Whether we are talking about medical or surgical abortion, these low-risk medical procedures for ending pregnancies can much impact your body. Usually, it’s normal to experience bleeding or spotting for a few weeks after the abortion, which is part of the normal process of cleaning your uterus. One crucial thing on the list of abortion myths and facts is how abortion affects your period. Here is what you have to know about the menstrual period after abortion.
Menstrual Period After Abortion
You can expect your first period 4-8 weeks after the procedure. It’s individual, of course, and it may depend on the birth control method you use. Some contraception methods are based on hormones, and if you start using them around the time of abortion, that could explain why your period has not returned. It may affect the bleeding, and it’s not uncommon for that first period to be heavier or last longer than usual. Also, a significant part is how pregnant you were because some pregnancy hormones remain a few weeks afterward, and they can delay menstruation. For example, beta hCG hormone, or pregnancy hormone, is produced by placenta cells, and it can be found in a small quantity in your blood and urine at the beginning of pregnancy. Its amount doubles every 48-72 hours, and after having an abortion, it starts to decrease. After stopping the pregnancy, it takes weeks for your body to get back to normal. The hCG hormone can’t disappear overnight. That is one of the possible reasons for having a positive test after abortion. If that happens, go to your doctor.
What Are the Symptoms?
As we already mentioned, you may experience changes in your menstrual cycle. Before starting your period, some women describe that bleeding as a typical menstrual or a bit heavier. If you’ve had heavier bleeding during your regular cycle, this is not that strange to you. Also, women who never had painful menstruations followed by cramps may need painkillers. We can usually recommend everything but ibuprofens because they increase bleeding.
It takes several weeks for your period to return, and when it finally does, it may include:
- Bloating
- Heavier cramps
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Mood swings
Also, irregular periods are entirely normal consequences. We can only tell you to give yourself enough time to recover, and your second or third period will go back to normal.
Menstrual Period After Surgical and Medical Abortion
- Surgical Abortion
For those who didn’t know, surgical abortion is a procedure performed by a professional in the clinic. It is the surgical process of ending a pregnancy by removing the fetus and placenta from your uterus. It can impact your menstrual cycle, but you can expect a lighter and shorter first period.
- Medical Abortion
Medical abortion causes the same effect as a miscarriage by using two doses of medications- mifepristone and misoprostol. This is a potent combination of meds that you can only get with a prescription. They can’t be used as a regular birth control method. After this type of abortion, you can expect a longer and heavier period with blood clots.
Birth Control and Your Period
Many women aren’t aware that they are fertile within less than two weeks after abortion. We always recommend our patients birth control right away in the form of pills, patches, condoms, or intrauterine devices (IUD) within a few days. The whole point of using any type of birth control is to prevent pregnancy, and that’s why you have to use it that soon. There is a chance that birth control will affect your period. A hormonal IUD will surely lighten your period, but it will affect your mood. It’s the opposite with a copper IUD.
Anyway, it would be best for your health to avoid having sex at least two weeks after having an abortion.
Sanitary Products
We usually recommend pads as the best sanitary product for our patients. Even if you don’t use them regularly when you pass your two-weeks mark, you can go back to your regular routine and use menstrual cups and tampons. For post-abortion bleeding, we can advise you to take maxi pads and prevent infection. Of course, excellent hygiene comes first.
Conclusion
If you don’t receive your menstrual period after abortion within eight weeks, book your appointment at the abortion clinic Fort Lauderdale. Some of the possible scenarios can be that there are tiny pieces of placenta left in your uterus or that you are pregnant again. Also, if you get a fever, pain, weird discharge, or notice anything unusual, contact us. Even if you need someone to talk to, we can highly recommend our therapist. We are here for you.
