby’s heart is stopped

Phase 2: labour is induced

If you are in Ireland, you might return home after phase 1 and go back to hospital 1-2 days later. If you are abroad you might deliver your baby the next day. All of these details will be discussed with you by your medical team. The type of termination may change depending on how many weeks you are in your pregnancy

You can find more information on types of termination procedures on the ARC page linked here

Will I get maternity leave?

In Ireland, you must be at least 24 weeks pregnant or your baby must weight at least 500g at birth. If you have a termination before this time, you will be on sick leave. Most parents will find out that their baby has a foetal anomaly before 24 weeks, but additional tests/scans can take time and you may not have a clear picture until after 24 weeks.

HSE info on maternity leave linked here

Will my milk come in?

The hospital can provide you with a medication to stop or reduce milk production. Ask your medical team about this

Advice from Parents

• If there are items in your house that were in preparation for your baby, you might want to ask a friend or family member to tidy them away while you are in hospital. If coming home to these items such as a crib will upset you, ask them to be placed our of sight or removed from the house. This does not mean you need to throw anything away, and make sure you tell whoever is cleaning that you want to keep the items. A time may come when you want to look back at the lovely things you bought your baby, even if it’s only one or two things.

• You can ask your doctors to print some ultrasound pictures before the TFMR procedure. You can get your baby’s heart tracing before you say goodbye or just a nice ultrasound picture

• This mam went for TFMR. She was offered a sedative medication before the procedure:

“Make sure people know the baby’s heart will be stopped before being induced. And that medication beforehand, I feel like there wasn’t an option to decline it, but there could have been, I can’t really remember. That day was more of a blur for me than the day I actually gave birth”

Additional Info

Currently, the HSE does not have information on TFMR.

The NHS has information linked here

Tommy’s is a UK charity that has easy-to-read information. They have section on TFMR here. It also has easy to read information on the types of procedures available

See below for information on TFMR in Ireland and Abroad