Termination of a Wanted Pregnancy: Emotional Attachment and Loss in Second-Trimester Abortion Following Prenatal Diagnosis

Although all the women felt they had made the right decision, their experiences varied. In different ways, the abortion process left traumatic marks on their lives. They had to enter new and awkward relationships with healthcare providers in unfamiliar surroundings and experienced significant bodily changes. Their expectations were transformed into feelings of alienation both toward their own body and the fetus. Disruption between the body and the outside world left them without any constructive means to resolve their situation. Their situation was worsened by healthcare providers who were unable to meet their grief. Grief became somewhat more bearable when the women could see and hold the dead fetus, provided it was presented in a dignified manner. Without any follow-up, the women were left alone to make sense of their grief. The article underscores the need to acknowledge that women may experience abortion as a loss and for sensitive care that recognizes shifting emotional attachments throughout the process.