Help!

[Sweeeetie]

I am still getting really strong positives, I was expecting to see them for a while after but the don’t seem to be getting lighter and it’s been three weeks almost. Is this normal?

My Symptoms went well the day after my termination and I don’t feel pregnant anymore.

I was still testing a very strong positive after 3 weeks with the ultra sensitive test that MSI sent me. I ignored it as I knew I wasn’t pregnant any more. All my pregnancy symptoms had gone and I didn’t feel pregnant anymore.

It takes a good while for hormones to get back to base levels. If you are really worried you might still be pregnant then contact your abortion provider today and ask for a sensitive test to be sent to you. Or perhaps they might suggest scanning you?! In all honestly, it’s 99.9% that your instinct about no longer being pregnant is correct.

I would wait 3 weeks and then ring them to ask about the histology results if it’s still positive, it could be that there is some tissue left behind or it was a molar pregnancy that would need following up

@MyUmberSeal can I ask how long you were getting positive results for? And how far along you were? I was only 6 weeks so thought it wouldn’t take too long to leave my body. I also thought I’d see some decrease in darkness of the positives. Just doesn’t seem to be any noticeable change. I want to get my negatives so I can get my body back to normal.

Unfortunately mine was a missed miscarriage, stopped growing at 8 weeks but had a scan at 12 and still no bleeding at 13 weeks, i still had positives up until 3-4 months post d&c but i did have to have 2 more evacuations after. Not to worry you but i would definitely phone the clinic.
hope youre ok, and it returns to normal quickly for you! X

@Lost34 thank you for replying. So I was told to test with a special test from the clinic at 3 weeks which is Sunday so I will test then. I know they have said that normal tests can show positive for awhile but it’s just worrying me a little that they are so dark and not lightening when it’s almost been 3 weeks. I honestly don’t think I am still pregnant though as my symptoms have all gone.

I was 8 weeks when I had my abortion. I didn’t do any tests at all until 3 weeks was up and I used the ultra sensitive one they had sent me. That was a glaringly strong positive. I just knew I wasn’t pregnant still though. I had awful nausea from 4 weeks and it had gone within 48 hours of the termination. I also had strong contraction pain after inserting the pills and I know the moment I felt the pregnancy come out, and the pain stopped. In theory I should have contacted MSI and had another test sent to me to do at 4 weeks post abortion. But as I say, I didn’t bother as I just knew I wasn’t pregnant still. Didn’t feel pregnant physically, or emotionally if that makes sense. If I had done as you did and done normal pregnancy tests, I would have tested positive too. As it goes my abortion was in June and I’ve had 3 normal periods since and my cycle has gone back to totally normal.

Do the sensitive test once 3 weeks are up, and then take it from there but really, if you no longer have any pregnancy symptoms and don’t feel pregnant, I’d say you can be pretty confident the abortion worked.

Also, hope you are feeling ok about it all. It’s such an individual experience and one woman’s regret is another woman’s relief and non event. However you feel, it’s cool and totally ok.

@MyUmberSeal Thank you, I will take the test on the weekend (at 3 weeks) and see and take it from there. I just really want to get things back to normal. This whole situation has been awful…I am full of regret and it has actually made me realise that I do want another baby. My partner (who was so against another child) can see how much this is killing me and has agreed that we can start to think about trying again next year. I think that’s another reason I just want the negative. I want to know that my body is healing so I can be in the place to think about getting pregnant again x

Totally understand how you feel. Not as day has gone by when I don’t think about it. I would have been 22 weeks pregnant today. I was riddled with pregnancy anxiety and couldn’t see a way to make it right. Now I see that all the things I worried about could have been worked through. But what’s past is past and we can’t turn around.

I absolutely can relate to the wanting your body and cycle to get back to normal. You feel like you are on a level playing field again, when I had my first period after my termination, I was so relieved that I had ovulated again.

Take it easy. Do the test on Sunday. Enjoy the winter months and Xmas and all that kind of stuff and then see what the new year brings for pregnancy. x

@MyUmberSeal thank you, did you get your periods back after 4 weeks then? I’m just aware that I won’t get them back (or ovulate) until the tests are negative.

Hi, just checked the tracking app I use. I terminated on June 5th and had a period on July 11th. The 3 week test they sent me was on June 26th, that was a strong positive. I must have ovulated around that time for me to have my period little over 2 weeks later. Not sure there is any correlation between still testing positive and ovulation being delayed. The positive tests are as a result of left over pregnancy hormone in your body I would assume. My ovaries and reproductive organs obviously knew I wasn’t pregnant.

@MyUmberSeal ahh okay so it was about 5 weeks from your termination until your period? I’m just wondering if I might ovulate soon then.

