At the rate that abortions are carried out, a child needs to rejoice if it is even born.

In the case of the lesbian couple who only wanted 1 child but got 2, (so they decided to sue), well diddums.

They could always adopt one out. There are plenty of couples wanting to adopt a child.

I think this article misses the point. Once a child is born biology takes over and a parent can not help but love a child unconditionally, (unless other biological and physiological conditions intercept such as PND). This is what many childless by choice couples realise –they would not be able to help but love a child if it was born to them but knowing this and also knowing the stress, cost and life altering choice to become a parent, (not to mention the pain if it all goes wrong as it randomly does when a child becomes terminally ill for example), they make an informed decision not to go through the door of parenthood. But being placed in that situation where you become a parent through no choice of your own but through medical negligence is awful and parents have every right to sue. Loving the unintended surprise baby unconditionally is biologically driven and the out come can be very positive for both parent and child. When this “blessing” is the result of medical negligence parents have very right to sue – but for the whole situation that has been physically, emotionally and financially forced upon them for which they had no choice just as they had no choice but to love and want the surprise child once born.

Billy C
Maybe the lesbian couple should be very thankful for what they have got.

- They got taxpayer funded IVF treatment.

- They were allowed IVF treatment even though the children will not know a father (and in some societies this would not be acceptable, and it is only through the sustained devaluing of fathers that it is accepted in our society)

- They have the ready choice of adopting out one child to a couple that desperately wants a child (or more than one).

Whether it was negligence is rather debatable. Multiple births are more common in IVF than natural births, and so are children born with abnormalities.

HRS

"Maybe the lesbian couple should be very thankful for what they have got.” I don’t believe the sexuality has anything to do with it. Obviously you have a problem with people who are not the same as you.

"They got taxpayer funded IVF treatment.” We all do in Australia – it’s called MEDICARE or the Private health 30% subsidy.

“They were allowed IVF treatment even though the children will not know a father .... devaluing of fathers that it is accepted in our society”. I find this doubtful as far as I know clinics in Australia do not provide this service unless the sperm is purchased from a clinic where donors are registed and agree to have their details released to the child at a future date should it be requested by the child. Any way children for thousands of years have not known their father – by pre-mature death, the result of an affair or adoption. Are they any less deserving to be born and loved than the rest of us? What right do we have to demand that assisted conceptions be under more regulated conditions than conceptions are for the rest of us?

“ They have the ready choice of adopting out one child …..or more than one” I think you should re-read my post above on this one.

”……. Multiple births are more common in IVF than natural births, and so are children born with abnormalities.” You have not been following the case. The woman only asked to implanted with one embryo shortly before the procedure. The doctor doing the implantation accidentally implanted two and when the supervising doctor was told this he said “oh ^&*%”. Yes multiple births are more common with IVF but only because women ask to implanted with more than one embryo or are on fertility drugs. This can increase the chance of pregnancy but can also increase the associated risks such as mis-carriage, pre-mature birth etc. I totally understand why the woman did not want to risk these conditions.

Umm, the unconditional love rot ignores the occurrence of child abuse by parents (both physical, emotional and sexual, and by both men and women). Yes, the bonding to a child is something that MOST parents will experience, but dont ignore that which doesnt occur and the sad consequences of such.

Yes no doubt the media have had a field day with the fact that the couple in question are lesbians. But the real difference between this case and the other examples mentioned in the article is that in the other cases NO child was wanted, but in the "lesbian case" a child was most definately sought. But they got two. As another poster pointed out, if you dont really want the other child, put it up for adoption, as there would be several families desperate to love and raise said child. Or if this leaves a sour taste in your mouth, then accept that you do obviously want the child and thus all of the responsibilities that go with it. After all, mother nature produces twins (and more) regularly when parents are normally only after one child at a time - IVF gives more control and choice, but it should never be considered foolproof.

Was Lesley just trying to see how hypocritical she could be and get away with it when she wrote this article?

To be a strong proponent for easy access to abortion and then to try and expect to be taken seriously with an article like this is too ridiculous for words.