ADVENTURES IN EUPHEMISM, EXTREME EDITION: When a medical miracle leads to painful choice. Yes, we all know what “choice” means. Interestingly, this involves an Irish couple and an Indian IVF clinic making that choice for a surrogate mother. Euphemisms abound [with comments in brackets]:

It’s the medical miracle that can become a nightmare. “Pregnancy reduction” — as it’s euphemistically called — is a horrific decision for any would-be parent to have to confront. [Would-be parent? Also, apparently you “confront” decisions rather than make them.]

It can go wrong and endanger the other foetus. [God forbid we hurt one baby while trying to kill another.] And just how ethical is it to create a pregnancy and then decide to terminate it? [Actually, the pregnancy would continue — just with two instead of three. Translation: And just how ethical is it to make a baby and then decide to kill it?]

Irish couple Fiona Whyte and Sean Malone, who had twins using a surrogacy clinic in India, were the subject of an Irish Independent feature and an RTE documentary called ‘Her Body, Our Baby’ this week. [It’s a “baby” when you want it, but a “foetus” when you don’t.]

The documentary focused on what the couple called their “dilemma” of aborting one viable foetus with a heartbeat to allow the birth of their twins. [Actually, those “twins” are two triplets whose sibling was killed.]

The Indian clinic’s rules didn’t allow for triplet surrogate births. [No euphemism here, it seems. But wouldn’t it have made sense to read the rules first? Then there would be less need to confront a decision.]