If we want to get into statistics, here we go:

I can guess that 99% of women who purposely become pregnant and then miscarry will be traumatized afterwards.

I can guess that 20-25% of women who accidentally become pregnant and then abort will be traumatized afterwards.

I say this because there are indeed women who do become upset after their abortion. These are the women who are forced into it, guilted into it, or who just didn't know if abortion was the right answer for them. It happens. It's not often, but it does.

However, I think basically every single woman who miscarries a wanted pregnancy is going to be extremely upset for a lot longer than a woman who aborts and is OK with the decision.

So in the end, I feel more women are traumatized by miscarriage than by abortion.

Depends on the person. If a woman only had an abortion and found it traumatic and never miscarried, Then it would be abortion. On the other hand if a woman had a miscarriage and never and abortion it would be the other way around.
I think a miscarriage would be more traumatic, because the woman wanted to keep the body and things beyond her control caused the baby to miscarry. While an abortion was a choice not to keep it.

I chose miscarriage under the presumption that the abortion is completely by choice rather than coercion or a therapeutic need based on complications, and that the miscarriage is a wanted pregnancy. How badly a miscarriage affects a woman depends on how badly she wanted the pregnancy. Miscarriage can be a blessing if the pregnancy is unwanted and the woman doesn't have the money or means to obtain a legal abortion. An elective abortion can be traumatic for a woman that has been intimidated into doing it but truthfully would rather carry to term. There's really no yes or no answer to this poll.

I would think that an abortion performed because the fetus is dead, dying, severely malformed or endangering the woman's life would be just as traumatic as a miscarriage. Both involve wanted pregnancies.

Yes; I meant and though I made it clear that the abortion is for an unwanted pregnancy and the miscarriage is from a wanted pregnancy.

Obviously a miscarriage when you didn't want to be pregnant can be a blessing and an abortion of a deformed fetus later on in a wanted pregnancy is just as horrible as a miscarriage if not worse in some cases, because you have to choose to do it. Then again a miscarriage is terrible because it's so unexpected.

I agree with your theory, Eiri. Anyone who doesn't is not being honest. (IMHO)

I voted miscarriage.

I wonder who voted abortion and didn't bother posting?

Miscarriage. Definately miscarriage. Stillbirth is the only thing I know of that could be called even worse.
Been there. Done that. Several times.

I have to say miscarriage and stillbirth are the more traumatic to the woman in most cases unless of course the woman has to abort due to genuine health reasons and then there is nothing between them and both are just as traumatic as each other

There is no doubt in m mind that a miscarriage is more traumatic. As someone who had a late miscarriage (21 weeks 5 days) and had to give birth to my little girl who was very much wanted, there is no contest for me.

I grieved for a long time and sunk into depression. I went through my pregnancy feeling the baby kick, bought stuff for her etc and then went through labour too early and delivered her dead. no one can imagine how hard that is unless you have gone through it.

I don;t want any more children. And if I had an abortion now I know I would feel nothing but relief. The same relief i felt when my period came after having my coil bput back in. That's because it is an UNWANTED child. There is a difference between unplanned and unwanted. None of my children were 'planned' but once I was pregnant, they were very much wanted.

I'm not saying that a woman won't regret her abortion or even grieve but it's less likely than the absolute certainty that a woman will definately grieve over a misscarriage if the baby was wanted

Does that make any sense?