How to prepare for abortion? Key thoughts and medical guidance
Last Updated: Dec 20, 2024
Contents of This Post:
- Mental Preparation prior to abortion
- Preparation for Medical abortion
- Preparation for surgical abortion
Are you planning for an abortion procedure? Then it is necessary to prepare both physically as well as mentally. Anything unknown can cause fear and anxiety. It is normal. And it’s better to learn what to expect and how to prepare beforehand. This post can help you get some insights if you are planning to obtain a safe abortion in India.
Mental preparation before an abortion:
While seeking an abortion, preparation starts with the abortion decision. After the decision, the first step is to find a certified MTP centre for the procedure. For a safe abortion, it is necessary to look for a certified centre.
We understand having an abortion associates with physical, mental as well as emotional considerations. But, the main thing that you have to keep in mind before visiting the gynecologist for the opinion and prescription for abortion is that it is absolutely fine to get an abortion.
Most women hesitate to visit the gynecologist at the first place owing to their fear of being judged. They think,
“What will the medical staff think?”
“Will they consider me insensitive?”
“Will they give me the proper treatment?”
“I am unmarried. I don’t want my parents to learn about my pregnancy or abortion.”
“Will they tell about my abortion status to anyone?”
To emphasize, it is fine, safe and legal to get an abortion regardless of any other factor. You won’t be judged. You won’t be misguided. Your abortion procedure will be private and confidential. Also, as an adult, your parents or partner’s consent is not essential, regardless of your marital status. You will receive the best and the safest abortion procedure provided that you visit a certified MTP centre.
So how do you prepare for abortion?
Here we’ve come up with the key thoughts and approach you should follow when proceeding for an abortion procedure. The basic thing to learn before seeking an abortion is education.
Legal aspects:
While seeking an abortion, the first thing that clouds the mind of many women is the question of whether it’s legal. Many women fall victim to unsafe abortions due to the lack of knowledge about the laws governing abortions.
Seeking abortion for an unwanted pregnancy is legal in India under certain circumstances. The more knowledge women have about their reproductive rights, the more likely they will choose safe abortions.
In India, MT Act, 1971 and its amendments govern abortions. The amendments have come up as per the demand of the then prevailing situations of women’s health and status in the country.
The latest amendment in the Indian abortion law is the MTP Act, 2021. These amendments have brought fairness to the reproductive rights of all women.
Many unmarried women seeking abortion opt for unsafe abortions mostly at uncertified facilities because they do not know that they can legally terminate an unwanted pregnancy. But, the law allows them to obtain a safe abortion at a certified abortion clinic as an unmarried woman also.
Abortion procedure:
There are three World Health Organization (WHO) prescribed procedures for abortion.
The abortion doctor studies each case individually to ascertain the gestation age, risks involved and other medical conditions before making the diagnosis and prescription for the preferred method of abortion.
The first factor for choosing any method of abortion is the length of pregnancy. The earlier the abortion, the lesser are the risks of complications and quicker is the recovery. This is because early abortions are usually non-invasive.
As recommended, MMA is the method of choice for pregnancies within the 6 weeks of gestation period. Up to 12 weeks, vacuum aspiration method is the method of choice. And beyond 12 weeks, since the fetus size is large, the preferred method is the surgical abortion method.
If you are expecting an abortion in recent times, what is your gestation age? Under feasible circumstances, knowing your gestation age can give you an idea as to which method of abortion you are likely to undergo. This will ease your anxiety.
It is important to understand that all the methods of abortion are safe provided the healthcare provider follows the Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) guidelines.
Abortion at AHB: Certified Abortion Hospital in India:
The expert abortion team at American Hospital of Bangalore (AHB) follows all guidelines recommended in WHO’s, “Clinical practice handbook for safe abortion care” while conducting abortions at its certified premises.
The certified MTP hospitals have all the medical facilities, trained medical staff and pieces of equipment. They not only have the medical facilities, but the trained staff is capable of handling all emergencies that may arise during the procedure.
When you speak with the gynecologist at the hospital, you will receive guidance and prescription with an abortion procedure according to your specific case. Once you know the procedure, you now have to do the preparations specific to the abortion procedure.
Preparation for Medical abortion:
Medical abortion is the earliest method to terminate any pregnancy. Are you pregnant for less than 6 weeks? Then, you will most likely be receiving safe abortion pills for pregnancy termination provided that the pregnancy is intrauterine. Except for preparing mentally to visit the gynecologist, there absolutely is no necessity for any other preparation.
You can visit the certified MTP centre alone or accompanied by an attendant if you are above 18 years of age. The hospital seeks only your consent in such cases as per the abortion law of India. No parental, spousal or partner consent necessary for adults.
You will receive the abortion pills on your first visit to avoid any delay. You will receive guidance on how and when to take them. In the case of vaginal administration, a trained medical staff member will do the needful. It is an out-patient procedure and you can leave the facility after administration.
You must stay at home after the administration of abortion pills. You will likely experience abdominal cramps and bleeding within 0.5 to 6 hours after taking second set of abortion pills. All the unwanted products of gestation (POG) will evacuate naturally like periodic menstrual flow. It is better to use a sanitary napkin before leaving the facility. Just in case it takes you a little longer than expected to arrive home and bleeding initiates, your clothes will not spoil.
The pain that may accompany the procedure is not very intense. Some women may not even feel any pain. However, analgesics (pain relievers) will be on the prescription if you find the pain too intense. Some women feel it very painful and prefer painless Gentle Care suction abortion. Within a couple of days, you will feel better.
