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Making the decision to go through with an abortion it is often a stressful one.
There are many reasons why that decision is made whether it’s due to the health of the mother, learning about the health of the baby, and also that it’s just not the right time to bring a child into the world.
Whatever the situation is, it’s not one for others to judge, that is your decision and whatever you choose to do, it’s right for you.
Because it’s a stressful situation, there could be an effect on your upcoming menstrual cycle.
As explored in previous articles, stress can delay your period because your body is trying to regulate everything else (and it’s been said that delaying ovulation helps to prevent a pregnancy during a stressful time based on history).
Some women see their periods return quickly, within 4-8 weeks, while others may not see it as soon.
Let’s take a look at the basics of an abortion, different types, and then we can discuss how it can affect your next cycle (or two).
Abortion – General Information
An abortion is when pregnancy is ended at an early stage through an outside intervention. While there is a term, spontaneous abortion, it’s sort of a misnomer. It’s essential to note that this is a miscarriage.
This was not a pregnancy where the parents decided to terminate it, it’s when the body did it naturally [1].
The body, once a woman is pregnant, starts creating pregnancy hormones and preparing all the organs for sustaining a new life.
This means that during the time before and even after the abortion for a period of time, the woman can still experience some pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and sensitivity to smells.
The body must go back to normal and let those hormones regulate in order for you to start feeling yourself again and so that you start having a cycle again.
When you make the decision to get an abortion you’ll want to go to a trained medical practitioner. Going to a place that isn’t can risk your health and your future fertility.
There are two types of abortion, a medical abortion, and a surgical abortion.
No matter which you choose an early abortion will not impair your fertility or result in complications later in pregnancies.
Both medical and surgical method can be used to induce abortion throughout the pregnancy. The choice of method used depends on factors such as pre-existing medical conditions, preference of women and availability of surgeon.
Medical Abortion
The medical abortion is as it states, it’s done with medicine and one of the most common medications used for this is mifepristone, a progesterone receptor modulator. Since progesterone is required to maintain pregnant uterus in quiescent state, mifepristone will bring about uterine contractions and result in expulsion of fetus.
This is followed by prostaglandin analogue misoprostol, which can now be administered in lower doses, and brings about strong contractions to expel products of conception.
This is something you must get from a doctor and is not an over-the-counter medication. The name may change depending on where you are located however they all do the same thing.
Surgical Abortion
As the name states, this is an abortion done surgically where the doctor will do either a manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) or a dilation and evacuation (D&E).
The former is generally done within the first 12 weeks and the second can be done after the first month [3].
What About your Menstrual Cycle after an Abortion
When you terminate a pregnancy during the first trimester, your period should return in four to eight weeks [4].
Generally, the earlier in the pregnancy you have the abortion, the sooner your cycle will return.
However, that does also depend on what type of birth control you are using (as some can delay or lighten your period, even stop it completely.
No matter what type of method you are using, if you don’t see your period return within the eight weeks, it’s advised to contact your doctor to check for pregnancy or any underlying conditions.
Right after the abortion, your body is going to prioritize expelling all the remnants from the lost pregnancy.
This includes fetal tissue in addition to other debris from your uterus, and it’s characterized by heavy bleeding.
Essentially, this is your first period because it is the beginning of your cycle, getting your body ready to ovulate once again.
The first period after an abortion might not be what you usually anticipate. It could be lighter than your normal one and might not last for the length of time that is normal for you.
That next period could even be heavier than you normally would expect as well. However, if your period is exceptionally heavy and long (filling more than one pad every two hours), you’ll want to contact your doctor.
What Could Change?
When it does come to that next period, as stated above, it might not be what you would normally expect. It could be different in multiple aspects than what your periods were like before your abortion.
One change could be the flow. If you had a surgical abortion, it could result in a lighter period than normal, and with a medical abortion, it could be heavier than normal [5].
You might also find that you have more PMS and other symptoms such as back pain and cramping for the first few cycles. This is normal and should eventually even out to what you experienced before [6].
One reason that the period after a medical abortion is heavier is that the body is still expelling all pregnancy-related tissues [7].
A surgical abortion removes the products of conception and endometrial lining, which results in lighter periods.
Pregnancy Test After Abortion
After an abortion, many want to see if it was successful and taking a pregnancy test is a sure way to determine that. Right?
