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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 a surgical abortion on may 27, I started bleeding on the June 8, but the flow was very light and it lasted for only two days. I have not had sex since then, am wondering when my period will start?
Bleeding after abortion depends upon person to person and generally the period returns within 6-8 weeks of abortion.
Hi
I got my last periods twice in the month of april it was on 4th and on 24th. i had unprotected sex with my bf on 6th may and i took ipill with 72 hours but i didnt get my periods in the month of may and on june i consulted a doctor she gave pills to regularise my periods as i usually visit her for this problem once or twice in a year i dont get my periods for one month,,, so i didnt inform the doctor about me having sex and i took the tablet which she gave for three days but still i didnt get my periods and i consulted another doctor on 27th june and i came to know that i was 10 weeks pregnant… i got my surgical mtp done on july 6th.,… please let me know when will i get my normal periods,,, and also after my surgical mtp i was bleeding only till morning i dont have any symptoms of bleeding now is this good or bad,,.. please suggest me what could i do now…
After abortion, bleeding is normal and generally period returns within 6-8 weeks of abortion. Also refer http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/
Hey! I had an medical abortion on the 25 of may I had slight bleeding after but I had unprotected sex 4 days after abortion. And had sex for almost a week. But after sex I had slight bleeding. Then after abortion I had my period after 4-8 weeks. When my period came it lasted for two day.. Would it be possible that am pregnant after having sex 4 days after abortion??
Hi Kayon, if you have had your periods then there is hardly any chance of pregnancy, however, pregnancy after abortion is possible.
Hi Guys, I Had a abortion June 10 2016, I bled June whole month and I had unprotected sex from July 1 til today . am I getting a period this month or not?
Hi, pregnancy is possible after abortion. Whether you will have your period this month or not cannot be said with surety. Please take a pregnancy test in case of doubt.
Hi I am in need of advice. I had abortion 16th of may, I bled for a little bit after that but i still haven’t gotten my period, when do you think i would get it
I had an abortion before last year and didn’t see my period for over 8months.Turned out i have an infection in my body that was preventing me from having a period,i am really hoping that this is not the case please HELP thanks
Hi, After abortion normally a period returns in 6-8 weeks. But since you have had problems in the past, if it takes more than that for you, consult a doctor.
Hi, please I have a question. I had a medical abortion on the 2nd of May. Bleed for 3weeks. Had unprotected sex twice in June but I used postinor 2. Up until this July I have not seen my menstruation. Please what should I do? Is anything wrong with me?
Hi, Please check our FAQ section http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/
I had an medical abortion on the 23 of last month and after the bleeding I had unprotected sex . Since then I haven’t see my period could I be pregnant again?
Hi, period after abortion may return after 6-8 weeks. But since you have had sex, there could be some chances as Pregnancy can occur within 7 to 10 days of abortion.
Hi.. I had my mtp on April 1st and got my period on may 6 and subsequently on June 2nd .. But I’m late by a day this month… I’m experiencing bloating in my abdomen but otherwise I sense no nausea or swelling\pain in my breasts… My husband and I had unprotected sex on the 18th day of my cycle but he pulled out… A pregnancy test turned out to be negative… Now I’m confused….
Hi, PMS and pregnancy symptoms are almost similar so if the test is negative you might soon be having your periods.
Hi i had medical abortion last month. I’m still bleeding till now. It get lil heavier sometimes and lil low sometimes. I don’t know what to do now. As it’s hard for me to go to hospital for check up as i stay in a very strict country and scare if someone will know.
Bleeding after an abortion varies for every women. Some may have no bleeding at all after an abortion while some may bleed immediately and for 3-4 weeks, and what you are feeling is because of hormones.For more info please visit our page http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/
Hi, i had a medical abortion and i had an unprotected sex but i took salt and water. is there any chance of me getting pregnant?
Hi there,
Drinking of salt water cannot help you to avoid getting pregnant if you have unprotected sex.
Salt water is not a birth control method and it cannot stop the pregnancy you already have. You may want to think about contraceptive methods including emergency contraceptives.
i had an abortion 3 weeks ago and since then i have been having unprotected sex a week after the bleeding stop. is it possible for me to be pregnant in this two weeks of unprotected sex?
It is possible to become pregnant during within 2 weeks of an abortion if you had unprotected sex. You could do a pregnancy test to be certain.
Hello,for my medical abortion I took Mifepristone on the 22nd of April by 10am, by 8pm I saw a little blood clot , midday the next day(on d 23rd) I saw a lot more blood flow, then on the 24th of April I took Misoprostol and I experienced this enormously intense nd continuous passage of huge blood clot for over 5 hrs,it later subsided but I bled for a week more afterwards(heavy but not too serious) after which I spotted for some weeks. Exactly 5 weeks after I took Misoprostol I experienced very heavy bleeding with thick blood clot. For like 6 hrs after which I started spotting then nothing ..However am yet to see my period almost 10 weeks after the abortion, COULD the heavy flow I had 5 weeks after the abortion have been my period( just some hrs not even up to a day ), if it was why haven’t I gotten another cos my cycle is usually 26 days? IF it wasn’t my period should I be more worried than I am already? cos I even started feroglobin(blood capsules) last week.. I await your thoughtful and helpful response. Thank you.
Hi Alos, normally period returns 6-8 weeks after abortion. Since its 10 weeks now and your clotting after abortion hasn’t stopped yet you should consult a doctor.
Hello I had a surgical procedure done and I didn’t get my menstrual for at least four weeks that passed and I did have intercourse and I’m expecting my period to come on the same time my prior cycle happened but to no avail. so I’m wondering if now I’m pregnant again or am I irregular now. my prior period came on the 28 of may and I had sex on the 19th of June and now I’m waiting for my cycle
Hi Bree, some surgical procedures can alter your menstrual cycle and it may or may not revert to your regular cycle prior to the procedure.
You may want to do a pregnancy test to ascertain whether or not you are pregnant.
Comment Text* i have a question, i did abortion last month on 28 and during dat week i saw light blood. And after that week i had an unprotected sex but i make use of postinor and ever since then till now have not seen my period. What should i do
Hi Helen, after abortion normally the period returns within 6-8 weeks. If the period goes longer than that consult your doctor.
I had a medical abortion 2 months ago I think I had my period or what i thought was my period 2/3 weeks ago, last week I started bleeding on and off for a week and this week its heavy and been bleeding nearly constantly since mon it seems to stop at night time though.. i am not in any pain, I just feel tired but dont know if its to do with bleeding or going back to a routine. Shouls i be worried?
Hi, periods are sometimes abnormal after abortion. If this abnormality persist you should consult a doctor
I had a surgical abortion 5weeks ago and am yet to see my period.i didn’t any sex after the abortion but I am worry cos I haven’t seen my period.
Hi, Please refer http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/