Hi, I am new to mumsnet and just wanted to post about my medical abortion experience to possibly help someone else. I am sorry this is long winded but I wanted as much detail as possible whilst I was doing my research so I have included every detail I can remember.
I fell pregnant and found out at 3+ weeks, this was my first time being pregnant. I am in a stable relationship however we did have our own personal reasons to terminate (everyone’s personal reasons are valid).
I attended an unplanned pregnancy clinic with my partner about 5 days after my positive test, where I got an internal scan to check if my pregnancy was ectopic and how many weeks gestation I was. The scan is not painful at all, just slightly uncomfortable but absolutely nothing to be concerned or fearful of. I was told I was 6 weeks and 4 days pregnant. After my scan I was given 1 dose of mifepristone to take home and 6 tablets of misoprostol to take thereafter with instructions. I was also prescribed codeine to take for the pain ( if any ).
I was fine after the mifepristone, then 24 hours later I took my first dose of misoprostol which was 2 tablets each side of my cheeks to dissolve. 30 minutes after inserting these tablets i vomited, I had extreme cramping, chills and sweats for approx 2 hours. I took codeine which was prescribed to help the pain and it did.
I did not bleed after this dose, I then took the final two tablets 4 hours later. I still had no bleeding until about 4 hours after that again and it was light, I was expecting A LOT of blood from articles ect I read online, however this was not the case for me. Everyone’s experience during an abortion is different so please don’t think what I have experienced will be the case for you.
For the next 5 days I was bleeding but only slightly more than my usual period ( which is quite light ). I then had very dark brown/black blood/discharge thereafter for about 7 days which I thought was normal as I read online and was advised so multiple times by the clinic nurse over the phone.
Finally we’re getting to the part which is most important!
The brown blood/discharge did develop an odour which increasingly got worse each day. It was not a normal period/blood odour, this was much worse.
On NYE I rang an emergency doctor who advised they could see me on NYD which I agreed to, however a few hours after making this appointment I was having gushes or bright red blood…I had filled two maxi pads in less than an hour ( which still had that bad odour ). My partner and I rushed to A&E as a woman knows her own body and I knew this wasn’t right. I was taken in almost right away and send straight up to the emergency Gynaecologists.
I had an Exam done ( almost like a smear ). The speculum was inserted to open my vagina whilst the ladies examined my cervix. A lot of blood had came out at this point. I was advised that I had in fact a bad infection and retained tissue.
The ladies removed as much retained tissue (mainly clots) as they possibly could but advised there was another piece of tissue up quite high which they couldn’t reach, they called the doctor in who couldn’t do so also, they then called the senior doctor in who could also not do so and advised to admit me to the gynaecology ward.
I went to the ward about 4am where I had a cannula inserted and bloods taken. I was given antibiotics through IV and then 1000ml of fluids.
At this time the blood had decreased at the ladies removed a lot of the retained tissue which was causing the bleeding.
I had another internal scan about 11am on NYD by a consultant who confirmed my infection and about 1cm of retained tissue. She prescribed 2 more doses of misoprostol to be taken whilst in hospital orally with water.
I took them at 2pm that day, along with a painkiller which was rectally inserted by the nurse. I had no pain and barely any bleeding.
I was still been given antibiotics through IV throughout my time in the ward.
Then it was 2nd Jan, I was advised by the doctor about 9am that I can go home later that day with antibiotics, painkillers and a date for my follow up scan. All up until then I had little bleeding.
At 10am this day I went to the toilet in the hospital, I sat down and blood was pouring out of me like it was urine…I alarmed the nurse to come in and check which she did and advised to use a pan ( like a cardboard bowl on the toilet ) next time I go and she will monitor it. The next time I went to the toilet about 11am, I had quite a lot of blood in the pan but this was mixed with urine so may not have been what it looked like. The nurse advised this was fine.
The smell had then and now gone, which means the infection is clearing.
I got home about 3:30pm on Jan 2nd and I was fine. At around 6pm I got out of bed and had a gush of red blood in my pad. I then changed and went back to lie down with a new pad, until I got up to go toilet at 11pm which is when I had another gush.
The pads were clean until I stood up each time ( which may be because I was lying down and it just flowed out when I stood ).
My partner called the ward to query if this was okay and they advised as long as I don’t fill a pad an hour for more than two hours that it’s fine.
I changed pad once again and slept through the night until 7:30am today Jan 3rd. I checked my pad and had only very light bleeding. I am in bed still at the moment watching Netflix and resting. I have not had heavy bleeding as of yet today, only light/moderate. I may have passed the tissue or it may be because I am lying and sitting down.
I was advised by all doctors and nurses that I done the right thing to come in as it could have ended up a lot worse.
My Discharge sheet says I had a medical abortion complication due to endometritis (thickening/inflammation of the endometrium) which caused the infection as the tissue was retained.
Anyways I just wanted to post this to make other people aware what can happen during/after a medical abortion. I am in no way posting this to scare anyone, I just want to help.
Please if you have any worries, concerns, bleeding, odours to call a doctor or attend A&E as what might be normal for someone else, might not be normal for you or your body.
Please don’t take Google’s advice on things like this.
Everyones experience and bodies are different. What happened to me, may not happen to you.
If anyone has any questions, please reply.
YOU KNOW YOUR OWN BODY LADIES.
Thank you x