MSNBC come up with a new reason to oppose pro-life laws on Wednesday’s Chris Jansing Reports: they make it more difficult for women to give birth.
If that sounds confusing, Jansing urged viewers to “Imagine this, you're nine months pregnant, about to deliver, but the nearest hospital is now an hour away. That scenario could be reality in Northern Idaho. Bonner General Health in Sand Point, Idaho, has announced it's shuttering its labor and delivery unit citing staffing issues and the state's quote ‘legal and political climate.’”
Jansing then introduced Danielle Campoamor of Today Parents and asked her to “explain this, I know there are multiple reasons, but part of it is concern about new abortion laws, right?”
Campoamor reported that “As you said, they cited staffing issues, a decline in the number of babies being born in that hospital, but really went into the anti-abortion laws in the state saying that OBGYNs are leaving the state, they can't have them come to a state where they could potentially be criminalized, potentially be sued if they're giving care that could qualify as an abortion under the anti-abortion laws in the state and so they're saying this is just not a safe environment for OBGYNs anymore.”
Simply uncritically repeating what the hospital said is incomplete reporting. Idaho is very clear in its definition of abortion. It explicitly debunks typical media fearmongering about miscarriage care and ectopic pregnancies, declaring them not to be abortions as well as having provisions related to medical emergencies. Campoamor should’ve made clear that the hospital is either confused or is deliberately putting politics above women’s health and neither is the fault of pro-lifers, but this is the kind of reporting you get from activist reporters.
However, Jansing wasn’t interested in any of that, “You talk to a lot of women, a lot of moms, what did they tell you?”
Campoamor proceeded to tell the story of:
One mom in particular, eight years ago, she's from Sand Point, she wanted to have a home birth, something went wrong. She experienced complications, she was rushed to that hospital and was able to have an emergency C-section. She says now, considering what her community is going to have to go through, she shutters to think of what would have happened to her under the circumstance and that will be a reality for some women there.
They will need to travel over an hour to get the care they need and in emergency situations, who knows what that could mean, certainly potential horrible health outcomes for women and their children.
Again, pro-lifers cannot honestly be blamed for this, but Jansing doubled down regardless “Are hospital officials offering any advice or what's -- I mean, you never know. Some people obviously have a high risk pregnancy, but you never know if you're going to be in the situation that mother was in, which suddenly she needs a C-section. What do they do?”
Campoamor again replied that women would have to travel further “and that’s what's going to plague this community… I talked to one future OBGYN who wanted to go back after her four-year residency and is now saying I have to choose between ‘is this a community that I could give birth in safely or am I going to put myself in a position where if I have a family, I could be imprisoned or fined or sued because I was actually just doing my job.’”
In the print version of this story, this woman is quoted lamenting that abortion generally is now against the law which makes her not the most objective and reliable source which is probably why Campoamor chose her.
This segment was sponsored by IHOP.
Here is a transcript for the March 22 show:
MSNBC Chris Jansing Reports
3/22/2023
1:51 PM ET
CHRIS JANSING: Imagine this, you're nine months pregnant, about to deliver, but the nearest hospital is now an hour away. That scenario could be reality in Northern Idaho. Bonner General Health in Sand Point, Idaho, has announced it's shuttering its labor and delivery unit citing staffing issues and the state's quote “legal and political climate.”
Joining me now is reporter for Today Parents, Danielle Campoamor. Danielle, explain this, I know there are multiple reasons, but part of it is concern about new abortion laws, right?
DANIELLE CAMPOAMOR: Absolutely. As you said, they cited staffing issues, a decline in the number of babies being born in that hospital, but really went into the anti-abortion laws in the state saying that OBGYNs are leaving the state, they can't have them come to a state where they could potentially be criminalized, potentially be sued if they're giving care that could qualify as an abortion under the anti-abortion laws in the state and so they're saying this is just not a safe environment for OBGYNs anymore.
JANSING: You talk to a lot of women, a lot of moms, what did they tell you?
CAMPOAMOR: I did. I talked to one mom in particular, eight years ago, she's from Sand Point, she wanted to have a home birth, something went wrong. She experienced complications, she was rushed to that hospital and was able to have an emergency C-section. She says now, considering what her community is going to have to go through, she shutters to think of what would have happened to her under the circumstance and that will be a reality for some women there.
They will need to travel over an hour to get the care they need and in emergency situations, who knows what that could mean, certainly potential horrible health outcomes for women and their children.
JANSING: That is the key question, what could it mean. Could the baby survive? Could the mom survive? Are hospital officials offering any advice or what's -- I mean, you never know. Some people obviously have a high risk pregnancy, but you never know if you're going to be in the situation that mother was in, which suddenly she needs a C-section. What do they do?
CAMPOAMOR: They have to travel further. An emergency room is not equipped to deal with what an OBGYN would have to deal with in that kind of situation. That's what it comes down to, is travel further and that’s what's going to plague this community. It's plaguing those in the state who like they have to prioritize their families over their over the duty that they have as doctors, but, even future OBGYNs, I talked to one future OBGYN who wanted to go back after her four year residency and is now saying I have to choose between "is this a community that I could give birth in safely or am I going to put myself in a position where if I have a family, I could be imprisoned or fined or sued because I was actually just doing my job."
JANSING: Well, there is that thought. I mean, as the only OBGYN and if you get pregnant where do you go, what do you do? Danielle, thank you so much for this reporting. We appreciate you coming on the program.
