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"Near" mothering includes voluntary abortion and childfree choices, often shrouded in taboo.

Longing after abortion or childfree choices may not seek resolution, but acceptance and understanding.

Feelings of yearning post-abortion are valid, complex, and need compassionate, judgment-free spaces.

The maternal psyche is nonlinear; paradox and emotional contradiction often emerge.

I have been grappling for a long time with the social and personal perception of voluntary abortion, about how women process their decision to terminate their pregnancy. Many questions are at the forefront of my interest in this maternal conversation.

Personal questions such as what were her (any woman's) thoughts and feelings about her abortion at the time? Was she 100% committed. Was it her choice? Did she share her decision to terminate with others or was it a secret? Was there disagreement over the decision? Did she feel pressured? Does she have memories about her abortion? Does she ever think about it now? If so is this part of her current internal world? I’m curious about whether she experienced judgement related to her decision, either personally or as part of the public narrative?

Comparing Voluntary Abortion and Reproductive Loss

Whether she felt that voluntary abortion is relegated to a level of lesser importance than reproductive losses, those painful, despairing and devastating experiences of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, stillbirth, neonatal death and termination for medical reasons.

This is an important discourse as statistics say that more than 1 in 4 women in the US have had an abortion during their life1 and the vast majority of these are in the........

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