Well, not necessarily depending on when you take it. A pregnancy test measures the levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in the urine which is the pregnancy hormone as we’ll call it.
While the hormone does decrease very quickly after an abortion, there is still some in the body for up to four weeks after having an abortion [8].
After this point, it’s safe to take a test and determine that you are in fact no longer pregnant. Before that, you may get a false positive because your body hasn’t fully cleared the hormones from your system.
A blood test is a bit different because they can see the actual levels of the hormone. A test can be taken just before the abortion and then about five days post-abortion. If the levels have decreased, then the abortion is successful [9].
Getting Pregnant After Abortion
In that timeframe between the abortion and your next period, you may ovulate. However, this time can vary for different women and depends on how far the pregnancy was when the abortion happened.
Generally, this happens before the second cycle, the first cycle is when the body is still clearing out the pregnancy hormones and such and getting back to being regular again [10].
Because you will not know if you are ovulating yet, it’s recommended that you take precautions to prevent another pregnancy. Either you or your partner could investigate different methods of birth control.
In addition to not wanting to go through another abortion, your body will need time to heal from the loss of a pregnancy so another one is not recommended until at least a few months when it is Fully recovered.
This is very true for those who have had a surgical abortion where the cervix needs to heal from an actual surgery.
Final Thoughts
Again, having an abortion is an extremely personal decision and one that will affect you not only physically but also mentally as well.
Take care after your procedure to care for yourself, whatever that entails. It could be seeing a therapist, taking some yoga classes and meditation (once cleared by your doctor), getting a massage or a spa day, etc. It’s up to you.
Each person will handle it differently but treat your body with respect afterward and when you are ready to start your family, you will still be able to.
Do you have a question about your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, abortion or any other related topic? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.
References
- Visit https://www.webmd.com/women/abortion-procedures#1
- See https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/mifepristone
- See above #1
- Planned Parenthood. What can I expect After Having an In-Clinic Abortion? [link]
- Aliya Khan via First Cry Parenting. Period After Abortion – Symptoms, Changes and Self Care Tips. [link]
- See above #5
- New Kids-Center. What’s Period After Abortion Like When to Worry? [link]
- Women Help Women. Was My Abortion Successful? [link]
- see above #8
- see above #7
Hi,i had abortion on the 29th of Dec after the abortion I stained like 2 days, after that on the 3rd of Jan I bleed for like three days, but I was not like a normal period,later on I had a protected sex after 2 weeks of the abortion. now am worried when is my next period? please reply
Hi,A normal period is expected to return 4-6 weeks after an abortion some women even get a normal period up to 8 weeks all you have to do is wait it will return.
I had a medical abortion 3rd of January 2016 and went against not having sex after. few weeks after I had unprotected sex and its been four weeks after and i haven’t seen my flow and I’ve been having feverish symptoms bitter taste but no morning sickness. increased boobs. I’ve done a pregnancy test with a strip but negative waited next day and did a second time still negative but I’m worried I’ve not seen my flow. please I need detailed information on what could be wrong
Hello,It’s possible you could still be pregnant even with negative tests, also after an abortion you should experience a normal period 4-6 weeks could even be longer up to 8 weeks so all you have to do now is wait it out and see
I had an abortion on the 18th of Jan 2016. The bleeding was very light the last 4 days. Today is the 30th (2 weeks after the abortion) and I’m experiencing heavy bleeding all over again with small clots and light cramping. Is this normal? Plus, what could possibly be happening to my body?
The after effects of an abortion include bleeding, cramps or a vaginal discharge. For some women, the bleeding may begin a few days after the abortion, stop then resume with a heavier flow – they even pass clots and experience cramps days after the abortion. This occurrence is normal so continue to monitor your situation. If you develop a fever or if the situation gets too unbearable then you need to see your doctor.
I had my abortion on 2/1/2016 but I’m yet to see my period and I’m experiencing some cramps like back pain and the rest. I am very worried about my health. Please reply for me to be sure am okay.
The effects of an abortion include bleeding, cramps or a vaginal discharge. If these symptoms are excessive and you have a high fever then you must see a doctor. Don’t worry about your delayed period – in most instances, a menstrual cycle is expected within 4 to 8 weeks after an abortion.
So I had my abortion on Dec 22 and it’s Jan 28 I was 6 weeks. I’m experiencing bleeding but I’m not sure if it’s my cycle or still my abortion. Although my bleeding lighten up over the course of weeks but is this normal?
