How to Terminate Pregnancy Safely?
Are you considering an abortion? Has pregnancy occurred when you least expected it? Unplanned pregnancies happen to far more women than one imagines, forcing females to make one of the toughest life choices. Not everyone is cut out to be a parent while young or at college, particularly when having to take care of a newborn baby alone.
There are several methods of abortion depending on the duration of one’s pregnancy, which have to be performed in a licensed clinic to ensure safety. The length of the recovery period is determined by the emotional support that patients gain from other people or counselors.
Have a look at the safest methods for terminating a pregnancy.
Medical abortion
A safe way of terminating a pregnancy is the medical abortion, performed via a combination of two medications, those being mifepristone and misoprostol. The former is administered in the clinic that the patient opted for this procedure, while the latter is administered in the comfort of the patient’s home no later than forty-eight hours after taking mifepristone.
The first medicine is taken for the purpose of stopping the secretion of progesterone, the hormone responsible for implanting the embryo inside the uterus and stimulating its growth. In contrast, the second medicine, administered either orally or by inserting the pill into the vagina, imitates the process of miscarriage. By triggering cramps and heavy bleeding, misoprostol removes the pregnancy tissue out of the uterus. Click here to learn about the role of progesterone and the symptoms of low progesterone levels.
Although the non-invasiveness of medical abortion appeals to most patients, it can solely be performed during the first trimester, in the first ten weeks of the gestation period. Nevertheless, the use of no instruments for the performance of the procedure doesn’t mean women experience no adverse effects after taking both medications.
Approximately four hours after taking misoprostol, the process of heavy bleeding and experiencing cramps takes place. It might be accompanied by dizziness, headache, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Patients are suggested to stay home for several days after the abortion in order not to experience discomfort at work. Sexual intercourse isn’t recommended during the recovery period, at least for two weeks.
Surgical abortion
Surgical abortion, as the term implies, refers to a surgical procedure women undergo to terminate a pregnancy. It’s performed either through vacuum aspiration or dilatation and evacuation (D &E) in accordance with the gestation age. The former can be performed during the first fourteen weeks of pregnancy as an alternative to an unsuccessful medical abortion.
Moreover, vacuum aspiration is performed in clinics and hospitals licensed for terminating a pregnancy. Nowadays, patients can easily find a Planned Parenthood alternative by choosing from the variety of medical clinics that handle unplanned pregnancies. By using this method, the fetus and placenta are eliminated from the uterus with suction, through the insertion of a tube. The process of suction causes no pain but uterus contraction.
Vacuum aspiration takes about ten minutes to be completed, requiring no general anesthetic due to the minimal feeling of pain. In order to ensure the procedure was properly completed, doctors require patients to spend several hours resting in the clinic.
Similar to medical abortion, women undergoing vacuum aspiration are likely to experience sweating, dizziness, cramping, bleeding, and sickness. A few days off are necessary for the patient to get back on her feet once the feeling of discomfort goes by.
Dilation and evacuation is a method for terminating a pregnancy, performed in the course of the second trimester. It’s the only option for women who postpone abortion for too long or are forced to terminate the pregnancy due to a medical issue with the fetus. The doctor uses dilators to widen the cervix, after which he/she removes the fetus with the use of forceps.
Given the invasiveness of the procedure, doctors use general anesthetic not local. Once the surgery is finished, patients might be subjected to bleeding, nausea, and cramps. These side effects generally last for a period of two weeks, during which women are supposed to refrain from intercourse and arduous workouts. Follow this link, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilation_and_evacuation, for a description of dilation and evacuation along with the risks of this operation.
Recovery
The recovery process is never quick or painless for women, as the combination of physical side effects and emotions proves exhausting. While some females feel relief after an abortion, others struggle to overcome the powerful feelings of sadness, despair, and guilt. Although patients aren’t forced to make such a decision, some of them regret undergoing the procedure. Consequently, patients start experiencing symptoms of depression, insomnia, anxiety, and irritability.
In terms of emotional recovery, every woman needs a different time period to recover. Some women take months to accept the guilt, while certain females cannot stop reproaching themselves even years after the procedure. Therefore, women are recommended to speak to a counselor or a trusted friend while going through recovery. Emotional support is of tremendous importance for every female terminating pregnancy regardless of the reason for such an act.
When it comes to physical recovery, patients may experience side effects for up to fourteen days but they can get back to their work routine after a couple of days. Women usually take pain medications in compliance with the instructions provided by the doctor. He/ She is also supposed to advise you about the best time to resume ingesting your other medications if taking any.
The most important thing for females after abortion is resting for as much as possible. Hence, any form of intense exercise should be skipped in the course of the first week. Instead of doing strenuous exercise, yoga and Pilates are a much better choice.
Patients coping with nausea are supposed to drink plenty of mint or ginger tea to suppress the feeling of sickness. In order to compensate for the blood loss, make sure you consume iron-rich foods like eggs, beans, lentils, beetroot, spinach, etc.
As mentioned before, patients should follow doctors’ instructions regarding abstinence from sex, which shouldn’t be practiced at least for a week. Once the patient starts having intercourse, she is expected to use birth control to prevent catching an infection. Also, sanitary pads are considered more convenient to be used after abortion instead of tampons. Keep in mind that swimming and using perfumes or any kind of essential oils when having a bath is strongly forbidden during recovery.
Final word
Abortion is one of the most challenging experiences in the life of a woman.
It takes courage to make such a decision and deal with guilt later!
