Development of the human body that sits within the pelvis of the mother. The process the mother experiences whilst carrying the fetus or embryo is referred to as pregnancy. The placenta connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, thermo-regulation, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply; to fight against internal infection; and to produce hormones which support pregnancy. The placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to growing fetuses and removes waste products from the fetus's blood. The placenta attaches to the wall of the uterus, and the fetus's umbilical cord develops from the placenta. These organs connect the
Abortion in the Republic of Ireland "that the way to cope with it is through introducing abortion legislation" into Ireland. A number of controversies have arisen following deaths of pregnant women who were prevented from receiving medical care because of their pregnancy, such as Sheila Hodgers in 1983. Sheila Hodgers was a woman from Dundalk, County Louth, who, in 1983, died of multiple cancers two days after giving birth to her third child (who immediately died at birth). It is alleged that she was denied treatments for her cancer while pregnant because the Catholic ethos of the hospital did not wish to harm the foetus. The