Life circumstances often don’t turn out the way we want and dictate our own conditions. Sometimes pregnancy is unwanted or contraindicated for health reasons. In such a situation, there is only one way out - abortion.

In the early stages of pregnancy, doctors often use medical abortion, which is considered the safest for a woman’s health. In the article we will talk about how true this information is, and what consequences the use of abortion pills may have.

Now let's look at this in more detail.

Drugs used for early abortion

The first drugs for medical abortion were invented in France at the beginning of the last century; today the country remains one of the main leaders in the production of drugs for abortion. Medical abortion is always carried out under the close supervision of the attending physician; independent use of drugs can be dangerous to the woman’s health and lead to infertility. Please note that medical abortion is allowed at the earliest stages - up to 41 days from the start of the last menstruation. After this, other methods of abortion are used.

The main advantages of medical abortion are:

• Minimal risk of infertility. The drugs, unlike curettage, do not injure the uterine mucosa, so the risk of developing infertility is significantly reduced.
• No complications. Surgical methods of terminating pregnancy are often fraught with the development of inflammatory processes and injuries to the cervix, and with medical abortion the likelihood of complications is minimal.
• Outpatient mode. With the medicinal method, hospitalization of the patient in a hospital is not required. Taking hormonal drugs leads to the fact that the embryo dies, the uterus contracts and the fetus is brought out. The body recovers quickly after such a procedure, and the very next day the woman can return to her normal lifestyle.

Medicines used for medical termination of pregnancy are not available for free sale; they can only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription. The drugs are based on antigestagens, also called antiprogestins - this is a group of biologically active substances that suppress the action of natural gestagens at the receptor level. necessary for and ensure its vital functions, suppressing it with special tablets, the woman stimulates the rejection and death of the embryo.

The most popular antiprogestin at the moment is considered to be mifegin or mifepristone, which is used in a dosage of 600 mg once (3 tablets), the drug is effective for three days. 36-48 hours after taking antiprogestins, prostaglandins are prescribed, for example, at a dosage of 400 mg. (2 tablets). While taking medications, a woman should be under the supervision of a doctor.

The list of drugs for medical abortion looks like this:

• Mifepristone
• Mifeprex
• Mytholian
• Pencrofton
• Mifegin
• Misoprostol

The active ingredient in all tablets is mifepristone; they differ from each other by manufacturer, and, accordingly, by quality and effectiveness.

Spontaneous miscarriage occurs within a week after taking the pills. The doctor monitors the completeness of the miscarriage using ultrasound. The cost of abortion drugs depends on the manufacturer, for example, the Russian drug Mifepristone is cheaper than the French Mifegin or the Chinese Mifepristone 72. On average, the price of these drugs ranges from 1,000 to 5,000 rubles. Every woman who decides to have a medical abortion must understand that unauthorized use of drugs can cause serious side effects, so self-medication in this case is ineffective.

Scheme of implementation

Medical termination of pregnancy is not as simple a process as many may think. In fact, it is carried out in several stages and requires careful preparation.

1. Survey. First of all, the doctor must conduct an examination, including a gynecological examination and ultrasound, to determine the exact duration of pregnancy. Before carrying out the procedure, the doctor must make sure that the woman has no contraindications to the use of pills. The patient is introduced to the principle of operation of medications and the technique of performing an abortion; she must clearly understand the features and side effects of the procedure. After this, a written agreement to carry out the manipulation is signed.
2. Main stage. First, the woman, under the supervision of a doctor, takes pills that cause the embryo to be rejected and prepare the uterus to expel it. For several hours after the procedure, the woman is in a day hospital and, if there are no side effects, is sent home.
3. Completion. After 1.5-2 days, the next drug is taken, which starts the process of expulsion of the fertilized egg. The woman is under medical supervision for two hours after taking the pills.

Definition of effectiveness

36-48 hours after the procedure, the doctor performs a control ultrasound to ensure that there is no stagnation of blood in the uterus. After two weeks, you need to undergo a re-examination by a gynecologist and do an ultrasound again to ensure the success of the procedure and to rule out incomplete expulsion of the fertilized egg from the uterus. In this case, the woman is prescribed manual curettage.

Possibility of ineffectiveness of the procedure

Each country sets its own time frame for allowing medical abortion, but you should understand that the higher the period at which an abortion is performed, the higher the likelihood that you will have to have a second cleanse. In the USA, medical abortion is allowed up to 7 weeks, in Britain there are no such clear restrictions, different rules apply, in some cases it can be done up to 8 weeks, sometimes up to 9-13 and even up to 24 weeks.

