No, I don't see why it would be improbable for a 42 year old woman to have an abortion. Think of all the difficulties that could come with raising a child at that age that might convince you it was a good idea.
Not improbable at all. My mom had me at age 39 and my younger brother four years later.
Think of all the difficulties that could come with raising a child at that age that might convince you it was a good idea.
WHAT "difficulties"?? To be forty-two is not precisely to be on ones's deathbed. One might argue that someone of that level of maturity would have fewer "difficulties" than someone fourteen.
Back when I was a boy, there were lots of Moms who had late babies. I was raised Catholic, lower middle class, and the average family in our neighborhood had 4-5 children. One in four or five had more, 6 or 7 children.
And within these "larger" families, there was often a child that was significantly younger than the rest of his siblings. Meaning, 4 or so kids spaced out over 6 years, and then a much younger one, maybe 10 years younger.
These were the pregnancies that happened when the woman was 42, like the story cited here! Perhaps the pregnancy was an accident. Perhaps the woman wanted one more child before waiting for her grandchildren.
But yes, as you say, there might be a thousand reasons why those women, had they lived today, might find an excuse to abort the child. But they didn't. Because life was valued back then, and children were a blessing. And this sentiment did not just rest in the bosoms of those who called themselves Christian.
Anyway, rant over ... food for thought.