Second Trimester Abortion:

Second trimester abortions are most often performed using the The D&E (dilation and extraction) technique. For this technique, the cervix must be dilated to a greater extent to allow the much larger baby to be extracted. Once sufficient dilation has been effected, the abortionist ruptures the amniotic sac which contains the unborn child. The baby is subsequently torn apart and pulled, piece by piece, from the uterus.

If the baby's skull is too large to pull out without causing damage to the mother, the abortionist will then crush it with forceps. The abortionist knows the child's skull has been sufficiently collapsed when its brains flow out of the uterus. Abortionists call this the "calvaria sign" and it lets them know they can go ahead and pull the baby's head out.

Further scraping and vacuuming is done until the abortionist believes the uterus has been cleared. All of the baby parts are placed on a tray where they are then reassembled to ensure the entire baby is accounted for and that no parts are left behind.

Abortionists often kill the baby a day or so before the D&E procedure is scheduled. This is accomplished by inserting a long needle through the mother's abdomen and into the heart of her baby. A chemical agent—usually digoxin—is then injected into the child's heart, causing it to die. Killing the baby in this way, prior to performing the D&E, makes the baby's body softer and easier to pull apart.

A variation of the D&E is called an "Intact D&E." In an "Intact D&E," the baby is not pulled out in pieces, but removed intact. A feticidal chemical agent is often used to kill the baby, but sometimes it is killed simply by crushing its skull. Crushing the skull not only kills the baby, but makes its removal easier.

Intact D&E abortions sometimes result in live births. The usual response to a live birth is to simply set the child aside and allow it to die on its own. This is called "comfort care."

Another type of second trimester procedure is known as instillation or Salt Poisoning Abortion. In this procedure, the abortionist sticks a long needle through the mother's abdomen and into the baby's amniotic fluid sac. Amniotic fluid is then drained from the sac and replaced with either a saline or urea solution. This often takes hours to kill the child, during which time, the infant sometimes violently thrashes about.

"Induction Abortions" are another type of second trimester procedure used to terminate a pregnancy. In this procedure, the mother is given a drug—usually prostaglandin or oxytocin—that causes her to go into labor. The abortionist usually simultaneously kills the baby to avoid a live delivery. This procedure is usually performed on babies who are too young to survive outside the womb, so again, if the baby happens to arrive alive, the child is typically set aside and left to die or for the abortionist kills it once it's delivered.