Medical abortion is a non-operative approach to termination of pregnancy. This approach allows the pregnant woman to have an abortion with light pain and avoid the risk of surgery. However medical abortion still can do harm to your uterine membrane. Furthermore, about 10% patients will probably experience incomplete abortion or failed abortion. Therefore that follow-up after a medical abortion is helpful for recovery.

What respects should be pay attention after medical abortion?

Observation

One hour observation is necessary after the expelling of gestational sac, and can be discharged home if you are not having discomfort. If there is abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding more, your doctor will take appropriate measures to control it.

What may happen after leaving the hospital?

• Vaginal bleeding: A small amount of vaginal bleeding may occur for a period of time after a medical abortion, lasting longer than after a surgical abortion. If the bleeding is larger than the normal amount of menstruation (compared with the amount of bleeding on the same day of menstruation), or the time of vaginal bleeding is more than 2 weeks, you should go to the hospital in time.

• Abdominal pain: mild lower abdominal pain within a few days after the procedure. If there is more severe abdominal pain. Need to go to the hospital in time.

• Fever: there should be no fever under normal conditions. If you feel cold or uncomfortable, take your temperature. Such as a significant increase in body temperature, or accompanied by severe abdominal pain, or accompanied by a large number of vaginal bleeding, timely return to the hospital.

Follow-up visits:

• Those who did not discharge the pregnancy sac during observation should return to the hospital for further consultation 1 week after medication.

• If the pregnancy sac has been discharged during observation, the patient should return to the hospital 2 weeks after the procedure.

• All patients for medical abortion are expected to have a 6th week follow-up visit especially when your Menstruation did not recover in time.

Prevention of infection:

• Before menstruation returns back, do not have a sexual life, avoid the use of vaginal tampon, tub bath, etc., especially after a medical abortion.

• Keep the perineum clean, change sanitary pad and underwear frequently.

Back to normal life:

• Two weeks of rest is recommended after medical abortion.

• Pay attention to nutrition. Add foods rich in protein, iron and vitamins.

• Avoid early post-abortion intense exercise and heavy physical activity, so as not to increase abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding.

• If you plan to have another pregnancy, you should wait 6 months after the abortion to recover well. Because the endometrium after abortion by different degrees of damage, and need to have a recovery process, such early pregnancy is adverse to fertilized eggs implantation and development, easy to cause spontaneous abortion.

Implement contraceptive measures to avoid another unwanted pregnancy:

• There is no safe period after an abortion, and once sex is restored, another unwanted pregnancy may occur.

• After resuming sex, reliable contraceptive methods:

• Short-acting oral contraceptives: they can be used once the abortion is successful.

• Intrauterine device: can be placed after menstruation recovery.

• Condoms: can be used once sex resumes.

• Calendar calculate method, before menstruation did not restore regularly, or cannot be mastered correctly, is not recommended to use.

Reference:
Shanghai maternal and child health center