You deserve to know about potential side effects if you’re considering abortion for your unplanned pregnancy because all abortions are serious medical procedures.
A few potential side effects to abortion include:
- Vaginal bleeding, possibly heavy
- Abdominal cramping could be severe
- Nausea with possible vomiting
- Fever
- Chills
- Diarrhea
- Headache
At Life Choices Center, we want you to be confident in your pregnancy decision. Confidence comes from knowledge, understanding, and preparation. We want to partner with you throughout the preparation process of pregnancy decision-making.
Types of Abortion
There are two types of abortion methods, medical and surgical. You qualify for one or the other based on how long you’ve been pregnant.
The abortion pill is synonymous with a medical abortion. The FDA has only approved the abortion pill method up to 70 days past the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP).
Surgical abortions are usually performed once you’re past the first ten weeks of pregnancy. WebMD suggests the “farther along you are, the more prep work you may have to undergo to prepare your body for the procedure.”
Details of the Abortion Pill Procedure
When a woman gets pregnant, her body rapidly increases progesterone production. The embryo requires this hormone to attach and grow in the uterus.
The abortion pill method uses two powerful drugs taken over a 24-48 hour period to end your pregnancy. The first drug, mifepristone, blocks progesterone from being absorbed in the uterus, which means the pregnancy can no longer stay attached and continue growing.
The second drug, misoprostol, causes the uterus to contract, expelling the pregnancy from the body. The Mayo Clinic lists these as the side effects and risks of medical abortion:
Side Effects:
- Vaginal bleeding, possibly heavy
- Abdominal cramping could be severe
- Nausea with possible vomiting
- Fever
- Chills
- Diarrhea
- Headache
Details of a Surgical Abortion
If you’re near the 10-week cut-off for a medical abortion, they would perform Vacuum Aspiration to suck out the pregnancy. If you’re further along, you would most likely have a dilation and curettage (D & C). This method can use vacuum aspiration, but it usually requires a scraping tool to remove all the tissue.
The Mayo Clinic lists the following as potential risks and side effects of a D & C:
- Perforation of the uterus because of the surgical instruments
- Damage to the cervix
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall
- Infection
Finally, you may require dilation and evacuation (D & E), which combines vacuum aspiration, a curette to scrape the uterus lining, and forceps to remove larger parts of your pregnancy.
What To Do Before Your Abortion Appointment
At Life Choices Center, we’ll confirm the results of your at-home pregnancy test with one of our free, lab quality pregnancy tests. If the result is positive, we’ll refer you for an on-site, no-cost ultrasound.. An ultrasound shows you how long you’ve been pregnant, if your pregnancy is even viable, or if you’ve had a natural miscarriage.
Contact us today to get the information you need to make a confident choice.