In Russia, it is believed that medical abortion is optimally done before the 6th week, sometimes up to the 9th week is allowed, but most doctors do not want to take on such responsibility. According to them, late medical abortion can cause serious side effects, such as bleeding or inflammation in the uterus caused by the remains of the placenta. Therefore, at later stages, additional cleaning is mandatory. It turns out that the sooner a woman turns to a gynecologist, the higher the effectiveness of a medical abortion, and the longer the period, the lower the effectiveness of the procedure and the greater the likelihood of complications.

With the first abortion, the risk of incomplete termination of pregnancy is higher. You can see this on a control ultrasound. As the gestational age increases, the possibility of maintaining the pregnancy increases; this can be monitored at a follow-up examination 1.5 - 2 weeks after the abortion. In general, studies show that partial removal of the ovum occurs in 3%-5% of cases, and continuation of pregnancy occurs in no more than 1% of cases of the total number of medical abortions.

Contraindications and side effects

As with any medical procedure, complications may arise with a medical abortion. They are quite rare, but every woman should know consequences of the procedure:

• Continuation of pregnancy. In 1%-2% of cases, termination of pregnancy may not occur.
• Strong.
• Heavy uterine bleeding. It may develop due to incomplete removal of the fertilized egg.
• Fever, chills, weakness.
• Nausea,. In such cases, the doctor may decide to re-use the medicine.
• Exacerbation of chronic diseases of the genitourinary system.
• Hormonal imbalance.
• Inflammation of the uterus and appendages. Sometimes it occurs due to the spread of infection from the genitourinary tract. At the same time, the temperature rises, the stomach hurts severely, and discharge appears.
• Problems with uterine restoration, for example, hematometra (blood in the uterus) or subinvolution in the uterus (slowing the recovery of the organ). Problems with the cycle and abdominal pain appear.
• Prolonged bleeding, which can last up to 2 weeks, is associated with hormonal imbalance. Approximately 3%-5% of women after a pill abortion experience a cycle disorder; with a regular abortion, the percentage rises to 12%-15%. The cause of this phenomenon is considered to be neuroendocrine disorders due to impaired ability of the endometrium to recover. In women who have given birth, the cycle is restored within 4 months, in nulliparous women - six months.

There are certain contraindications for medical abortion, so the woman must first be examined by a gynecologist. Doctors note situations when a woman takes pills on her own, after which life-threatening complications arise. For example, it passes in the same way as a normal one, but in this case, medical abortion is contraindicated. Taking pills can cause rupture of the fallopian tube and death or, at best, infertility. Below Let's highlight the main contraindications to medical abortion you should know about:

• or suspicions about her.
• Renal and adrenal failure.
• Diseases associated with blood clotting disorders.
• Inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system.
• Uterine fibroids.
• Long-term use of corticosteroids.

Failure to comply with contraindications often leads to unpredictable consequences and can be fatal, so before starting the procedure, undergo a full examination by a qualified gynecologist and read the information about medical abortion.

Negative consequences

At such an early stage, the woman makes the decision to terminate the pregnancy independently. As experience shows, most often the grounds for abortion are:

Before making a decision, think carefully about the consequences and about the life of the unborn baby. Pregnancy triggers certain mechanisms in a woman’s body and completely changes hormonal levels. Artificial termination of pregnancy does not go unnoticed; it is a serious stress for the body, so the reverse restructuring of all processes may slow down or occur with complications that will have to be treated.

Most women experience irregular cycles after an abortion, and their periods are irregular and painful. This is usually the first sign that more serious problems are beginning. Another common complication is uterine bleeding. If it is not stopped in time, it can be fatal. Often women experience a malfunction, the load on the adrenal glands increases, and this disrupts the metabolism. The production decreases and the amount of male hormone increases, which stimulates the development of infertility and affects a woman’s appearance.

The breast reacts almost immediately to the occurrence of pregnancy, so after an abortion it is the first to suffer - tumors and neoplasms may appear. After an abortion, nulliparous women are at double the risk of developing infertility. Studies have shown that three out of ten women who have an abortion are subsequently unable to have children.

The medical consequences of the procedure may be irreversible, so later, when the desire to have children appears, not everyone will be able to get pregnant - there is always a risk of developing secondary infertility. Any medical intervention, even the most seemingly harmless one, can have side effects, including death. Therefore, do not joke with your health - it is preferable to carry out competent prevention of unwanted pregnancy, so that later you do not have to solve the issue with drastic methods.

