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First time mother told abortion was ‘best option’ gives birth to healthy baby girl

A mother who was told abortion would be the “best option” for her unborn child has given birth to a healthy baby girl, after rejecting abortion on four occasions.

Kimberley James was warned by doctors that her unborn baby would not survive after a 12-week scan revealed hydrops fetalis, an abnormal build-up of fluid levels in the womb.   

Kimberley’s baby was also diagnosed with cystic hygroma, a collection of treatable fluid-filled cysts which affects one in 8,000 babies.

The first time mother told the Sun she was then advised “at least three or four times to have an abortion” by doctors.

But she decided to trust her instinct and go ahead with the pregnancy.

“It must have been three or four people I was told, quite forcibly, that a termination was the best option.

“In the end we paid to have private scans and blood tests but we were determined to go ahead with the pregnancy.”

She added: “After the first time we had a scan at 12 weeks at Worcestershire Royal Hospital we were referred to a consultant, which we saw two days later.

“It was then we were offered a termination pretty much the second time we had seen her.

“We said no because it was absolutely not what we wanted to do.

“We asked them why and unfortunately they couldn’t give an answer.”

Just one month later, at 16 weeks, Kimberley and her husband Nick returned to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for a scan, which to the shock of doctors, revealed that both Kimberly’s hydrops fetalis and her baby’s cystic hygroma had gone.

Recalling events, Kimberley said: “At 16 weeks we went back to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for a scan and they were gobsmacked the hydrops had gone, which was the reason they had offered the termination.

“They didn’t know how it had disappeared and said it was unheard of.

“It had been there because you could actually see it on the scans and they had seen it in the private clinic as well.

“The cystic hygroma was part of it too and that had completely disappeared after 20 weeks.

“They checked her for it when she was born and she was all fine.

“The doctors were really, really shocked because they weren’t expecting it to disappear and the consultant couldn’t believe it.”

Kimberly’s pregnancy then proceeded without any further scares and on 9 May, she and her husband welcomed their 7lb 6oz (3.34kg) daughter, Penelope, into the world.

Kimberley said: “Penelope defied all odds and the hydrops disappeared at 16 weeks and the cystic hygroma also disappeared after 20 weeks.

“We are so in love with her and so thankful that we continued with the pregnancy despite the extremely poor prognosis at the start.”

Kimberley added that giving birth during lockdown made the experience “surreal” with women unable to have visitors while on the antenatal ward.

“All the women stuck together and interacted more due to this.

“Everyone had their curtains open and were chatting to one another.

“The staff said that this wouldn’t normally be the case if visitors were allowed as everyone usually keeps themselves to themselves, so it was refreshing that we were all supporting each other through this bizarre time.”

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Help fight the next phase of our battles against major assisted suicide and abortion up to birth threats.

Dear reader,

We are facing two major threats in the Lords - an extreme assisted suicide Bill and an abortion up to birth amendment.

THE GOOD NEWS - OUR STRATEGY IS WORKING

At Second Reading of the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill in the House of Lords, a record number of Peers spoke, and of those who took a position, around two-thirds opposed the assisted suicide Bill. That is more than double the number who supported it.

Our side also secured a significant win, with the establishment of a dedicated Lords Select Committee to further scrutinise the Bill’s proposals – and Committee Stage has been delayed until it reports.

This momentum has been built by tens of thousands of people like you. Thanks to your hard work, Peers are receiving a very large number of emails and letters by post, making the case against the Bill. 

Thanks to your support, we have been able to mount a major campaign in Parliament, in the media and online – alongside your own efforts – to keep us on course for our goal: that this dangerous Bill never becomes law.

BUT MORE CHALLENGES LIE AHEAD

We cannot become complacent. Well-funded groups - Dignity in Dying, My Death My Decision and Humanists UK - have poured millions into pushing assisted suicide. They can see support is slipping and will fight hard to reverse that.

This is not the only fight we are facing in the House of Lords.

At the same time, the Antoniazzi abortion up to birth amendment, which passed in the House of Commons in June, is moving through the House of Lords as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.

Second Reading will take place in a matter of weeks. It will then go on to Committee and Report Stages, where we will be up against the UK’s largest abortion providers – BPAS and MSI Reproductive Choices (formerly Marie Stopes) – who are expected to lobby for even more extreme changes to our abortion laws.

If the Antoniazzi amendment becomes law, it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason – including sex-selective purposes – at any point up to and during birth.

Thousands of vulnerable lives - at the beginning and the end of life - depend on what happens next. We must do everything in our power to stop these radical proposals.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Our campaign against the Leadbeater Bill in the House of Lords is working, but the work we have already done has significantly stretched our limited resources.

We are now stepping up our efforts against the assisted suicide Bill while launching a major push to stop the abortion up to birth amendment in the Lords. 

To fight effectively on both fronts, we aim to raise £183,750 by midnight this Sunday (5 October 2025).

Every donation, large or small, will help protect lives, and UK taxpayers can add 25p to every £1 through Gift Aid at no extra cost.

Will you donate now to help protect vulnerable lives from these two major threats?

URGENT
APPEAL
to protect vulnerable lives

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

Help fight the next phase of our battles against major assisted suicide and abortion up to birth threats.