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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
I had product left behind after a termination five months ago now every time I have a period the blood smells really off I have not had this before my termination. It’s ruining relationships and I’m paranoid constantly. If anyone can help me please I’m starting to get depressed and my doctor has tested for stds bacteria vaginosis, thrush ,trich,everything!!! She is saying it’s coming back all perfect but this is not normal for me I know my body well and something’s not right please help me 🙁
Hi had an abortion on July and have not received my periods as I had written before yesterday I took a pregnancy test and it was still positive does it mean the abortion was not complete
Hi
I had an abortion 14th august… After that I have no period still…. I have experienced frequent urination…. But no pain or other symptoms are shown….. Please suggest me what to do….. After abortion i had no intercourse…..
My doctor prescribed me with a 3 month birth control package to get my period back on track. Maybe you should speak to your dr and see if that’ll work for you! Good luck
Hello Riatila,Whatever you do don’t take a pregnancy test because it will be positive since pregnancy hormones might still be lingering…also sounds like a bladder issue talk to your doctor he may prescribe something for you to stop urinating so often
So I had an abortion back in February and everything was fine. My period went back to normal but now in September it would have been my due date and I didn’t get my period , im cramping and I have brown discharge . what can this be??
Hi SOny,not sure what could cause that I suggest you visit the doctor to check up.
Hi i had an abortion just over two months ago with the tablets, I’v had my first period which has continued for a month now, started off brown for a few weeks then went to red for the rest. i still occasionally get little bit of brown blood but it feels like it will last forever!! I had the injection when i had the abortion for 3 months,is this a reason why for my bleeding lasting so long? Does sex also interfere with it all? If this bleeding carries on for too long i know i need to see a doctor just scary..
After an abortion I had my first menses 5 weeks later and i had sex 3 days after my menses can i get pregnant and do I need to take an emergency pill cos i know it 5 days free after menses but I don’t know if it will work since i had an abortion
My wife had natural abortion before one month.now her menstruation has been continuing for 26 days.consulted two doctors.one of the doctors advises hormone therapy. experienced doctor advised it would be normal and need to bother after two months if still problem continuing. I am afraid she will get anaemia. please give us the response.
Hi Chinnu, Sorry about whats happening with your wife but you have to still go back to the doctors if its continuing it could be her body trying to get back to normal but to be on the safe side talk to them about what she can do to prevent anemia.
I had an abortion on July and had no period for seven weeks after an abortion..I went back to the doctor and he gave me tinadozole tablets and two other types of tablets to take for 2&3days respectively.. after taking them I had a one night bleeding and when I to the toilet something dropped off but had no chance to see how it looked like… now my tummy is bloated with lots of gas and I have painful nipples..haven’t had my periods yet..what could be the problem?
Hi Jade, Lots of women experience no period for awhile after an abortion i think you should schedule an appointment to see your doctor to make sure nothing is wrong and its just your body trying to get back to normal.
Hi Jade , It takes awhile for your body to get back to normal after an abortion because the pregnancy hormones might still be present which might explain your tender nipples not sure what could cause the bloating but your period is going to take a while to get back to normal.
i am ene
i had an abortion on the 1 August 2015. after 1 week my husband had sex with me. till date i did not see my period. please KELLY advise me.
I had a medical abortion in April, and started a birth control right after. I saw my period in June and July as normal, but I had to quit the pills because of constant heavy spotting, and now I haven’t seen my period since. What’s going on?
Hello Monica, The pill prevents your body from making hormones involved in ovulation and menstruation. When you stop taking the pill, it can take some time for your body to return to normal production of these hormones. Typically, your period should start again within three months after you stop taking the pill.
hi I had an abortion on July 24 only bled for a night with a clott. after 4weeks I was still positive and took the pills again but nothing happened since the abortion I have not experience any menstrual period but have cramps am really worried if the abortion was complete could someone please help me
Hello. Generally, hCG levels will remain high up to 6 weeks after abortion or miscarriage. It may be necessary to re-test a few times after an abortion to ensure that the pregnancy has been terminated. 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.
I had an abortion with those 3 pills in July and August I didn’t get my period got it on the 8 of September and huge clots came out and unusual one came out looking like the baby I saw in July could it have been twins and is it possible that it came out now??
Hello. You need to check with a medical doctor immediately to ensure that all the fetal tissues have been expelled from your body. This is absolutely necessary because if more tissue and blood from the procedure are remaining in your body, it can cause an infection.
I had an abortion on the 11th of august 2015, it was 14 weeks old…then after I had heavy menstruation for about two weeks…..I always have smelly brownish discharges…..I had an unprotected sex with my boyfriend and this month I lost my periods…..I am afraid that i might be pregnant again….can someone explain what’s going on
The effects of an abortion include bleeding, cramps or a vaginal discharge. This is normal. In most instances, a menstrual cycle is expected within 4 to 8 weeks after an abortion. However it is possible to become pregnant during your first menstrual cycle after your abortion. Are you sure that you had a period?
I had an abortion with pills since june and in july, august i took contaceptive pills. So since my abortion in june i have not seen my period. Please what could be wrong cos its getting me so worried.
Don’t worry about your delayed period – in most instances, a menstrual cycle is expected within 4 to 12 weeks after an abortion. This blog from our site will provide some useful information http://womanjunction.com/menstrual-cycle-abortion/
Hi Christy,DO NOT take a pregnancy test in the first few weeks after your abortion – it will be positive. It can take up to 6 weeks after the abortion for a pregnancy test to become negative. Bleeding and cramping may stop soon after your abortion and then resume three to five days later.
Hi, I had an abortion on 31st August. The doctor told me to take 2 weeks without having sex, I took 3 weeks and had unprotected sex then on the 3rd day after having sex I took emergency pill but to date I have not had my periods yet I have cramps, breasts are tender. What could be the problem? Should I take the test again or could I be pregnant please help and advise. Thanks
Hi. Please take a look at section 6 (Abortion) under this link http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/ . It will provide some useful information.
hi pls i had abortion through evacuation on 5th of september 2015 ……though have not not been experiencing cramps or any pains since i had the abortion or any pains. pls i want to know of truly am no more pregnant because have used urine strip test and it still showing positive. am really worried. can I go for a scan to truly know if the pregnancy is gone?
Best way I found was buy getting a scan, your hcg (pregnancy hormone) will still be up after having an abortion which is what makes a test go positive. Also going to the doctor & getting a blood test weekly will let you know what your HCG levels are at. Once they’re under 5 you should get your first super period so the cramps are horrible & be prepared to wear tampons & pads at the same time, stock up you will be changing every two to three hours!
Hi , I’ve had 2afs since my abortion.. And I’ve retained like 5 pounds of water weight which I cannot seem to lose and I have this bulge on my stomach which makes me look bloated? I know it’s all to do with hormones just wondering if this is normal and will eventually go down?! It’s been 3 months since my abortion.
Hi Eliza, I think it will eventually go down but you should check with a doctor to make sure everything is fine with you.