Medical termination of pregnancy is a modern and safe method. Although this procedure does not require surgical intervention, it is very important to know how it goes and what complications can occur, what the rehabilitation period looks like after taking medications.

What is a medication method?

It is a non-invasive procedure for early pregnancy termination - similar to a spontaneous miscarriage. Has the following advantages:

• efficiency - 95%;
• no risk of injury to the uterus during surgical procedures;
• low risk of infection;
• there is no danger of “earning” hepatitis or HIV, which can happen during surgery;
• there are no health risks associated with anesthesia;
• the impact on the female body is minimal, so such manipulations can be carried out even during the first pregnancy;
• low level of stress, which prevents the creation of traumatic situations that can harm the female body.

This procedure does not require a hospital stay for a long time; after taking medications, you can go home. However, it is worth remembering that only a specialist can prescribe medications.

Since this method of abortion is quite new, many still resort to vacuum abortion, but it is worth remembering that in this case the degree of intervention in the body and the risk of complications will be higher.

Timing of medical abortion

The timing is determined by the protocol of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated October 14, 2015, which states that drug intervention can be carried out until the ninth week of pregnancy. However, in most European countries the maximum period is 7 weeks.

Why are these particular deadlines determined? It is worth noting that in the fifth week of pregnancy, the embryo begins to develop human features and the formation of organs and the umbilical cord begins. By the sixth week, the placenta has already formed and the organs continue to develop. At the eighth week, the fetus has a human appearance, during this period the blood vessels of the placenta are formed, and for this reason, taking medications during this period can cause severe bleeding.

In Russia, the following pills are used for medical termination of pregnancy:

The average cost of the procedure is from 15,000 rubles, depending on the clinic.

Are there any contraindications

This procedure also has a number of contraindications. For example, you should not take drugs from this group in the following cases:

• if the pregnancy is more than 6 weeks;
• with ectopic pregnancy;
• in acute forms of renal and liver failure;
• in the presence of inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract;
• in the presence of fibroids;
• after long-term use of corticosteroid drugs;
• in case of intolerance to Mifeprestone.

• during lactation - in this case it must be interrupted for at least two weeks;
• women over 35 years old;
• if there are scars on the uterus after surgery.

Permission to carry out a medical abortion can only be given by the attending physician after a thorough examination of the patient.

How is the abortion procedure performed?

If a woman decides to terminate her pregnancy, she first goes to her gynecologist, who conducts diagnostics to confirm the pregnancy, sets the date and contraindications. Also at this stage, the doctor may recommend a medical termination in case of abnormalities in the development of the fetus: if pathologies are detected or if the mother feels such that she cannot bear the child.

If there are no contraindications to childbirth, but the woman still does not want to give birth, she is given a short amount of time to think. If the woman nevertheless decides to terminate the pregnancy, the doctor determines whether there are contraindications to this procedure.

Medical termination of pregnancy consists of several stages.

Stage one

A woman takes 3 tablets (dosage: 600 mg). Moreover, throughout the entire stage the patient must be under the close supervision of a specialist.

The duration of the stage depends on the body's response to the drug.

Ideally, it lasts no more than six hours: during this period, the woman may feel pain in the lower abdomen, and spotting may appear - this is a normal reaction to the drug, since the process of rejection of the fertilized egg occurs.

After successful completion of the drug, the woman is prepared for the second stage of the procedure.

Second stage

It begins 1.5-2 days after taking the pills. Moreover, it is not necessary to go to the doctor: if you feel normal, it is enough to take the pills at home. It is important to remember that in the second stage there may be more bleeding and pain, so it is worth taking a day off from work. If the pain is too severe, you can take painkillers.

An important point: you need to buy only certified medicines, since the life and health of a woman depends on it.

Actions after taking the pills

A few days after taking the medication, you need to contact a gynecologist: the doctor will examine you, check whether the medicine has worked, whether there are any remnants of the fertilized egg left in the body, or whether rejection has occurred. To avoid unpleasant consequences, it is necessary to undergo a control ultrasound.

If egg remains are found in the uterus, the doctor prescribes further treatment.

After 1.5-2 weeks, they are examined again and an ultrasound is prescribed. If the ultrasound does not give results, the doctor may order a blood test to determine the level of hCG.

It is important to remember that when performing a medical abortion in the early stages, the success rate of the procedure is more than 95%, but if you apply later, there is a high probability of an incomplete abortion, as a result of which a vacuum will have to be performed.

After completing the activities, you should adhere to several important rules:

1. When having sexual intercourse, use contraceptives, since a new pregnancy can occur even before the start of menstruation. Moreover, it is undesirable to have sex earlier than 2-3 weeks later.
2. You should refrain from drinking alcohol.
3. Avoid visiting saunas and baths.

