[shadow riderer]

I find it interesting that when the subject of abortion comes up on this, an adoption, website, there is a lot of debate about judging others, on the morality of it, and other politically correct/incorrect, depending on your own views, type things. It's a woman's right to do with her body as she chooses, but it's wrong to take the life of an innocent baby, etc...

Considering that this is an adoption website, we talk alot on here about the emotional devistation of adoption on the triad. Maybe I just missed it, but I don't recall in any of the abortion related threads that I have read, anyone discussing the emotional issues women, who have abortions, suffer from afterward. When you read the emotional trauma of birth mothers on this forum, it only stands to reason that, if placing a child for adoption, i.e. the loss of their child, a part of them, can cause emotional stress and issues most have difficulty dealing with, then abortions would also have a major effect on a woman.


I only know a few women, who have had abortions. All of them changed to some extent afterward. All of them suffered some type of emotional trauma. If you do an internet search on the emotional effects of abortion, you will find women who have abortions, seem to suffer from the same types of emotional issues as birthmothers. Another thing I found interesting is that women, considering abortion, seem to be, basically, told the same things expectent mothers, considering adoption, were/are told about the emotional effects adoption will have on them.

Interesting, isn't it, that women, in both cases, are told it's in the best interest, you can go on with your life/put it behind you, etc, forget it? Isn't it interesting that some birthmothers live the remainder of their lives in denial, some live in shame and secrecy, some never get over the grief and loss, of relinquishment, and suffer from this emotional trauma all their lives, just as women, who have abortions do?

[bromanchik]

Originally Posted by shadow riderer

Isn't it interesting that some birthmothers live the remainder of their lives in denial, some live in shame and secrecy, some never get over the grief and loss, of relinquishment, and suffer from this emotional trauma all their lives, just as women, who have abortions do?

I know a number of birthmoms that have also had abortions. They say the pain/loss does not compare. Most chose abortion after placement because they could not go through relinquishment again.

The bottom line is that there is no "easy" outcome to a crisis pregnancy. All options have their losses.

[RavenSong]

I echo what Brenda just said. I've known my share of birth mothers who chose to terminate their second pregnancies, rather than surrender another child to adoption. In each of these cases, the pain and grief didn't even begin to compare to the loss of their firstborn children.

[happygmom]

Originally Posted by RavenSong

I echo what Brenda just said. I've known my share of birth mothers who chose to terminate their second pregnancies, rather than surrender another child to adoption. In each of these cases, the pain and grief didn't even begin to compare to the loss of their firstborn children.

I have seen this too with friends and family. Also, mother's who lost children to adoption support their daughter's decision to terminate pregnancies (or to parent), knowing the level of grief in adoption. Regardless of the outcome of a pregnancy, it is a life-changing experience.

G'Ma