A medical termination - my experience
By anonymous on 23/08/2006
I found out recently that I was pregnant and yesterday I had an abortion. I would have been 8 1/2 weeks. When I found out I was so happy but knew my boyfriend didn’t want a kid just now. There’s 7 years between us. He’ll be 30 in October so in a way I thought, because it had happened, maybe he would have changed his mind. I was so scared to tell him but when I did he took it better than I thought but didn’t really say much. He gave me a cuddle for ages and we talked prob the most we had in a long time. He said he didn’t think it was the right time, not the way he had planned it. When he told me that, I came home and cried. The more I thought about it the more I knew he was right but it didn’t make it any easier. I was still gonna have to kill ma wee boy. On the 10th of August I went for a scan to see how far along I was. You could see it on the screen but I couldn’t look. I knew it would make it harder. Part of me now wishes I had looked. I had a medical abortion which consists of a load of tablets. I went in on Wednesday the 16th August and was given a tablet to take. This makes your womb unsuitable for keeping your baby. Afterwards I felt ok. I was sick again on Thursday morning but by this point I was used to it. Thursday night I started bleeding. They say it’s just like a heavy period but I was bleeding a lot - just like a heavy period but when you ain’t used to it, it’s a shock.
Yesterday morning I got up and again was sick. My boyfriend dropped me off at the hospital at 9.15 knowing I had to go through it myself was a bit of a scare but the nurses are there to help and you’re in a room with other people that are going through the exact same thing. I feel as if when the abortion was explained to me I wasn’t really told what would happen yesterday, so to stop you worrying as much I’ll try to explain it without freaking you out.
When I got there I sat in the waiting room for about 5 mins, then I was called into another room where I was asked to lie on the bed so they can insert 4 tablets into me. I know that sounds a bit weird but it ain’t as bad or as sore as it sounds. Once they insert them they give you an injection in your bum to stop you getting an infection. Once this had been done I went back into the waiting area. I was in another room with another 4 girls that had had the same. It was just a matter of having to sit and wait. This was about 9.45. I didn’t feel as if anything was happening.
About 11 I stood up to go to the loo and I could feel it. I know this might make you feel a bit weird but it’s just like clots, maybe a bit bigger. It goes on a few times to bring enough out that they know you’ve got rid of it all. This went ok until I got home. I wasn’t feeling the best anyway and every time I stood up I could feel the blood coming out me. Going from my boyfriend’s car to my house, I had blood all down me. It freaked me out. I hadn’t planned on telling my mum and dad but I’m so glad I did as I was ill. I blacked out a few times because I was losing that much blood. Every 15 mins to the hour, I had to go to the loo and the blood was pouring out me. I could hardly get to the loo on time.
This is what worried me but it did stop and it got less at about 6pm yesterday. I was told by my doctor to take 3 ibuprofen 200mg tablets 3 times a day. I’ve got to admit they have helped. Now it just feels as if it’s like a period that comes and goes. I still feel upset about what I’ve done and ain’t seen my boyfriend yet. I told him I wanted to be by myself. Truth is, you need to do what is right for you at the time. I wasn’t well before I got pregnant. I’m diabetic and been very ill for nearly a year so I know it ain’t the best thing for me to do. If you’re thinking about it but worrying about it, don’t. Believe me, apart from the bleeding which none of the other girls suffered from as much it was fine, I still feel a bit weak and dizzy but I feel so much better than I have for the last mouth, take care and hope you do what’s best for you. xx
Editor’s note: Thanks for telling us about your medical abortion. It can help others to know someone else’s experience. Listening to what you’ve said, it seems that you had mixed feelings about your choice, talking on the one hand about ‘my wee boy’ yet saying it was the right thing for you to do. How are you feeling now about what has actually happened rather than just the experience of the medical termination? If, at any time, your feelings catch up with you, please visit your nearest centre, ring the helpline or speak to someone on Online Advisor.