What could be the consequences?

With such an abortion, complications usually occur in no more than 3-5% of cases, but they still happen. You need to be able to differentiate between the two, as there are mild complications, such as minor abdominal pain and occasional bleeding, and serious problems that require you to see a doctor.

For example, slight pain, fever that lasts for several hours after diagnosis, chest pain - this is a normal reaction of the body to a medical abortion. You need to take a pain reliever, such as Analgin or Ibuprofen.

But if the high temperature does not decrease for six hours or more, this may indicate an infectious process. In this case, you need to urgently consult a doctor.

Although infectious complications are not typical for this form of abortion, there is a group of people who are at greater risk than others:

• those diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia;
• patients who had a sexually transmitted infection less than a year ago, but there is no confirmation of complete cure.

Recovery after abortion

After taking the pills, the menstrual cycle is not disrupted, but it is quite difficult to predict when they will start again - the timing of the procedure also matters here (in the early stages the cycle is restored faster).

The first period can start in 1-2 months, but a lot also depends on the patient’s condition. If your period has not started after 60 days, you should definitely consult a gynecologist for advice.

Despite its effectiveness and minimal complications, medical abortion is not an ideal solution, since any intervention in a person’s internal environment can have consequences. To avoid them, you should think about contraception and family planning in advance.

Why does it occur, at what time does a pipe burst? Read more about this in our material.

Medical abortion: description of the procedure, consequences, recovery

Medical abortion is the termination of pregnancy using medications, without gynecological intervention. It is carried out at the request of the woman, for a fee, according to the accepted scheme and only in clinics licensed to carry out this procedure. There are quite a lot of these in Russia now.

When is the procedure possible?

The period until which a medical abortion is performed is described in official medical documents - this is 6 weeks in Russia. Moreover, the period is calculated from the first day of the last menstruation.

Specifically, no more than 4 weeks should pass from the day of conception (usually ovulation). This is 2 weeks of missed period. But the sooner the procedure is performed, the greater the chances of success.

How to find out early that pregnancy has occurred? You can take a blood test for hCG 1-5 days before the start of your missed period. Or do a home test, but be sure to have high sensitivity. There are test strips that show the correct result even 5 days before the start of a missed period. Moreover, their cost is low, about 50 rubles.

However, be prepared for the fact that before your menstrual delay begins, even if your hCG level confirms that you are pregnant, no one will perform an abortion on you. Neither medicinal nor surgical. It is necessary for an ultrasound to confirm the presence of a fertilized egg in the uterus. And before the delay begins, he is not yet visible there.

How to terminate a pregnancy using pills and its disadvantages

A woman needs to find a clinic where this procedure is performed and make an appointment with a gynecologist. After confirming intrauterine pregnancy and the appropriate time for the procedure, he will tell you how a medical abortion works in the early stages and issue an information consent, which the patient must sign.

Next, she will be given a drug that she must take in the presence of a doctor. It is advisable to stay in the clinic for a couple of hours after this, but in practice, women are usually quickly sent home, since the medicine is well tolerated and rarely produces side effects. These medical abortion pills are called Mifepristone. After taking them, a very small number of women immediately experience a miscarriage. For the majority, the state of health does not change. But spotting, bloody discharge from the vagina may appear.

After 36-48 hours, the woman should take another drug - Misoprostol. Again, according to standards, this should happen in a clinic, under the supervision of a doctor. And after taking this medicine, after 20-30 minutes, severe cramping pain and bleeding begin. At this time, the woman must be in the clinic. If she vomits, this is one of the side effects of Misoprostol - additional doses of the drug may be required. Usually within the next 2-3 hours the fertilized egg comes out. True, you may not notice it, since there will be a lot of clots. As soon as the pain subsides a little, the woman is allowed to go home.

After 7-10 days, it is necessary to do an ultrasound to make sure that there are no complications during termination of pregnancy in the early stages, and they consist primarily of incomplete miscarriage. If particles of the fertilized egg remain or it continues to develop, vacuum aspiration is suggested. Even if the woman has already decided to leave the child. The fact is that due to the use of Misoprostol and the severe spasms that it causes, the child develops numerous developmental defects, such as defects of the skull, foot (horsefoot), etc. And these are not all the possible consequences of a medical abortion. A frequent complication is severe and prolonged bleeding. By the way, this complication after vacuum aspiration is observed much less frequently. The woman is forced to take hemostatic drugs. This all limits her ability to work.

