A medical abortion involves strong, period-like cramping and bleeding, often more intense than a typical period, especially when the pregnancy passes a few hours after the second pill (misoprostol). Pain levels vary, from mild to severe, but are usually manageable with over-the-counter pain relief (ibuprofen, paracetamol) and heat packs, though some find it significantly painful and unprepared for its intensity. The worst cramping usually subsides within 24 hours, but lighter cramping and bleeding can continue for days or weeks.
Your recovery
You may have cramps and light bleeding for up to 2 weeks after a surgical abortion. Most people can return to normal activities 1 to 2 days after the procedure. This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace.
Does medical abortion pain feel like labor pain? A medical abortion feels most like strong period cramps. The intensity of the cramping and pain are different from person to person. You can use a heating pad and take most over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers to help.
Usually this intense pain does not last for long. Once the pregnancy passes, the amount of pain experienced should noticeably reduce. In a few women the period type pain may last for approximately 5 days after the abortion.
Whether you've a surgical or medical abortion, you'll experience bleeding. This bleeding normally continues for up to 2 weeks, depending on how many weeks pregnant you were. This bleeding will feel like a period. After an abortion, you may be advised to sanitary pads rather than tampons while the bleeding continues.
Having an abortion feels different for everyone — it can be super painful or just a little uncomfortable. Your level of discomfort can depend on the medications you get, how far into your pregnancy you are, and how much cramping and pain you have. For most people, it feels like strong period cramps.
Abortion affects everyone in different ways. Some couples manage to work through their emotions together and keep the relationship intact. For others, the experience can be too overwhelming, and they eventually break up. That being said, studies have found that abortion tends to have damaging effects on relationships.
About half (48.5%; 773) of respondents said that the pain they experienced was more than expected, with most (92%) giving their pain a score of at least 4 out of a maximum of 10. In all, 662 (41.5%) scored it 8-10 (severe).
What will I see come out during the abortion? You cannot see any fetal tissue until you are about 10 weeks pregnant, and even then, the fetal tissue is very small and transparent and may be wrapped in blood clots or tissue. Usually people will see blood, blood clots, and pinkish tissue.
How to manage abortion pain
In Most Cases, Labor Pain Is Usually More Intense.
One of the main difference between labor and abortion pain is that labor pain is usually more intense. This is because the contractions during labor are stronger and last longer.
To some people, medication abortion feels more natural, like a miscarriage. They are OK with having bleeding and cramping and are able to follow-up if there is a concern.
Additionally, some authors have reported dissociation around the time of the abortion, which may be mistaken for relief, but which is associated with risk of subsequent PTSD (Speckhard & Rue, 2012; Suliman, 2007). It is certain that for some women, abortion is a traumatic stressor capable of causing PTSD symptoms.
Don't have vaginal intercourse and don't insert anything, including tampons, in your vagina for two weeks with one exception. If you use NuvaRing as your birth control, you may insert it after the procedure. Do not douche, taking baths or swim. You may shower, but do not sit in a tub of water.
Mild to strong cramps, lower backache (relieved with regular pain relief). (For medical abortion) passing a few large blood clots, for up to 10 days. Pregnancy symptoms, breast tenderness, nausea (feeling sick) and fatigue (tired and weak), will go within a week or two.
Around 4 to 6 hours after the second medicine, the pregnancy should begin to be passed (come out) through the vagina. If the pregnancy does not come out completely, you may need more medicine.
You may pass small blood clots. Bleeding usually stops after 1-2 weeks. You may have spotting until your next period. You may not bleed until your next period and that's normal too.
Bleeding usually stops after 1-2 weeks, but some women spot until their next period. Sometimes you may have a short episode of pain, with a gush of blood or a clot several weeks after the abortion - contact us if this continues. A few women don't bleed until their next period is due - and that is normal too.
You may take the fetal remains away at any gestation and regardless of treatment type and make your own arrangements for them. This may include arranging a private service, burial or cremation.
The experience of having a miscarriage or abortion can actually be very similar in terms of the physical effects.
Just like with the abortion procedure, how much an abortion with the abortion pill hurts varies from person to person. For some people it may be similar to a heavy period and for others it may be more intense.
The medication causes the uterus to contract and to expel the pregnancy. On average, women report a higher level of pain than they expected. They describe the pain as worse than menstrual cramps and compare it to labor contractions. One study correlated painful periods with a more painful abortion.
Results. We found no evidence of emerging negative emotions or abortion decision regret; both positive and negative emotions declined over the first two years and plateaued thereafter, and decision rightness remained high and steady (predicted percent: 97.5% at baseline, 99.0% at five years).
Most of the procedure time is spent preparing your body for the procedure. The suction portion only takes about a minute and the entire procedure takes around 15 to 20 minutes.
According to Dr. Mary C. Lamia, a clinical psychologist, common experiences for men following an “abortion include ambivalence, loss, grief, guilt, self-reproach, a feeling of responsibility, depression, anger, sexual dysfunction, depression, and posttraumatic stress response” (4).