Hey, I had my abortion done on November 14, 2015 saw my period on December the 19th. Now since January, I have not seen my period. I have been having sex in January, took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. But the thing is I have no symptoms of pregnancy. What do you think is happening?
It is normal to be pregnant and not experience the typical pregnancy symptoms. Some women may have the symptoms a bit later in the pregnancy. Be sure to take another test to ensure that the first results were correct.
Hi i had surgical abortion at 8 weeks and 3 days last year august. so its been 5 months now i didn’t have my normal period yet i do have but i didn’t see any blood. what i see is very dark brown clots. I’m not sure what it is, can someone explained to me what happened?
Hi,brown vaginal discharge is perfectly alright and only indicates that your body is returning back to normalcy. However, if this discharge is accompanied by either of the following, inform your doctor immediately.Foul-smelling discharge,Chills or dizziness,Temperature of 100.4 or greater…i suggest you visit your doctor since this has been happening for 5 months
Had an abortion dec 22. 4 weeks later I get my period and it’s been a whole week. Normally isn’t this long. It isn’t heavy just comes and goes. I went in for a follow up and got the depo shot. Could this be the cause of why it’s a little longer.
Hi,period cycle changes after an abortion this is normal and usually nothing to worry about.
Is it normal to have a heavy period about 7 weeks after a surgical abortion. It is heavier than my usual normal periods. Does anyone know?
Hello, this is normal some women experience heavy bleeding some even have problems with their menstrual cycle for as much as two years following an abortion. The time that your period lasts, as well as the amount of bleeding and cramping, might change for several months from one cycle to the next.
I did my medical abortion last january 5, 2016. And now that I’m on my 22 days on recovery, yesterday till now im experiencing pain in my belly button portin of my body. But the pain doesn’t last for a whole day. What does it mean?? I’m really worried now.
Hello,cramping is normal after an abortion if its not associated with any fever, if the pain in your belly button worsens visit a doctor.
Hi, I had a medical abortion on the 30/10/15 then had my first period on the 19/12/15 which was a normal 5 days long, but then had a very very light one 2 weeks later and nothing since. Is this normal??
Hello, period cycle changes after an abortion its normal and may take a while for your body to get back to its normal state.
hi,
I had an abortion (non-medicinal) in the month of November,2015. Till now menstruation did not reappear, I don’t know it is normal or not. please reply as soon as possible
Hi, in some cases you may not experience your period for several months. Or the period may come as early as two weeks. This varies from woman to woman and depends on how far along the pregnancy had proceeded before it was terminated.The primary reason for the delayed first period after abortion is that the body still has some pregnancy hormones.
i had abortion on 30 September 2015, i have bleeding for two months after abortion then i have intercourse with my husband on 30 December 2015 again i felt bleeding for four days but he did not cum in vagina. now again i have bleeding from last four days as i have in my periods. i am confused rather if these are periods or something else. should i expect a pregnancy again??
Hi, Once you have unprotected sex there is a high chance of pregnancy as precum can get you pregnant. A normal period usually comes back 4-6 weeks after an abortion so those breakthrough bleeding could mean anything,if bleeding still persist visit a doctor to make sure you did not have a infection.
Hi , i had an abortion 5 months ago but every month i get pregnancy symptoms before my period , including frequent urination, fatigue and constipation. it makes me worry even if I’m under birth control.
Hi i had surgical abortions 5 moths ago too but until now i still didn’t get my period back.
Had a D and C on 28/07/2015. My period since then has been fluctuating, sometimes the cycle will be 35 days, sometimes 30d days, and like that. I need to get pregnant again as soon as possible but I couldn’t calculate my ovulation day. Am seriously worried. Am I okay?
Typically, the menstrual cycle will last for 28 days, which is calculated from day one of a menstrual period to day one of the next cycle. Ovulation typically occurs 14 days before the start of your menstrual period. If your cycle lasts for 28 days, you can ovulate on the 14th day like the average female. Our How to Get Pregnant blog will provide more useful information for you http://womanjunction.com/how-to-get-pregnant-guide/
Hi I had my first period on 19 Jan after the abortion last month but it lasted only for 3 days. Is that normal? The short period has gotten me worried if the abortion was successful or not. Please help.
Yes, it is normal to have a shorter bleeding period after an abortion.