Medical abortion also has contraindications:

• ectopic pregnancy;
• allergic reaction;
• long-term use of glucocorticoids;
• adrenal, liver and kidney failure and some others. For example, a doctor may refuse this service if a woman has a large myomatous intramuscular node, since active contractions of the uterus that occur after taking Misoprostol can lead to tumor necrosis.

Cycle restoration, sex life, contraception and new pregnancy

Discharge after a medical abortion lasts about 10-14 days, longer than during normal menstruation, or even after a surgical termination of pregnancy. At the same time, it is possible to determine whether the uterus is completely cleared of membranes only by ultrasound results. If yes, your menstrual cycle will return quickly. Thus, menstruation after a medical abortion in the early stages usually begins within 28-35 days. However, ovulation may already be in the middle of this cycle, so it is very important to immediately start using reliable contraception. Many people are also interested in when they can have sex after a medical abortion, and after how many days. Doctors recommend only after the discharge has completely stopped, that is, after 10-14 days. But we will focus on the issue of contraception.

Modern doctors recommend for women living with one regular sexual partner an intrauterine system (IUD) or oral contraceptives (hormonal pills). In this case, the spiral can be installed directly on the days of bleeding after an abortion. The main thing is that by that time there are no membranes left in the uterus. That is, you need to do an ultrasound, and if everything is fine, you can talk to your doctor about which intrauterine system is best for you, buy and install it. Intrauterine systems are installed in the last days of menstruation, when the cervical canal is slightly open, so that the procedure is easier and more painless.

Oral contraceptives can be started in the first 5 days after a miscarriage. Strictly according to the instructions. Then the contraceptive effect will be good and will occur quickly (how quickly depends on the day of the cycle on which you started taking the drug). In addition, hormonal contraceptives will help restore hormonal levels. Doctors often prescribe them to be taken after an abortion for at least three months, and even before planning a pregnancy, if there are no contraindications to the pills.

Is it possible to terminate a pregnancy in this way on your own without seeing a doctor?

Many women are not entirely satisfied with this option of abortion. Expensive... And again, you need to go to the doctors. Therefore, they try to independently purchase drugs that, in their opinion, should “help.” Since the drugs necessary for medical abortion are not available on the open market, they buy what is available. And this is Oxytocin. It is sometimes used for incomplete abortion or to intensify labor contractions. But in early pregnancy, this drug alone will not help. It will only lead to very painful contractions of the uterus, possibly bleeding. But it is very unlikely that a miscarriage will occur, especially a complete one. And the remains of membranes in the uterus are a direct threat of blood poisoning.

For this reason, in order to avoid serious complications, you should not induce a miscarriage yourself at any time.

It is desirable, but sometimes the prevailing circumstances do not give the right to choose and you have to go for an interruption. If for some reason or indication a woman decides not to carry the pregnancy to term, then an abortion is best done in the earliest stages. Until the delay is no more than 10-14 days, doctors recommend terminating the pregnancy medically, that is, using special pills.

Medical abortion: the essence of the method

Medicinal termination of an unplanned pregnancy occurs strictly before the 15-20th day of missed menstruation, and preferably as early as possible. The advantage of the method is the absence of surgical manipulations in the uterine cavity, which is much easier for the patient to tolerate physically and mentally.

How does a medical abortion occur? After examining the woman on the chair and setting the exact one, the doctor, based on the body weight and individual characteristics of the patient’s body, gives her 2 tablets to take orally. After 24-36 hours, the woman should take 2 more tablets. The first dose of the drug affects the production of the hormone progesterone, the so-called pregnancy hormone. While taking the pills, the production of progesterone stops, nutrients do not enter the uterine cavity and the fertilized egg dies inside the mother’s body. The second dose of the drug causes contractions of the uterus, which leads to the expulsion of the fertilized egg and its membranes from the body through menstrual-like bleeding.

Medical abortion is most suitable for young girls who have never given birth, as well as for young mothers who have had a caesarean section in the recent past. Of course, abortion, even with the help of pills, always poses a threat to a woman’s body, but nulliparous patients, as well as mothers after a cesarean section, should not be manipulated in the uterus with surgical instruments or vacuum suction. Such actions can injure the uterine mucosa, which in nulliparous women will lead to inflammatory processes and infertility in the future, and in women after cesarean section to possible damage to the scar and further massive internal bleeding.

