Beyond Limits The Reality of Third-Trimester Abortion Care

Deeply intimate, profoundly human stories of third-trimester abortion care, told by a physician dedicated to treating patients with sensitivity, understanding, and compassion

Dr. Shelley Sella—an ob-gyn and the first woman to openly provide third-trimester abortion care in the United States—offers a unique and timely view of the segment of abortion care that is most vilified and stigmatized by the anti-abortion movement and most misunderstood by the mainstream pro-choice movement. In Beyond Limits, Dr. Sella demystifies the physical and emotional care of her third-trimester abortion patients and the many circumstances that drive them to seek an abortion later in pregnancy. By sharing intimate patient stories, Dr. Sella challenges readers to reexamine preconceived notions of gestational limits and viability. She describes the realities of her patients’ lives, the barriers they encountered when trying to access care, and the decision-making processes they navigated, giving readers a view of the complex and nuanced situations these patients faced.

Drawing on her 20 years of experience as a provider, Dr. Sella brings the reader into a typical week at her clinic as she cares for six diverse patients who seek care for a range of reasons, including a late diagnosis of a fetal anomaly, domestic violence, and a recurrence of cancer. She interweaves her patients’ stories with her own personal and professional journey and reveals why she dedicated her life to this work.

Since Roe was overturned in 2022, 22 states have either banned or severely restricted abortion, creating delays for those seeking care. Now more than ever, women face the necessity of third-trimester abortions, and they deserve competent and compassionate care.

Beyond Limits provides an invaluable perspective, very different from the charged political rhetoric that surrounds third-trimester abortions. Dr. Sella’s remarkable book invites readers to delve into their own assumptions and judgments and evokes deep understanding for real people whose hearts, reasons, and stories are more complex than those weaponized in conversations about abortion.

Dr. Shelley Sella is a board-certified OB/GYN and the first woman to openly practice third-trimester abortion care in the U.S., which she did for 20 years. She was prominently featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary After Tiller. Dr. Sella served two terms on the board of the National Abortion Federation and in 2022 was awarded its highest honor, the Christopher Tietze Humanitarian Award. She is retired from clinical practice and now focuses on advocacy.