Rachel,
I've just read your post for the same time, and well I'm now speaking as a midwife and a Christian here.
If a baby has died in utero, it's vitally important for the health of the mother that the baby is removed. It can indeed cause her major health problems. If the baby has died in utero, it is not technically speaking the abortion that pro-lifers are working hard to prevent.
The birth of a baby after 20 weeks gestation (that is half way through the pregnancy) is considered to be the birth of a viable baby.. that means, if the mother was to go into spontaneous labour, everything possible would be done to save the life of the baby.
In most cases that are "supposed to require" this procedure, there is often no requirement for it to take place for either the well being of mother or baby.
The problem with partial birth abortion is that the baby is usually not dead when the procedure is done and the birth occurs usually after the 20 weeks gestation period. There are some who say the anaesthetic given to the mother will kill the baby before the procedure, however, it has been acknowledged by those involved in this procedure that at least 2/3 of babies who are aborted by it, are alive when the final part of the procedure is done. This causes dreadful pain to a living, breathing baby, who is a tiny minature of the baby born at full term. It is because of this, the US congress has decided not to allow this procedure to go ahead as legal.
If you are interested.. please read this link for lots of questions and answers about partial birth abortion and it's affect on mother and baby
http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/pbafact.html
Carol