Any woman who decides to have an abortion is reluctant to go to the doctor, especially young girls who are afraid of moralizing and condemnation. Having learned about the possibility of terminating a pregnancy with abortion pills, many patients decide to do everything at home without going to the doctor. You absolutely cannot do this:

• Firstly, the dose of the drug is selected by the doctor strictly individually - some need more medicine, others much less.
• Secondly, the body can react unpredictably to taking the drug, which is fraught with complications from the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
• Thirdly, not all women are suitable for medical termination, which can cause incomplete abortion and the development of purulent inflammatory processes and peritonitis. Abortion pills are taken only under the supervision of a doctor; after about 5 hours, the specialist can send the woman home and recommend that she come for an examination after 2 days.

Medical abortion: choice of drug

There are not so many drugs for medical abortion; they are all analogues of Mifepristone and have many names:

• Mifeprex;
• Miropriston;
• Mifegin.

The drugs are a progesterone antagonist, that is, they block the production of this hormone and increase the sensitivity of the uterus to prostaglandins - substances that enhance the contractile function of muscle fibers. Mifepristone must be taken in combination with prostaglandins (20-30 hours after Mifepristone tablets), since it is thanks to these substances that the fertilized egg, along with the membranes, is expelled from the uterine cavity.

There are also drugs for emergency post-coital contraception, but their action is based on preventing pregnancy through hormonal imbalance. Drugs in this group are not suitable for terminating an existing pregnancy.

Pros and cons of pharmabort

Termination of pregnancy at any stage does not leave its mark on the female body, however, if we compare pharmabortion with other types of removal of the fertilized egg from the uterine cavity, we can highlight a number of pros and cons of the procedure.

The advantages of medical abortion are:

• Minimal risk of complications such as bleeding and damage to the uterine mucosa;
• Does not develop;
• Possibility of implementation for nulliparous women and young mothers after cesarean section;
• Psychological aspect - pharmaabortion is perceived more easily by patients;
• Outpatient mode - a few hours after taking the first dose of tablets, the patient can go home, whereas after surgical removal of the embryo from the uterus, the woman needs to stay in the hospital for several days.

Disadvantages of medical abortion:

• Incomplete removal of membranes - occurs when the dose of the drug is incorrectly calculated or abortive pills are used during pregnancy over 4-5 weeks;
• Continuation of pregnancy - occurs extremely rarely, only in 2% of cases;
• Individual intolerance to the drug - nausea, vomiting, disruptions in the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
• Hormonal imbalance in the body.

Pain after medical abortion

After abortion with the help of pills, the body needs time for the reproductive system and endocrine glands to restore their function. After taking pills with an abortifacient effect, the patient may experience pain in various locations:

• Pain in the lower abdomen- caused by contraction of the uterus and expulsion of the fertilized egg and membranes from the body. If abdominal pain is accompanied by an increase in body temperature and discharge of pus from the vagina, you should immediately seek help;
• Pain in the mammary glands- during pregnancy, a woman’s mammary glands become highly sensitive, increase in size, become hard and painful. After taking abortion pills, reverse changes and restructuring occur in the body, so chest pain will persist for some time. As a rule, with the onset of menstruation, all unpleasant phenomena disappear;
• Pain in the ovaries- abortion pills cause serious hormonal changes in the body and the organs of the reproductive system, in particular the ovaries, are the first to respond to changes. Pain in the ovarian area after taking abortion pills is caused by an increase in their size and increased inhibition of the production of the pregnancy hormone.

Painkillers and No-Spa during and after medical abortion

Abdominal pain after taking abortifacient pills resembles pain during menstruation. It is highly undesirable to take No-shpa or other drugs with antispasmodic and analgesic effects to reduce pain. Although these tablets relieve spasms, they also negatively affect the contractility of the uterus, and this can lead to incomplete removal of the membranes from the body. You can reduce pain in the lower abdomen after a medical abortion by lying on your stomach. In this position, the clots leave the uterus faster and more efficiently, which in itself reduces pain. If the pain is excessively strong and the woman cannot tolerate it, you should consult a gynecologist for advice; perhaps the dose of the medicine was incorrect.

Is it possible to get pregnant after a pharmacological abortion?

Pharmacological abortion creates a situation in the body similar to a spontaneous miscarriage. Over the next 28-35 days, the body recovers and menstruation begins. If a woman has sex during this period and does not use contraception, then a new pregnancy is highly likely. In order not to risk your health and not be faced with a difficult choice again, you should carefully protect yourself in the next 3-6 months after a medical abortion.

Is it possible to drink alcohol after pharmaabortion?

After taking abortifacient pills, a woman should not drink alcohol, as alcohol can negatively affect the pharmacological effect of the drug. Combining Mifepristone tablets with alcohol is fraught with incomplete abortion and the development of inflammatory processes in the uterus.

