Today I had a medical abortion at 7 and a half weeks

By anonymous on 17/03/2010
Today I had a medical abortion at 7 and a half weeks. Last night before the procedure I discovered this website, and I have to admit after reading all of the stories, I was terrified.
I went to the NHS clinic at 2pm and was shown to my private room right away. I brought my mum with me for support. I changed into my pyjamas and was given 4 tablets to insert into my vagina. This was easy enough as they aren't very big. I was then told to lie down for up to an hour to allow them to absorb. About 40 minutes passed and I felt nothing.

I couldn't stand the pain

Then the cramping started. At first it was similar to a heavy period pain but then it got a lot worse. I am a bit of a wimp anyway but I found after 20 minutes or so I couldn't stand the pain, I couldn't get comfortable at all. I asked for pain relief and was given 2 codeine tablets.
Around 10 minutes later I felt really unwell and had to go to the bathroom. I needed to be sick and I also needed to empty my bowel. It wasn't a pleasant experience. I was told to use a bed pan instead of the toilet except when I needed a poo so I sat down on the toilet and experienced severe diarrhoea. At the same time I was vomiting into a cardboard pan provided by one of the nurses.
I felt a little better after this but I still didn't show any blood. I went back to my bed and tried to get comfortable and the pain seemed to ease. I didn't want to move in case the pain came back so I stayed still for around half an hour. I then had an urge to go to the toilet, I used my bed pan and passed a bloody clot and I assumed the procedure was complete so I handed the bed pan to the nurse and sat back on the toilet but then I felt something else drop out of me into the toilet.

I wish I had opted for the surgical abortion

The nurse came to look and told me it was the placenta. She said I would be able to go home once I had produced one more bed pan to see if I passed the rest. I went to lie back down and noticed that 2 of the tablets I had inserted had came out into my pad. I called the nurse and she said this was fine and not to worry ( I think they give you 4 to make sure at least one of them works). After an hour I didn't pass anything else except blood and was allowed to go home. I have to admit it wasn't a very nice experience and I feel the pains were much worse than regular period pains. I suppose everyone is different but I wish I had opted for the surgical abortion.

Editor's Comment

I think that the medical abortion often sounds easier than having a general anaesthetic, but the pain can be quite severe, and seeing what you pass a shock. I'm glad your mum was able to stay with you for support. If you need to talk through any of this with an advisor you are welcome to ring the national helpline 0300 4000 999, or follow the link to find a centre for post abortion support in your area.

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