Following a medical abortion, you may experience bleeding lightly, moderately, or heavily. In some cases, women do not bleed afterward, at all.
Bleeding can start right after the abortion process or until several days after. When it happens, it may stop at some point and then start again.
Don’t be surprised if you experience increased bleeding 4 to 5 days after a medical abortion, complete with clots and strong cramps that will last for several days.
Menstrual-like cramping is normal for the first week after an abortion and may extend to the second week. So don’t be alarmed.
Just take a pain reliever to ease the pain, such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen. But avoid Aspirin as it can increase bleeding.
The only time you need to worry or even call an A&E is when heavy bleeding becomes too heavy and too much.
What you need to know about bleeding after an abortion
- Bleeding can last around 1 to 2 weeks
- Blood clots maybe pass like a normal menstrual period
- When the bleeding stops, you may experience spotting until your next period
- 3 to 6 weeks after an abortion, your normal period should begin
- You may experience mood swings or emotional upset for a few days or weeks
- Menstrual-like cramping can happen for the first week or two
It is important to note that the symptoms you experience may vary from one abortion pill to another. In the case of Misoprostol, bleeding and cramps should be expected.
After using the pill, bleeding can start within 4 hours. But it can also happen at a much later period. Bleeding usually signals the start of an abortion.
As abortion continues and progresses, bleeding and cramps will become more severe and may be associated with other side effects like vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and dizziness.
Cramps and bleeding are often heavier if the pregnancy has developed for longer.
Once you experience heavier blood loss, with severe pain and cramping, this signals that the abortion process has reached its peak.
Once it’s complete, bleeding and cramps should diminish.
2 to 5 hours after using Misoprostol, you may experience the heaviest bleeding which then slows down within 24 hours. Light bleeding will continue for 1 to 3 weeks, and menstrual period should occur 4 to 6 weeks after.
There are instances when heavy bleeding can happen after 48 hours, along with clots that may pass for days or even weeks. This is normal when taking Misoprostol.
What is not normal is when heavy bleeding becomes severe.
How can you tell if you’re bleeding more than it is safe and necessary?
Keep track of the number of pads you’re using
If within an hour you soak 2 maxi pads, which extends to two hours in a row, you need to call your doctor immediately. This is because you are already experiencing severe bleeding.
Keep an eye on the size of any blood clots
Passing clots that are bigger than a golf ball for 2 hours or more is a sign of serious bleeding that requires medical attention. Don’t ignore the sign and call the clinic right away or go to an A&E if you are able.
Abnormal vaginal bleeding may be a result of the blood vessels not constricting or uterine muscles not contracting to stop the bleeding. On very rare occasions, it can also be a result of a perforated uterus or a lacerated cervix.
That is why abnormally heavy bleeding after an abortion should not be ignored.
While it is normal to pass blood clots as you heal from a medical abortion, with sizes that range from pebble-like to egg-like, the timeline tells a different story.
Golf ball-sized clots passing for two hours or more is a serious complication.
This can result in the uterus enlarging and causing severe pain because the cervical opening is blocked. It can be caused by the uterus not contracting and passing out tissue during an abortion.
Monitor the length of time that you’re heavily bleeding
Bleeding heavily for 12 hours in a row is bad news. This may be a sign that something is wrong and you should contact your physician right away.
The same is true if you bleed heavily for 12 hours or more and the color of blood is bright red instead of darker red.
Bleeding longer than 2 weeks
If you experience spotting or bleeding longer than 2 weeks, you should call your doctor for an appointment.
Remember that normal bleeding after an abortion should only last around 1 to 2 weeks. Anything longer than that is a cause for worry.
You should also call the doctor if you don’t have your period within 6 weeks after your procedure. There could be underlying causes that need to be checked and addressed immediately.
Based on the information above, one of the most important signs to look out for is the timeline of bleeding following an abortion.
Bleeding heavily during and a few weeks after an abortion is normal, provided that there are no large clots and that you’re not soaking several maxi pads or sanitary towels in one hour.
Bleeding for two weeks is common. But can be worrisome if it lasts longer.
With this in mind, monitor how long you bleed following a medical abortion and keep an eye out for other symptoms.
These include signs of infection, such as a headache, dizziness, or muscle aches, severe belly pain, 4 to 6 hours of vomiting, heavy or smelly vaginal discharge, and pain in the genital area.
Hi doc I’m Hamdy…I took mifepriston on 25th if this month and on 26th I took misopristol. The cramps was severe and I passed clots as well and had all d symptoms… I vomitted, I felt dizzy, had chills and diarrhoea. After 10 hours or so the bleeding became very light to no bleeding this morning… Pls I’m I safe….pls find time to reply me ASAP. Thanks.
Hi Hamdy, I would recommend going to the follow up appointment to ensure that everything has passed, however it sounds normal.
i had a medical abortion on Tuesday, i passed out big clots of blood the first day and the second day but the third day i am only seeing light blood coming out and even till now. is it normal please?
Hi Joy, yes that’s normal. Some bleed for a short amount of time, also depending on how far along you were. The less along you are, the less that has to pass essentially.
