What exactly is traumatic about seeing an ultrasound of a featus? Many pregnant mothers express delight at seeing the ultrasound of their featus, as they get to see their upcoming child forming, and consider it one of the few fun aspects of pregnancy.
The only thing you might consider traumatic is they might, upon seeing the featus, realize that it is not just a “blob of tissue” but something that looks, and even moves, an awfully lot like a cute baby, and thereby might have second thoughts about having the abortion. But doctors routinely disclose information on potential side effects, risks, and possible adverse outcomes, to anybody about to have an operation, sometimes in very graphic and disturbing terms. This is just one more disclosure, and the side effect being disclosed is that the woman might feel guilty after having the abortion if they ever see what a real featus at that stage looks like.
If you say this is laying a guilt trip on women having abortions, I would reply that the possibility of them feeling guilty eventually is inevitable. This procedure just ensures that they will feel any possible guilt BEFORE the abortion, when they still have the possibility of stopping it, and thereby removing any possible guilt, rather than after, when the decision is ireversable. And if they see the ultrasound, and still have no reservations, then more power to them. They are fully informed, and know exactly what they are doing, and have made their decision with knowledge of all relevant side effects, both medical and moral/psychological.