Post-abortion recovery
Here are some instances when to check with your gynecologist:
It will be better to have a healthy diet post-abortion for a speedy recovery. You will receive guidance regarding the same from the doctor on your first visit itself.
After a week, you can call the concerned gynecologist to ensure complete recovery. If the bleeding still persists, you may have to undergo an evaluation to rule out the possibility of incomplete abortion. Incomplete abortion is the most common abortion complication with abortion pills as they are not 100% efficient.
Most likely, medical abortions are spontaneous and do not involve any complication. However, every individual behaves differently, and you should keep a check when to call the doctor.
- If the vaginal bleeding continues above a week. This may be due to hormonal imbalance or due to an incomplete abortion.
- If you have a fever. This may be due to any infection.
Though the chances for complications are very rare, it is best to follow-up to ensure complete recovery.
Preparation for surgical abortion:
Surgical abortion is the abortion method of choice in case length of pregnancy is past 12 weeks. The mental preparation before an abortion is similar for any kind of procedure.
If you are about to get an abortion with this length of pregnancy, then there are a few things you should take note of:
- As the name suggests, surgical abortion involves surgery. But, you need not panic. Though the procedure is slightly invasive, it is a safe procedure.
- For pregnancies less than 12 weeks, Gentle Care suction abortion is available which is not technically a surgery. It is more efficient than pills and can complete the abortion painlessly in a single appointment in just a few minutes.
- For surgical abortion, there are restrictions for eating and/or drinking anything before the procedure. This depends upon the type of anesthesia chosen by the doctor for your procedure. You will receive the needed guidance at your first appointment or call with the doctor, especially international patients so you can prepare well before arrival.
Here’s a brief introduction of the types of anesthetics used for abortion procedures:
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- General anesthesia: This anesthesia will put you to sleep. You will be unconscious during the procedure.
- Local anesthesia: Local means application only in the area of surgery. There will be no feeling of pain or any other sensation. During a surgical abortion, the doctor injects a local anesthetic agent in the cervix region. This makes the whole cervix region numb while keeping you awake. You will be awake but will not feel anything during the procedure.
- Local anesthesia with sedation: In this case, the doctor will inject the medicine intravenously. This will keep you calm and your anxiety relieved. It is like an induced sleep but not completely unconscious like with a general anesthetic.
Well, with advanced techniques, now American Hospital Bangalore (AHB) uses only mild sedation. This prevents any side-effects of anesthesia. So, you also need not bother about pain.
Most probably you will receive hospital clothes to wear during the procedure. So, you can carry a pair of loose and comfortable clothing for after the procedure. It is always good to carry an extra pair of an outfit. Though needed rarely, you will have alternative clothing in case of bleeding.
It is better to have company while visiting for the abortion procedure. Though you will feel fine to leave for home the same day after the procedure, it is always good to have a companion. Love, support, care and concern will help you in feeling comfortable. Besides, you will be guided back home safely.
What to expect from the procedure?
For surgical abortion, many women think that the procedure will likely involve cuts and bruises in the abdomen like that of a caesarean section. But, it is not true. Surgical abortion under certain circumstances is legal for up to 24 weeks of gestation period. By this time, the size of the fetus is not large enough to be choosing a caesarean section for abortion.
The surgical abortion procedure is a vaginal procedure. The doctor will dilate the to open it wide enough to let the instruments pass through. The uterine contents are evacuated manually by a trained and experienced gynecologist. The procedure lasts for less than 30 minutes. And you can go back home the same day as soon as you start feeling better.
Broadly speaking, both vacuum aspiration and D & E methods of abortion can be categorized as surgical procedures. Most of the preparation going in is similar with a few differences. Abortion by vacuum aspiration is done for pregnancies less than 12 weeks. Whereas, D & E procedure is followed for all abortions exceeding gestation length of 12 weeks.
You will be advised a healthy diet for a speedy recovery. Prescribed antibiotics will rule out any occurrence of infections. Hematinic on the prescription will make up for the blood loss. For abdominal cramps and pain, pain relievers will also be prescribed to be taken if any pain episode shows up.
Abortion Methods
When to seek help?
Though the procedure is safe and there are only light chances for any complication, still, it is better to be educated about the same. This is necessary so that you know when to call the doctor without any delay. These are:
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- Haemorrhage: The vaginal bleeding after the abortion procedure is likely similar to a normal menstrual period. However, if it lasts for more than a week, you should call the doctor and seek help. It happens with incomplete abortions. There are very rare chances of incomplete abortions with surgical methods when done at certified MTP centres. But they are very common when performed by unsafe means and also with abortion pills.
- Infections: In case you have a high body temperature, this may be due to infections. Again, this is rare with a qualified doctor performing abortions because a trained doctor will likely prescribe you antibiotics at the time you leave the facility after abortion.
After you undergo a medical or surgical abortion procedure, it will be good for you to rest for a couple of days. Healing improves in the resting state. Moreover, after a considerable amount of rest, you will feel good in health and spirit before you return to work.
Since you will be resting for a day or so, it is better to have everything that you might need at home before the abortion itself. Once you are back at home after the abortion, you will find everything that you might need in place.
Helpdesk
If you have any doubts prevailing in your mind regarding the abortion procedure, feel free to reach out our expert abortion team at AHB. We are just a call away. You can either call us, message us or reach us through WhatsApp. What are your concerns regarding an abortion or preparing for an abortion procedure? Do you have any questions? Let us know. We’re here to help.
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