I recently had a medical abortion. I was 12 weeks pregnant.
By anonymous on 04/02/2014
I realised I was pregnant at around 6 weeks but it took me a while to get it together to make the first appointment. I wasn't registered with a doctor in the city in which I'm living so I attended a service run by BPAS at a local sexual health clinic. During this appointment, the nurse checked my details and asked me why I wanted the abortion and when I said that I was unable to look after a child at this time in my life, she wrote down "unplanned." After this, I was scanned by the doctor and was also tested for some STIs. I was warned that I might need to stay overnight at the hospital due to how far along I was.
Two days later, I had an appointment at an outpatient clinic in a nearby hospital and whilst there, was given the first pill I needed to take. This all took less than 15 minutes, I was asked to return two days later and told that I would probably experience some mild cramping and to call if anything unusual happened.
At the next appointment, I was shown into a private room on a day ward and was given 4 pessaries that would cause the womb to empty, as well as two suppositories, one of which was a painkiller and the other one was an antibiotic. You insert these yourself and then after that, they really just leave you to it.
I'd been warned that it could be incredibly painful but to ask for painkillers if I needed them but luckily, I didn't seem to need anything. My back hurt and I felt sick for a wee while but three hours in, my waters broke. I didn't expect this, I didn't realise that that would happen. In a bedpan, I passed the foetus. It didn't hurt but it felt incredibly weird, this was quickly followed by the placenta and again, felt incredibly weird. You're warned not to look but I couldn't help it. I wouldn't recommend looking.
Afterwards, I rang the bell and waited for a nurse to come and take the bedpan away. She quickly removed it and was incredibly kind, making sure that I was ok with it all.
I spent another hour or so on the ward to ensure the bleeding would slow down and then I got a contraceptive Implant which I had asked for earlier. I was then allowed to leave. The whole thing took about 7 hours in total.
I had a relatively easy experience. I don't know if it's worse for others but I did it alone and was fine.
