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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 an abortion just with pills and it seems like ok..But After taking pill, bleeding and it was stopped..After all , I think menstruation was starting ..But it last too much..may be 10 days untill now..Plz help me ????
Hi, It’s normal to bleed for 1 to 3 weeks after an abortion pill. It takes time for the body to empty the uterus completely. It is not dangerous until you soak through more than two maxi pads per hour for 2 hours or more. Also, Wear pads for the time you are bleeding, not tampons. Avoid vaginal sex for some time.
Please i would love to get a reply from you i’m really getting worried..thank you.
Replied..
Hello,my name is Maryann I had my period on the 8th of January 2016 which ended on the 12th I found out I was pregnant on the 6th of February I did a medical abortion on the 9th and I bleed for a week and had spotting and ovulated two weeks after the abortion but I am yet to get my period.what I get is watery white discharge that looks milky in a way but it doesn’t smell should I be worried that I haven’t seen my period till today the 11th of March?
Hi Maryann, White odorless discharge after medical abortion is not uncommon. Also, it may take 4-12 weeks after abortion to get period. So you should not be worried. Are you experiencing any other problem too?
Hi, I’m Shannon. I had an abortion about 5 weeks ago the pill one and everything was fine in the hospital. They said take the pill. I was still bleeding at the time which they said was normal. Then I got my period as normal when I came off the pill which was about a week ago and I came off my period and then after my period I went back on the pill. Me and my boyfriend had sex and the intercourse was painful at first. I thought because it’s been so long I had to get used to it again. When I peed it was sore; I thought nothing of it then the next day I started bleeding again. I have a horrible smelly discharge as well but I’m still on my pill….HELP..! Please.
Hello Shannon. That smelly discharge is cause for concern. You need to return to the hospital for a check-up before your conditions worsens.
I’m Sophia, I had an abortion on the 4th of February 2016. I’m yet to see my period up until the 10th of march 2016. I’m getting scared.
Don’t worry about your delayed period, Sophia. In most instances, a menstrual cycle is expected within 4 to 8 weeks after an abortion.
Good day all..Had abortion on the 28 of jan by using misoprostol after then saw a little flow of blood when i discover that the pregnancy is still their later went for scan and i was told i have blighted ovum in the uterus on the 7of feb went for evacuation exactly a month yesterday.plz when am i to have my period because up till now having sum pain in my stomach and also d left side of my stomach having sum pain inside me and itching inside my side stomach went for scan and nothing was found and went for stripe PT test showing positive. Is it possible for one to do evacuation and still be pregnant and to know the cause of the side stomach itching.
Lolly, please consult your doctor for this. All the best.
Hi, I had an incomplete miscarriage at 6 weeks pregnant, on the 17th Feb I took medical termination tablets to help remove the remnants, I have bled for about 12-13 days ( the last couple of days were just spotting on and off). During this time I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend.
I have read that after two weeks or sometimes sooner you can get pregnant again (but worried that the pregnancy if I am again is not going to be healthy). So today I took the termination pregnancy test the nurse gave me to see if there are any remnants left (20 days after the miscarriage ) it showed as not pregnant. But now I’m wondering if I am pregnant again because of the unprotected sex I had a week ago.
It is very important that you give yourself time to heal both emotionally and physically before you try to conceive again. Physical recovery after a miscarriage is quick and takes only a few days. After about a month, your body will be working normally and your menstrual cycles will begin once again. It is possible to become pregnant during your first menstrual cycle after your miscarriage or abortion.
Hi, I had an abortion on the 1st of February 2016 and instantly bled, 7 days later it stopped and I tested and I was no longer pregnant. I then had sex with my boyfriend 2 weeks later using protection, I didn’t wait for my period and went ahead to do an implant just to be safe and now still I haven’t gotten my period. I have counted, I should have had it on the 7th on March today but it didn’t come. Do you think something might be wrong or I am still pregnant? Please help.
Hi Lucy,
If you had an implant done, that may be the reason why you didn’t get your period… some women do not bleed with the implant. but if you are still worried you might want to take a pregnancy test 🙂
good luck!
thank you 🙂
Hi..i had an abortion last nov 2015 when i found out that i was 1 month pregnant…i knew everything removed bec after 3 weeks it became negative when i had my pregnancy test but the problem is my period is not coming until now…but at 4th week of dec i had spotting for 3 days..thats it..is this still normal or something goes wrong?i need advice pls.thank.you
Hy, I’m Lecia. I took the drugs on the 10th of Jan bled for a week, almost 8 weeks later I get on and off spotting for some days but no period since pregnancy tests have been negative and there has not been any intercourse. Why have I not seen my period? I’m really worried.
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.
Hi I am 24 years old post pregnancy I had mifepristone tablet on 27 Jan and misoprostel on 28 Jan I bled heavily for 2-3 days and it ended up in 7 days. now it’s 5 March but I still didn’t got my regular periods. is it normal? Please help
Comment Text*Am Abe, i had abortion on the 10 of February 2016 which ended on 23rd february,2016. i had unprotected sex on the 7th March,2016 but saw blood spot on the 10th March,2016 and a clot on the 11th March,2016. pregnancy test too is negative
Hi Abe, was it a planned abortion or natural?
Hi I’m Mia 20 years old, I had an abortion on the sixth week on 19th of February and I had a few drops of blood the day after. Then 5 days later I got my period and I’m still on it. So as I’ve read, it was normal to have a light PMS but today I have really heavy stomach pains and fast bleeding. Has anyone had this before? I really hope its normal because I can’t see a gynecologist for other reasons right now!
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. Though you may not be able to see a gynecologist, if the situations worsens then you should go to a clinic or the emergency room.
I found out that I was pregnant on 1st February. I took abortion pills on 2nd February. that day bleeding started but stopped decreased after few hours. for two days there was almost no bleeding but then started heavy bleeding and lasted till 10th February. it’s been one month after abortion but my menstruation has not returned. is there anything wrong? I didn’t have physical relation since then.
Hello Sania. It is normal not to get your regular period for 4-8 weeks after an abortion. You should contact your doctor if you still have concerns.
I had a late medical termination at 16 weeks and 4 days. I gave birth to my daughter 27th January 2016. It’s been 5 weeks. when should I expect my first period
Hi, I had a medical abortion on 7th of Feb, I was given Searle tablets and have never stopped bleeding up to now, is it really normal? am so much worried
Hello. How heavy is the bleeding? Is there clotting? If you have been bleeding continuously since Feb. 7 you should contact your doctor.
Hi. I had a medical termination on the 11th January. One tablet at 9am then the other 7 hrs later. I went home to pass the pregnancy. I was in pain that night with bad cramps but never got clots like they said I would. I did loose a lot of blood which lasted about 2 weks. I took a pregnancy test when advised and it was negative.
My next period came on the 10th February and it wasn’t like my normal period. It lasted 8 days and was more of a brown (end of the termination) colour. Today (3rd March) I have started again I think? Its not been 4 weeks as normal but that’s ok I suppose, but what I am concerned about is the colour again. Its a very dark brown again like the last one. Is this normal or do you think I have some sort of problem inside? When will I get back to every 4 weeks red colour lasting 3 days?
My age is 41 by the way so could it be the menopause? My sister had hers early at 45.
Hi. You could still be experiencing post termination bleeding. A regular period may not appear for 4-8 weeks. You should talk to your doctor about your concerns.