Thank you Daniela….i did a urine test on 15/5/2018 and it was negative…does it mean i am free now? i am asking this question because this is my first time to carry out an abortion. thanks for your prompt response
Hello doc I had a medical abortion yesterday but the bleeding was moderate (just 1 pad)….. (not the amount I was expecting) with terrible cramps for close to 8hours,I passed a few clots which were really tiny,today I only spotted and realised the blood had a foul smell,was the abortion successful….the pregnancy was 6weeks
Hi Nash, it could have been successful. Some only bleed for several hours after taking the pill. You will know it was successful when you go for your follow up and they do their testing.
Thanks for replying Alison. I’ll like to know if the bleeding is normal or does it mean I might be pregnant again.
Hi Ade, most likely normal. The morning after pill can affect your period, especially right after having an abortion your body is getting back on track.
Hi, i have my abortion 7 weeks and 5 days pregnant, 4 tab inserted and 8 drink with water.. I have only bleed for 12 hrs and spot for 1 day and stop.. the blood first come out was very dark red and smaller clot.. was it successful?
Hello Sarah, based on what you wrote there is no reason to doubt your abortion being successful.
Hello Daniela! Thank you for replying on my concerns. 3 weeks ago i had it abortion and the doctor gave me contraceptive pill which i take every night. The bleeding i had during the said 3 weeks were on and off and i dont see any problem with it but just last night, i had medium size blood clots which never occured to me during the first weeks of my abortion. I am expecting to have my menstruation next week because that’s what the doctor told me. Are the blood clots normal? Why am i having clots? Is it because im having my menstruation next week? Please spare me some time and help me with these questions. Thank you!
Hello Marie, the clots might be as a result of you having an abortion.
Hi. I had an abortion on the 9th of this month. Bleeding was light and only on that day. Then I had unprotected sex on the 14th and 15th. Took post pill within 12 hours. Ive been bleeding lightly since then. Coming on and off. Is this normal please.
Hello Ade, yes, the morning after pill might be the reason for this.
Hello I had an abortion 12hrs ago first it was very heavy with big clots now it’s very light and pinkish almost like nothing is that normal? I used mistoprol
Hello Aberal, there is nothing observed from your post.
I took an abortion pill on thursday this week and then today being saturday the bleeding just stopped
pls is there any problem?
Hi Karma, it’s possible and likely that there is no problem. When you go for your follow up they’ll test to make sure that everything went as planned and you are no longer pregnant.
Hi i had medical termination 2 weeks 4 days ago i havent stopped bleeding or losing clots since but last 4 days its got heavier, brighter, larger clots really bad back pain and abdominal pain if i walk about for hour or 2 its really bad the pain and i seem to have heavier bleeding when doing this its really getting me down help please
Hi LP, if the bleeding is getting worse, contact your doctor asap.
Hi! I had a suction abortion 2 weeks ago. I am still bleeding now but just light bleeding. Is it normal? It has been 16 days already.
Hi Marie, light bleeding is fine and completely normal at this time. If you start bleeding heavily that would be a different story, however right now you are normal.
Hi, I had an medical abortion on 11th Jan. I had no pain, pregnancy test was positive after 3 weeks of abortion, I came back to clinic for a scan and they said some tissue left, but I don’t need to worry about. So first period came back Feb 10th. And I am still bleeding since then. For 8 weeks. Last week I had very very heavy bleeding with four big clots (~4inches) and pains, vomiting. Is this normal?
Hi Mira, if you have been bleeding for 8 weeks, go back and get a second opinion from someone else. That could be a serious issue.
Thanks Daniela.
I spoke with nurse and she said continous bleeding is not relate with abortion and it is not an infection, otherwise, I would feel very unwell because it’s April now. She also believes there aren’t any clots left because I passed them with period… So the nurse said there is no reason for appointment and advised me to see general practitioner – I got an appointment on 1st May… it’s long time to wait and I am really worried now. What are the possible causes of continous bleeding? (My periods always were regular and I haven’t had any issues with that before. I had my smear test done last year).
Am having such bleeding with cloths and this my first period post abortion. Being bleeding for close to 10days now, is it normal and how much longer will it continue, kinda of worried
Hi Ivy, has your period stopped (we’re now two days from your initial post)? Generally the first period or few after either an abortion or a baby can be different from what you normally expect.
Bleeding going on 5 weeks now and getting semi big clots again. Is this normal?
Hi Ym, I would make an appointment with your doctor asap.
Light bleeding in abortion is complication? I take Misoprostol tablet with water after 12 hour .is this process is wrong?
Hi Kamal, bleeding with an abortion, regardless of the method is not a complication. It’s normal for the process.
Hi doctor I had abortion before 4 weaks but the bleeding is not stopped so what can i do?
Hi M, you can bleed for up to three weeks after an abortion. If your re going through pads more frequently then every two hours or is accompanied by severe pain, or fever, then you should contact your doctor.
On 26 november 2017 i had abortion pills….after that bleeding of abortion till now no periods…..what to do? Its been nearly three months…
Hi there Rossy, if your period does not return within 2 weeks then see your doctor.