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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 an abortion in this month on 7/10/15 ,there was a bleeding for 1 week. But I did not get my period till now, can I have safe sex in the 4 week after abortion?
Don’t worry about your delayed period – in most instances, a menstrual cycle is expected within 4 to 8 weeks after an abortion. It is very important that you give yourself time to heal both emotionally and physically after an abortion. 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 so practice safe sex if yiu do not want to become pregnant again.
I had an abortion on 3 October bled till 27th October still did a home pregnancy test and it was positive. I’m scared, what does it mean? It was just a two weeks old pregnancy. Please help me.
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.
I had a medical abortion with the home pills being taken on 9/30/15. I bled for about a week, then on 10/10/15 I had unprotected sex for about a minute but no ejaculation inside vagina(withdrawal type). Ever since I have been very stressed worrying about becoming pregnant again. I took home pregnancy tests on 10/27/15, i read the test as negative within 5 minutes. but after 2 hours i noticed a faint line is appeared in that . is it positive ?? i have breast pain and mood change. i am really tensed and my vagina is dry…. am i pregnant??
Hello,Pregnancy tests should not be read after the first 5 mins, you might be pregnant again because you had unprotected sex you can get pregnant by pre ejaculation/pre cum. take another test to be sure.
I had a medical abortion in August I got my period 6 weeks later, according to a 28-day cycle. I am now 4 days late for my second period, is this normal?
Yes,it is normal. It can take the body a little time te regulate itself after an abortion. Read more via this link http://womanjunction.com/menstrual-cycle-abortion/
I had an abortion on the 1 October and unprotected sex on the 11 October. I now feel my breasts swollen and painful and light cramps. Could I be pregnant again?
Hello, Yes its possible you are pregnant because you can get pregnant anytime after unprotected sex,however pregnancy symptoms after an abortion lasts for up to 4 to 8 weeks.
I had an abortion last week of September,spotted for about two weeks. Saw my period on the 20th of this month and up till now 27th I’m still bleeding. Please is this normal? My period usually lasts about 3-5days sometimes but now it’s being 7 days! Is this normal? I’m scared
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. If the bleeding continues then you must consult your doctor immediately.
I had my first abortion last sept 28, I waited two weeks and took my birth control pills. October 12, I had my follow up check up and everything was successful. (Medical abortion). My boyfriend and I had unprotected sex 7 days exactly after I took my first birth control pill. Is the birth control already effective on the 7th day? I was a little bit worried. And is the pregnancy hormones still present in my body? It’s been close to 4 weeks after the abortion
Hi, Usually pregnancy hormones last for about 4 weeks it can be longer, The pill is effective after 7 days of daily use but using condoms along with the pills lowers the risk of pregnancy.
I had a medical abortion with the at home pills being taken on 9/12/15. I bled for about a week, then on 9/25/15 I had unprotected sex for about a minute which wasn’t by choice. Ever since I have been very stressed worrying about becoming pregnant again even though he did not do anything in me. I took 2 home pregnancy tests on 10/13 and 10/16 as the clinic told me to do and both were negative. Then on the 16th I started spotting which lasted 3 days, turned much heavier than my normal bleeding for 2 days, and has now been light for 2 days. Could this be my period, or could it be implantation bleeding?
It seems that this is your period and not implantation bleeding.
Read through the questions and answer. My question is, can one after abortion become pregnant even without seeing one’s period?
Yes, it is possible to get pregnant after an abortion without seeing a period. Although your periods may bot be regular, the ovulation cycle has already started as early as a week after abortion.
A friend had her abortion on 21st of Sept. Till now she has not seen her ‘period’ – she is confused and afraid if that is normal.
This is normal, in most instances a menstrual cycle is expected within 4 to 8 weeks after an abortion.
I had an abortion last month 25 of September and up till date I have not seen my period and am very worried. I have done PT test several times which are negative. What can I do?
Don’t worry about your delayed period – in most instances, a menstrual cycle is expected within 4 to 8 weeks after an abortion. Give your period some time to return – practice safe sex in the interim.
I had my abortion with medicine suggested by doctor last 18th of September and still my menstrual cycle is going on till now…I’m really worried and how many days am I going have my menstrual period?
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. It is normal for the bleeding to last for one to three weeks after the abortion. In most instances, a menstrual cycle is expected within 4 to 8 weeks after an abortion.
Hi! I had my abortion pills started on 6th October and 2nd dose on the 8th. After that I started bleeding with severe cramps and vomiting. To stabilize my condition, I took some Ayurvedic pain killer… It’s now the 14th day after my first bleeding… I’m still bleeding but it’s not heavy… I had unprotected sex from 16th onwards… Do I have chances of getting pregnant again?? Sometimes I still can feel the cramping in my abdomen. Is it normal??
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.
Physical recovery after a miscarriage is quick and takes only a few days – unless there are other complications. 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 22nd of April since then I had my period regularly but this month it hasn’t started yet. I was expecting it to be on 15-17th Oct. I have done a pregnancy test on 15th but shows negative. we had sex but everything was controlled though I wasn’t taking any phil or implant. I don’t see any symptom of pregnancy but I’m worried that my period is not starting yet. I can’t go to GP right now for circumstances around me. Please let me know if this is because of abortion or I’m pregnant.
You tested too early – you can get the most accurate result if you wait at least one week after missing your period. In addition, the result might be even more accurate if the test is done first in the morning as the urine is far more concentrated at this time. The urine-based home pregnancy tests offer great accuracy.
Hi Steffy, thanks for replying. I had another yesterday but result is negative and both test was done in the morning with first urine. My period hasn’t started yet.
Hi. I had and abortion on 20th of September…my guy wasn’t aware about it..so when he was really begging for sex like 1week after my bleeding…I had to give in…he ejaculated just very little inside of me and I took Postinor 2 in the first 24 hours…It’s been like 3 weeks after the abortion and I haven’t seen my menstruation…full breast but no nipples pain…Pls could it be that I’m pregnant again? Pls answer asap.
Please refer to the FAQ page (Question 6) via this link http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/ . Read all three posts under this link.
Hi, I had an abortion on the 14 of September through pills, on the 3rd of October I had unprotected sex, after a week I got a little blood discharged in my panties, am I likely to be pregnant again or what? And right now I’m having pains at my left abdomen/back.
Hi. This link from our FAQ section will guide you (Question 6 – parts A and C) http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/