Sex after pharmacological abortion

After taking abortifacient pills, a woman, as after any other type of termination of pregnancy, should abstain from intimate relationships for the first 14 days. Once the discharge stops and the doctor confirms that there are no particles of membranes left in the uterus, the couple can resume sexual relations, but contraception should be used to avoid another unplanned pregnancy.

Breastfeeding after pharmacological abortion

If a woman is forced to undergo a pharmaceutical abortion during lactation, then after taking abortion pills the child cannot continue to breastfeed. The active ingredients of the pills can penetrate through breast milk into the child’s body, and since studies on the safety of the drug for children have not been conducted, medical termination of pregnancy and continued feeding of the child incompatible.

Medical termination of pregnancy (pharmabortion) is not a method of birth control, but a serious medical procedure that can lead to various kinds of complications. Its essence lies in the fact that a woman must take hormonal pills at a set time to perform a medical abortion and provoke the expulsion of the fertilized egg from the uterine cavity.

According to WHO, such an abortion is recognized as the most gentle method, but it does not always give a guaranteed result. As the gestational age increases, the effectiveness of the procedure decreases significantly.

If a woman wishes to terminate a pregnancy, preference is always given to the most effective methods - medication, or (for example, curettage is ideal in the presence of a placental polyp).

Can I have a medical abortion at 7 weeks, 8 weeks or later? The best option is 14 days after the delay. The reason is that after 6 weeks the fertilized egg is already quite well attached to the wall of the uterus, so the likelihood of its preservation increases. For example, if a medical abortion is performed at 8 weeks, its effectiveness rarely exceeds 88%.

Contraindications and indications

There are no strict indications for medical abortion. The woman must decide for herself whether to continue or terminate the pregnancy.

Relative medical indications for its interruption are:

• diseases that threaten the full development of the baby;
• severe genetic, somatic, infectious diseases;
• taking medications that can cause deformities and disrupt the full development of the fetus.

Social indications:

• minor age;
• rape;
• absence of husband;
• disability I or II in an existing child;
• serving time in prison.

With such a rather serious procedure as abortion, the main contraindications to terminating a pregnancy with the help of medications will be:

• allergy to drugs used for abortion;
• fibroma or;
• severe renal or liver failure;
• availability ;
• diseases of the blood coagulation system;
• anemia;
• taking blood thinners;
• high blood pressure, etc.

What is the procedure

In the usual understanding, a medical termination of pregnancy is not like an abortion: a woman comes to the clinic, takes pills under the guidance of a doctor, and then she simply begins to have heavy periods, during which the fertilized egg is expelled along with the blood.

Preparation

At the first appointment, the gynecologist explains to the woman all the contraindications, risks, possible complications and how a medical abortion is done in general terms, as well as what to expect after it.

Laboratory and instrumental diagnostics

Before taking this step and deciding on a medical, vacuum or other type of abortion, a woman must undergo a fairly large number of studies:

• General (clinical) blood test , urine, (human chorionic gonadotropin), the level of which in the early stages is evidence of pregnancy. An ECG test is also taken for syphilis (RW).
• Ultrasound . During an ultrasound examination, the presence of a fertilized egg in the uterus is confirmed, ectopic pregnancy, as well as tumor formations of the uterus and ovaries are excluded.
• Examination by highly specialized specialists . Their consultation is necessary if a woman has any serious illnesses. It may also be necessary to adjust the intake of medications regularly taken by the patient in order for the drugs for medical termination of a developing pregnancy to be effective.
• Checking the blood coagulation system . For this purpose, a coagulogram is usually prescribed, because if the blood does not clot well, then severe bleeding may occur after a medical termination of pregnancy.

Direct preparation for abortion

If during a medical examination and laboratory diagnostic examination no contraindications were identified, the doctor gives the following recommendations:

• For a week, eliminate alcohol, smoking, taking anticoagulants and some other drugs.
• On the day of taking the first dose of the drug, food should be easily digestible.
• For the entire period of the abortion (3-6 days), care should be taken to ensure that if the woman’s condition worsens, someone will take care of her and run the household.

How is a medical abortion performed?

How is a medical abortion performed in a private or public clinic?

The procedure takes place in 3 stages:

1. At the doctor's office.
2. At home.
3. Follow-up visit to the doctor.

In the doctor's office, a woman who decides to have a medical abortion takes 3 tablets of mifepristone (600 mg) in the presence of a gynecologist, and then remains under his supervision for 2 hours.

