How to care for yourself after an abortion

After having an abortion, it’s important to take good care of your body and mind.

One study found that about 1 in 4 women will have an abortion while they are still able to have children.

The Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. Roe v. Wade was a landmark 1973 decision that said a person had a constitutional right to an abortion.

This means that each state can now make its own rules about abortion. Because of this, many states will ban or make it very hard to get an abortion.

The facts in this article were true and up-to-date when it was written, but they may have changed since then. Anyone who wants to know more about their legal rights can contact the Repro Legal Helpline through a secure online form or by calling 844-868-2812.

When done by a doctor or nurse, an abortion is a safe procedure with few risks. But people should know what to expect physically and mentally after the surgery.

This article talks about what to expect after an abortion, how to take care of yourself, and when to call a doctor.

A note about sex and gender

There are different levels of sex and gender. In this article, the word “male” or “female” or both will be used to describe a person’s sex at birth.

What to expect after an abortion

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There are different ways to have an abortion. A doctor will tell a person which method to use based on their health needs and how far along they are in their pregnancy. Some kinds of abortion are:

• the abortion pill
• vacuum aspiration
• dilation and evacuation, or D&E

.After the surgery, a woman should get her menstrual period again in 4–6 weeks. But at first, they may have spotting or bleeding that isn’t regular.

In the days and weeks after an abortion, some people have strong feelings and mood changes. This can be caused by a sudden change in hormones or by how a person feels about their abortion or pregnancy.

Getting an abortion can be hard on a person’s emotions, and in the days and weeks after the procedure, they may want to talk to close friends for help.

As soon as a woman ovulates, she can get pregnant. This can happen right after an abortion or before the first period. If someone wants to avoid getting pregnant, they should use contraception or stop having sex.

Common symptoms after an abortion

No matter what kind of abortion a person has, they may have symptoms. But if a person has an abortion in the third trimester, the side effects can be worse.

Usually, the following symptoms occur after an abortion:

• light vaginal bleeding or spotting
• pain and cramping
• painful or swollen breasts

How to care for yourself after an abortion

In the days after an abortion, a person might feel tired and worn out.

Physical care

People often feel pain from cramping, which feels like menstrual cramps.

After the procedure, people should have a friend or family member take them home. They might want to take the next day or two off work if they can so they can get a lot of rest. They should try not to do things that are hard on them physically or emotionally.

After an abortion, the cervix doesn’t close for a while, which makes a person more likely to get sick. To lower the chance of getting sick, for 2 weeks

they should avoid:

• using tampons
• having penetrative sex
• putting anything in the vagina
• using swimming pools

After having an abortion, it’s also important to take care of yourself. Even though the procedure itself doesn’t take long, it can take days or weeks for the body to heal. A person can try

• massaging the stomach and lower back
• using a heat pack
• taking over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
• attending follow-up appointments

Emotional care

Choosing to have an abortion can be a tough choice, and it can be hard on your emotions.

After the surgery, this is made worse by changes in hormones, which can cause mood changes. After an abortion, a person’s levels of progesterone and oestrogen slowly go down. This can make you feel sad or change your mood.

As a person’s period comes back, their hormone levels will level out.

But some people have ongoing emotional problems that they shouldn’t just brush off. There is a link between abortion and higher rates of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and other mental health problems.

Also, people who have had trouble with their mental health in the past may be more likely to have these effects.

If someone is having mental health problems, they should take enough time off work, talk to family and friends, and see a doctor.

Recovery time after an abortion

Recovery times after an abortion vary from person to person. If a first-trimester abortion has no side effects, the person will probably feel better in a few days.

Late-term abortions may take longer to heal from. If there are problems, recovery can take a few weeks. But this is not likely,as only 2% of people have abortion-related complications.

Medical care after an abortion

Most people who have abortions will have to come back in a few weeks for a checkup. If there are no signs of problems, you won’t need to see a doctor again.

People who have any signs of a problem should make an appointment with a doctor right away. Even though it doesn’t happen often, a trip to the emergency room may be needed if something goes wrong during an abortion.

When to contact a doctor

Many abortion clinics have advice lines that are open 24 hours a day. These lines can help people figure out if their symptoms need to be treated. People should call the advice line, their local emergency services, or go to the emergency room if they:

• have heavy bleeding that soaks through two or more maxi-pads in one to two hours,
• have severe back or abdominal pain,
• feel dizzy or faint.
• have a fever.
• have a foul-smelling discharge
• experience nausea and vomiting.

Summary

Most people have an abortion because it is a simple medical procedure that doesn’t cause any long-term problems.

Some people worry that an abortion could hurt them in the long run. But most doctors generally agree that having an abortion doesn’t change a woman’s chances of getting pregnant in the future and doesn’t make her more likely to have problems during pregnancy.

Choosing to have an abortion can be hard, and it’s normal to feel a lot of different things. If a person has problems with their emotions or bodies after having an abortion, they should talk to a doctor.

It’s important to remember that having an abortion can be hard on both the body and the mind. For many people, recovery can be hard because of the sudden change in hormone levels and the stress of making the decision to have the procedure.

During this time, people should reach out to close friends and family for help. A group that helps people who have had abortions can also help them.