@MyUmberSeal so I had a faint positive on the hospital test at 3 weeks and just retook at 4 weeks. Still a faint positive. I also had a strange gush of blood on Thursday and ran to the loo and passed a penny sized clot (may have passed more into the toilet but couldn’t see- it was fairly heavy bleeding). This only lasted for about 5 minutes and then stopped and went back to light brown spotting that now seems to have stopped. I called NUPAS and have a scan booked in for next week. I’m worried about retained products but the midwife on the phone seemed to think I could be pregnant again. I said I didn’t think you could ovulate still with positive pregnancy tests and she said that she felt that idea was “a bit of a myth”.

so now I’m just waiting to see what happens at the scan, I think it will be either;

I have retained products that may need treatment

the scan is clear and it’s just lingering hormones - may go to gp and ask for a blood test to check levels.

or it could be a new pregnancy and I guess my levels are higher than usual with new hormones and old hormones in my system.

I don’t feel pregnant and haven’t had any symptoms since 2 days after the abortion.

Oh gosh, well that’s a new development! Yes it’s definitely a myth that you can’t ovulate while testing positive as I certainly did, so in that sense you could be pregnant again.

When I had my first period after the termination, it was much heavier than my usual period and I passed some larger clots. I assumed it was left over tissue that didn’t come out during the actual passing of the pregnancy/abortion. I didn’t feel poorly or anything with it, didn’t have any sign of infection so left it at that.

Regards to the bleeding …..It’s quite possible that what you passed is just left over tissue that has finally decided to make its way out. They might scan you and see no remaining tissue now. If they do, they will sort it. It’s not uncommon and they will have you dealt with in no time at all.

Regarding positive tests still… It could be that your pregnancy hormone levels are still high. This is not unusual, I didn’t do the 4 week test but as I said previously, I was testing a very clear positive at 3 weeks but just knew I wasn’t pregnant still. It takes time to get back to normal.

Regarding possible pregnancy….its not beyond the realms of possibility that you ovulated in as little as a few days after the procedure. This of course means you could be pregnant again. They will check for that. How would you feel if that’s the case?! A bit devils advocate of me to ask but worth thinking about. Instinctively, what do you think you is happening?

I want you to get the news that you are hoping to hear. Whatever that is. From everything. You’ve said, I reckon you might have retained some tissue. Perhaps most of it has gone now, but they will get the rest out, or tell you to wait until your next period, when it might come out with that… and that your body is taking a while to get back to baseline levels of hormones.

If you are pregnant again. Worse things have happened, you will find a way forward. Let me know either way.

@MyUmberSeal If I am pregnant I would want to keep the baby, I would just be worried that any retained products would jeopardise a healthy pregnancy. Iv also been spotting so again would be worried about that also. But ultimately I would be happy. I’m wondering if they will even be able to see a new pregnancy on a scan as i would still only be about 4 weeks.

I don’t feel like I am pregnant though, although it would still be very early. I am feeling very tired but im possibly slightly anaemic from bleeding for a month.

I do think it’s most likely retained products, I guess il have to wait and see what happens next week.

@MyUmberSeal I have just had my scan, I have “quite a bit of retained products”. The nurse recommended another round of medical treatment. I’m actually a little traumatised from the first time and I’m on my own with two children for the week while my partner is away.

I mentioned having a surgical instead but apparently no NUPAS clinics anywhere near me offer them

Hi. That’s such a shame that a surgical option won’t be possible for you. When will you start the next bit of medical treatment? It’s not the nicest experience in the world so I can imagine the feeling you have having to go through it again. I hope it goes ok and you get your body to make normality asap so that you can move forward with whatever your choices are next!

@MyUmberSeal so I took the medication yesterday at 3pm. Have had no bleeding or cramping so I called NUPAS back this morning and was basically told to wait until next week and as long as the test is negative everything is fine. I felt like this was conflicting advice to what I had been told previously so I bite the bullet and called my gp. She was amazing and so understanding. She prescribed antibiotics as she felt like 5 weeks is a long time to be bleeding for (even if it’s spotting). Then she advised me that I could consider going to an and e and pushing for the surgical route. She even called the hospital ahead to mean I can be scanned right away and not have to sit in an and e for hours. So I am just on my way to the hospital now. I feel more reassured that I will get a second opinion now. I think after the scan they will discuss options with me, although if I get the choice I will opt for surgery. I just want closure from all of this and to be able to move on.

Oh good for you! That’s really good news and reassuring for you. Sounds like your GP probably feels that emotionally and physically, you could have done with a little more support in getting this sorted. I hope you are able to have the surgical option!! Best of luck. Nice to hear a GP coming through for someone as they usually get a bashing!

@MyUmberSeal I have been booked in for surgery on Thursday. Hopefully I can put all of this behind me soon!

Hope it all went ok today! Fingers crossed you feel back to normal soon.

@MyUmberSeal Thank you. It was a long day, we arrived at the hospital at 7.3am and left at 6pm! I was scanned during and after the surgery so pretty sure it’s all gone now. Just have to check for a negative test in 3 weeks x