About APDSA

APDSA was developed to support parents faced with the impossible situation of discovering that their unborn child has been diagnosed with a chromosomal, or congenital health condition.  APDSA particularly focuses its support towards parents who are contemplating pregnancy termination as a result of this diagnosis, or for those who have already made this decision. 

APDSA does not take this position because we are pro-abortion. We know that all lives have equal value and we are fully supportive of those families who decide to continue a pregnancy where it is known that the baby will be born with a chromosomal or congenital health condition.  We recognise that the decision to continue a pregnancy such as this is tough: consciously accepting that your baby may not even survive to term, or if he/she does, may be affected by lifelong challenges to health, and day to day living.  

APDSA does take this position because we know that families who choose to continue a pregnancy have access to the support of hospitals, health and disability agencies.  There is a plethora of social media sites which are supportive of continuing pregnancies, and they do an amazing job of helping new parents make the necessary adjustments to their pre-existing expectations about parenting, and getting ready to face any new unexpected parenting challenges.  

However, there is almost no support and no recognition for those families who choose to end a pregnancy affected in these ways.  Some hospitals will discharge these parents from care, even before the decision has been finalised, and for those who do proceed to terminate the pregnancy, there are almost no services that exist to support and counsel these bereaved parents.  Parents who were carrying wanted babies but made the decision, for a whole range of reasons, that their pregnancy could not be continued.  

So APDSA tries to do that - to provide validation to what is often invisible grief.  To provide information and support to parents who frequently hide their decision and their loss even from their closest friends and family because they anticipate judgement or feel ashamed.  Because we know that all pregnancies are valued and important and deserve to be treated with respect.  Because every pregnancy loss deserves to be grieved.  Because we hope we can help it feel a bit less hard.