An incomplete abortion occurs when not all of the fetal tissue or other pregnancy material has been expelled from the uterus, or when what has been expelled doesn't match the expected stage of pregnancy.
This happens when it is a miscarriage or induced abortion. Miscarriages occur before 20 weeks and affect between 10% and 20% of pregnancies, according to the Mayo Clinic. "But the actual number is likely to be higher. This is because many miscarriages occur early on, before people realize they are pregnant."
They also point out that 50-75% of miscarriages happen because of missing or excess chromosomes. They are not caused by the person themselves.
This is why you need to know what is expected and what the warning signs might be.
What is abortion with pills?
Some people think that for having an abortion they have to go to a hospital and go through a traumatic and complicated process. The reality is different: you can have an abortion at home with misoprostol safely and accompanied by the care team of Aya Contigo, who will guide you step by step in this process in a confidential and loving way.
Two medications are used to perform an abortion with pills: first, mifepristone is taken, which blocks the activity of progesterone, interrupting the pregnancy. Then misoprostol is taken, which causes uterine contractions that will allow the pregnancy tissue to be expelled. Also can be performed with misoprostol alone if you do not have access to mifepristone.
Effectiveness of the pills
Abortion with pills is 84% to 87% effective if performed between 9 and 12 weeks of pregnancy. When less than 8 weeks, the efficacy can be 92%.
It is not necessary to see a doctor after a self-abortion, unless you suspect that the pregnancy is ectopic. If you have an ectopic pregnancy, pills do not work and you require medical attention. The two main symptoms of this type of pregnancy are vaginal bleeding and belly pain and can only be confirmed with an ultrasound.
"A fertilized egg cannot develop normally outside the uterus. To prevent life-threatening complications, the ectopic tissue must be removed. Depending on your symptoms and when the ectopic pregnancy was discovered, it can be done with medication, laparoscopic surgery or abdominal surgery," details the Mayo Clinic.
What does an incomplete abortion look like?
You have to know what a normal abortion looks like to identify when what you are experiencing is outside those parameters.
In the first weeks of gestation the pregnancy tissue is very small and when miscarrying it can turn into bleeding that should be similar to menstruation or more abundant. So it is normal not to see clots or tissue during the abortion.
But the more weeks of gestation, the more bleeding and cramping to expect, and the greater the likelihood of seeing some tissue.
To manage the pain it is advisable to take ibuprofen and at Aya Contigo we have some tips to relax, nourish yourself and take care of your process in a kinder way with your body and emotions.
What are the warning signs
It is expected to have side effects when using the pills, however, these are temporary and go away on their own. The symptoms of a complication are as follows:
Having an allergic reaction that keeps you from breathing or lowers your blood pressure, even after using antihistamines.
Bleeding that soaks more than two sanitary pads (extra absorbent) per hour, and this has been going on for more than 2 hours in a row.
Fever of 38 ° Celsius that does not decrease after 24 hours of using misoprostol or that does not decrease after using ibuprofen.
A color or odor of blood that is described as putrid or very bad, or that is very different from the usual menstrual period bleeding.
Persistent vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness 24 hours after using misoprostol or after using medications to control it.
Unbearable pain that does not subside on its own or after the use of analgesics.
If you have any of these symptoms, you need to seek medical attention.
How do I know if the abortion was completed successfully?
There are four ways to check if the pregnancy was successfully terminated. The first is to do the Aya Contigo test, which is based on tests and research and with which you can accurately assess whether your miscarriage was completed according to the symptoms.
In addition, you can talk to our counselors, without always having to resort to blood tests, urine tests or ultrasounds, which are the other three ways to check.
You can take a urine pregnancy test, available in pharmacies. But remember that these tests can give a positive result up to 5 weeks after the abortion is completed because it can detect pregnancy hormones that still remain in your body, even though you are no longer pregnant.
There are also high-sensitivity urine tests, which are provided by medical personnel. These are more effective in detecting pregnancy after an abortion.
However, they can give false positives even when the abortion is complete, because human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels remain high for at least 18 days after the abortion with pills. For this reason, using urine tests is not the most reliable.
When to do a blood test
The blood test is a safer alternative to determine if the pregnancy continues after the use of abortion pills. If the blood test is negative, a complete abortion is confirmed.
The most reliable way to know that you are no longer pregnant is to have an ultrasound if the urine and blood tests do not give a clear diagnosis. This can be done 7 to 14 days after using the pills, and you can verify that the pregnancy is over and that there are no traces of tissue left in the uterus.
What happens now that I have confirmed that the abortion is complete?
If before starting the abortion process you had common pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, tiredness, breast tenderness or swelling, among others, these will gradually disappear.
It is expected that they will decrease considerably after the abortion, but you must remember that pregnancy hormones take between 2 to 3 months to leave your body after an abortion, so you should not worry if after the process is completed, you still have these symptoms in less intensity, your body will regulate over time.
You may have menstrual-like cramping for the first few days after the abortion and there may be light spotting for up to 4 weeks afterwards. You can use sanitary pads and change them every 2 to 4 weeks to avoid infection.
What to do next
You will ovulate again and your normal period will return around 4 to 6 weeks, so remember to take a contraceptive method to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. Here we explain more about this topic.
It is important that the days after the abortion you rest, both in restricting heavy physical activity (you can do the housework without problem) and in prioritizing your self-care if you feel that the experience has moved you emotionally, which is completely normal and valid.
Access the Aya Contigo app for safe, reliable and verifiable information on sexual health issues.
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