Recovery duration after a successful abortion is different for every woman, and will depend on the pregnancy stages (gestation) when the abortion occurs. Most women will recover quickly within a few days, some women take several weeks to recover. However, most women can return to work as normal after a few days.
We would recommend you to delay from returning to work until after the medical abortion is complete as you will have cramping and bleeding. This is usually within 1-2 days after taking the Misoprostol tablet or longer depending on your how your body respond to the medication. Do not force yourself until you are fully recovered.
Bleeding
After a medical abortion, you’ll experience bleeding, cramping and you may see a large blood clot. The abortion may take a few hours and it is usually completed within 1-3 days. Once the pregnancy has been passed, your bleeding will usually lessen and become like a slightly heavier period. It may continue to be quite heavy for a day or two as the uterus needs to contract and return to its normal condition.
Abdominal Cramp
Most women experience intermittent cramping after an abortion. This usually lasts for about a week and can be managed with hot packs, Ibuprofen and Celebrex. These painkillers can be purchased at pharmacies.
Unstable Emotions
After a successful abortion, it’s completely normal to experience a range of feelings such as relief, guilt, regret and sadness. For most women, these feelings fade after a few weeks or months. We recommend that you have someone with you after your abortion to talk to. We offer free, private counseling for all our clients who’ve had abortion, for as many sessions as needed.
Other Tips for Speedy Recovery?
Recovery usually happens quite quickly but there are some things you can do to make the experience easier, and also symptoms to look out for.
Sexual Intercourse
Do not to have sexual intercourse for at least 2 weeks after an abortion to minimize the risk of infection. This is for your wellbeing, as it gives your body the best chance to recover after your treatment. If you do not use contraception on your sexual intercourse, then you are at risk of a getting pregnant again.
Pregnancy Test
Make sure you take a pregnancy test to check your treatment has been successful. A routine check-up is not necessary after a successful medical or surgical abortion. We advise you to take a pregnancy test (not later than 4 weeks) after your abortion to ensure that it’s successful. It is best to go for an ultrasound test 10 days after a completed abortion.
Excercise
Do not exercise for 2 weeks. Swimming, team sports, going to the gym, horse riding or heavy physical work can all increase bleeding. If you have toddler children, try not to carry them more than necessary for the first few days – particularly up and downstairs.
Alcohol
We advise you not to drink alcohol for 48 hours following your treatment. Alcohol can increase the risk of heavy bleeding and lessen the chance of quick recovery.
Leaking Breasts
This is quite common following an abortion. Your body has been preparing for the pregnancy for a few weeks and your breasts will have enlarged to produce milk to for breastfeeding. It will take a while to get back to normal and during this time your breasts may leak.
Breastfeeding
Unlike surgical abortion, you will not be able to breastfeed for 5 hours after taking the second set of tablets. You may press some milk before taking the dose until you are well enough to continue breastfeeding.
