Sound Off: More or Less, Just A Mom?

There are a lot of legal issues involving pregnancy and childbirth, all seemingly swimming around in some incredibly murky waters.  Mind you, this isn’t even including the pro-life/pro-choice institutions. The post below is only in reference to women whom, for whatever reasons have chosen to give birth and raise their unborn children.

Soon to be mothers, that is the women who have chosen to keep their soon to be child no matter the circumstances, face an absolutely horrifying amount of ‘must-dos’ in even a normal situation.  I’ve faced my own ‘you can’t do this’ moments myself, although involving my coffee (decaf included) pseudo-addiction.

While some establishments argue that a mother (soon-to-be included) keep their autonomy, others argue that it is ‘different’ when a soon-to-be child is part of the equation.  No matter what your personal opinion, laws have been enacted involving pregnant women that are both surprising, and at times- within a bit of common since.  Yet it is still the same issue, a pregnant woman and her child.

While it is important that the laws seek to protect those who may not be able to protect themselves, should those laws also ignore the mother’s own rights?  While we do know that smoking, drinking, and drugs during pregnancy are harmful, save for the case of drugs (which are illegal anyway) should there be laws in place to protect the unborn, even at the cost of the mother?

Many point to the charges of murder and attempted murder than can be brought up against someone whom attacks a pregnant woman to show that adding additional laws to levy against the mother aren’t impossible.  While others also point to Utah’s own ridiculous laws to show that even ‘well meaning laws’ like the previous can be turned into something ridiculous, and adding any new ones is a slippery slope.

What are your thoughts, should laws be put in place to protect the unborn?  Even at the cost of mom’s own rights?