I had a medical abortion after taking the progesterone only pill
I recently started taking the progesterone-only pill[1]. A few days into taking it I was getting bad mood swings, was becoming really short-tempered with my children and generally felt depressed and tearful so after 13 days I stopped taking it.
We had only had sex once three days after starting the pill. On day 20 of my cycle, I started to feel like I had thrush so I took a pregnancy test. It was positive.
We already have two children the youngest being 11 months, I would not be able to look after another due to an inability to cope at times with two, which were planned.
[You'll find links to more stories organised by various aspects of abortion on this page.]
We decided termination was the only option
As painful as it was we decided that a termination was the only option.
To make matters worse it was 10 days from finding out about the pregnancy to proceeding with the medical abortion.
Another horrible discovery was even though I should have only been just under 4 weeks the scan showed I was 6 and a half weeks, something I still don't understand.
I took the 1st pill and went back to the clinic 6 hours later to get the 2nd treatment which was 4 buccal tablets that dissolved on my gums.
Prior to this, I took co-codamol and ibuprofen an hour before.
45 minutes after the 2nd treatment I vomited which was on the way home. The shivers and nausea had stopped, by the time I got home I had started to bleed.
2½ hours later I passed a big clot of blood. I thought that was it but 3 hours later I started to get what I can only describe as contractions in my lower back. I then rushed to the toilet and passed several more big clots.
The contractions continued after this but gradually subsided. All the while I took painkillers, so the pain was not a problem.
Passing the clots was the worst part for me. The fact we took steps to find a more permanent form of contraception and ended up in this situation saddens me.
I still do not understand how I could have been 7 weeks pregnant and not have even missed a period.
I feel relieved yet very sad
This is a situation I never want to be in again. I feel relieved yet very sad. If my children had been older we would have kept the baby. It is only the day after so time will tell how I will feel later on.
I wanted to post to reassure others and to take analgesia, it really does help.
Terms mentioned in this story
- Progesterone-only pill
The progesterone-only pill (POP), sometimes called the mini-pill, is a type of contraceptive pill that contains a progesterone hormone. This hormone is almost exactly the same as the natural hormone that is produced by your ovaries. In the UK there are three main types according to the type of progesterone in the pill. They work by thickening the mucus around your cervix which stops sperm entering your womb and can also make your womb lining making it more difficult for a fertilised egg being implanted.
The be most effective POPs must be taken at exactly the same time every day and when done so can be up to 99% effective. However, missing a day, taking the pill late, vomiting or experiencing severe diarrhoea can reduce effectiveness.
Sources (open in a new tab/window):
