Looking Your Fetus in the Eye: Mandatory Ultrasound and the Politics of Abortion

ONE OF the most thrilling moments for many pregnant women is the sight of the first ultrasound scan: that blurry photo in which, with some help from a friendly technician, one might recognize something like a nose, and maybe even a nose that seems to have a family resemblance.

Thirty years ago, women knew they were really pregnant—“with child”—when they felt the baby move. Nowadays they know by sight, and so do their friends and family. Ultrasound scans are passed around at lunch among co-workers, printed on Christmas cards, and made into refrigerator magnets. The ultras... More