An abortion is a significant medical procedure.  Following an abortion, it is important to have proper abortion care and be aware of any physical symptoms that may occur.

Anticipated Side Effects* :

Sometimes physical symptoms following abortion can leave you unsure of what is normal and what may be a concern. These are some of the expected side effects following an abortion:

• Abdominal cramping
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Spotting and bleeding
• Regular period should return in about 4-6 weeks.

Call your health care provider if you have concerns about your personal side effects.

How to Care for Yourself* :

During this time, it is important to care for yourself and focus on your physical healing. Listen to your body, rest when needed and take it easy. Your body needs time to heal. Here are some ways to care for yourself:

• Follow all discharge instructions given by your provider and call them with any questions you might have.
• Be sure to take any antibiotics that were prescribed to prevent a possible infection.
• Follow up with all scheduled appointments.
• Do not use tampons, have sex, or insert anything vaginally until fully recovered to prevent an infection.
• Use over-the-counter pain relievers recommended by your provider to help with painful cramping. Heat may also provide some relief, such as a warm bath or using a heating pad on low.

When to Seek Medical Help* :

There are risks of serious complications following an abortion.  It is important to seek medical help you need, even if finances are a concern. Your health and safety are a priority.

Here are general rules:

• Do not skip any follow up appointments. It can feel hard to deal with returning for another doctor visit when you just want to move on, however, it is the best way to assure you recover well and prevent future complications.

• Call your provider when you have medical questions. If you feel concerned about anything during your recovery, it might feel scary, especially if you are dealing with this alone.  Do not hesitate to seek the medical insights you need.

• Call your provider immediately, or go to an Emergency Room, if you experience any of the following:
  • Heavy persistent bleeding: This would be soaking 2 or more pads an hour or passing large clots for 2 consecutive hours, bleeding that comes back or becomes heavy again after it had stopped or was very light.
  • Sudden belly swelling
  • Signs of an infection such as foul smelling discharge, severe abdominal pain or back pain, a fever above 100.4, generally feeling sick with body aches, headache, dizziness.

• Call your provider if you have continued or returning pregnancy symptoms or have not resumed your period after 4-6 weeks.

We hope you have found this helpful, that your physical recovery progresses well, and that you are equipped to listen to your body and recover in the healthiest way possible. We care about you and are here to help. If at any point, you feel like you would benefit from more personal support, please contact us.

Restore helps those for whom the lingering effects of abortion continue to cause pain. Restore provides free confidential post-abortion care and support services to all individuals. Restore After Abortion serves DuPage County, Illinois and surrounding communities. Please call today for a free, confidential consultation.

* DISCLAIMER

Please read the following carefully.

Restore After Abortion is not a health care provider.  The information presented here is not intended to diagnose any medical situations and should not replace direction from your personal physician and/or abortion provider.  Consultation with your qualified health care provider is the proper way to address your medical concerns.  While this article attempts to be as accurate as possible, it should not be relied upon as being comprehensive or error-free.  You should never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read here.  In no event will Restore After Abortion or its affiliates be liable for any decision made or action taken in reliance on this information.