At 40,000,000 abortions over the past 30 years, I would say that the conscience and compassion restriction isn't much of a restriction.
How many mothers?
In the same period the population of the planet has expanded by roughly I would estimate, possibly two billion, b-- here is one set of hastily gathered numbers.
~1830---------1 billion (over 100 million years more or less) ~1930---------2 billion (1 billion per century) ~1960---------3 billion (1 billion per .3 century) ~1975---------4 billion (1 billion per .15 century) ~1987---------5 billion (1 billion per .12 century)
Recent estimates:
07/01/07 6,602,274,812
I would suggest that if we are not actually creating a planet on which to reasonably support more than 7 billion people, which we are not, we should definitely not be adding to the population at the rate of 1 billion per decade, or a bit less. Additionally, if moral enforcement of births under any pregnancy produces extremely unhappy mothers, we are adding to the population with very poor quality family lives, and adulterating the net quality of the human population by enforcing a moral code that has not been completely thought through.
So regardless of the numbers of women who choose to take the step, I fail to see why this makes it a commons issue. They are certainly acting in their own interest, as they understand and feel them, and in doing so they are pre-biased by the strong biological dynamic of survival and reproduction, not to mention estrogen, oxytocin, and other highly motivating chemicals.
Given that I am not experiencing either the pull of such chemicals nor the drive to create young, and am ALSO not suffering the pangs of pregnancy, the economic burden of poverty, or the overwhelm of contemplating giving birth with no visible means of support, I feel I have absolutely NO position from which to dictate any such decision to any such woman.
And I don't understand why gray-faced men in suits and suites in Washington believe they have such a position.
If we want to reduce abortion, disseminate the necessary memes, and make viable choices available to those who are trapped in extreme circumstances. Then your estimation of "too many" might have more merit.