Usually, before sending the patient home, the doctor gives her misoprostol tablets containing prostaglandin, leaves her his contact information and schedules the next visit to the clinic. This is done because he needs to observe how the woman’s abortion proceeds, whether the medications have the desired effect, and whether possible complications develop.

At home, after 1.5-2 days, the patient takes 2 tablets of misoprostol (400 mcg), which increases contraction of the uterine muscles. During the period of termination of pregnancy, some women experience severe pain. In this case, you should use medications to relieve pain.

How many days can a medical abortion last? On average, up to 6-7 days. It is at this time that blood loss is most significant and discharge is abundant.

A follow-up examination is scheduled on days 3 and 7-14. If, according to ultrasound and hCG analysis, the pregnancy has persisted, vacuum aspiration or classic curettage is performed.

What to do after a medical abortion

If a woman who has recently given birth had a medical abortion, until how many weeks can she breastfeed? According to most experts, you need to refrain from breastfeeding for 2 weeks, because the drugs used in medical abortion pass into breast milk, and their effect on the baby’s body has not been studied.

In general, the following recommendations should be followed:

• Avoid strenuous physical activity and heavy lifting during bleeding.
• For the first month after a medical abortion, in case of menstruation, use only pads and temporarily abandon tampons and menstrual trays.
• During the entire period of vaginal discharge, you should not take a bath, go to the pool, etc.
• Until how many weeks is sexual rest indicated? Sex after a medical abortion should be postponed for 3 weeks - 1 month. After termination, a new pregnancy can occur immediately with the resumption of sexual activity. Therefore, it is important to use.

It is impossible to predict how the reproductive system will behave after a medical termination of pregnancy has been performed: for some, during the next menstruation, the chest and lower abdomen hurt more than usual, for others, menstruation lengthens, etc.

In general, changes in the cycle are rarely observed, and if the abortion took place without complications, then the pattern of blood discharge during menstruation after it is the same as it was before the medical termination of pregnancy.

Complications

Although medical abortion is considered the least dangerous procedure, it can lead to a number of complications:

• Failed abortion . This condition occurs if the procedure is performed for more than 6 weeks, as well as when taking medications that reduce the effectiveness of mifepristone.
• Incomplete abortion . In this case, fragments of the fertilized egg remain inside the uterus, which can lead to various negative consequences, including death. An incomplete abortion can be suspected when bleeding suddenly stops, when a fragment of the fertilized egg clogs the cervical canal, as well as when there is a sharp increase in discharge during termination of pregnancy with the help of medications.
• Failure in the hormonal system . Pregnancy is a hormonal change in the body. Therefore, even in the early stages, its interruption causes a failure of this system, which can be perceived by the body as a stressful state. For example, as a result of this, after an abortion performed with the help of medications, breast pain may occur, menstruation may be disrupted, or chronic diseases may worsen.
• Complications associated with taking medications . After taking medications during a medical abortion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, headache, fever, general weakness, and hot flashes occur. Dizziness, a sharp drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and allergic reactions are also possible.
• Uterine bleeding . Heavy bleeding can lead to significant blood loss, including loss of consciousness. Therefore, if bleeding at home during a medical abortion increases and exceeds the expected volume of blood released, you should immediately contact your doctor.

Can a placental polyp occur after a medical abortion? Unfortunately, yes, if all particles of the fertilized egg have not been removed.

How to avoid complications

To avoid complications, including the appearance of a placental polyp and excessive bleeding, you should undergo a thorough examination on the eve of medical termination of pregnancy. At the same time, there is no need to hide the facts of the use of any drugs, the presence of a placental polyp after a previous medical abortion, as well as serious diseases that may become a contraindication to the procedure.

The decision to terminate a pregnancy by medication or any other method should be weighed, taking into account all the pros and cons, and not made based on emotions. It is also important to take into account the possible psychological consequences.

Pros and cons of medical abortion

Obvious advantages compared to other types of abortion:

• minimal trauma to the walls of the uterus;
• abortion can be performed already from the first or second day of a missed period;
• rapid recovery;
• when carried out early, the effectiveness is 95%.

Possible disadvantages of the procedure:

• high risk of bleeding;
• preservation of pregnancy in 5-22% of cases (depending on the duration of pregnancy);
• a large number of contraindications.

What is better for a placental polyp: medical abortion or curettage? In this case, curettage, because during this procedure it will be removed.

Medical termination of pregnancy is not a method of birth control - there are contraceptive methods for this. However, if certain circumstances arise as a result of which a woman decides to have an abortion, this method will be the most gentle. To minimize the risk of possible complications, you must undergo an examination and follow all doctor’s recommendations.

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