QuestionQUESTION: Dear Pat,
I recently had an abortion about 3 days ago,I was 17 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I know this was a very dangerous stage .My bleeding quickly went away only lasted the day of the abortion and it was very light the next day. But sometimes I still feel crampy is this normal? And yesterday my breast started feeling like they have lumps all around,have redish spots, they are hard as a rock and are dripping a whitish fluid. I know this is normal but I was just wondering how long will this continue for. They are very sensitive and hurt at the touch. I was also in bed rest for 2 days felt very normal and comfortable so I returned to work but since I'm standing all the time I now feel very fatigue and some pain above my pubic hair line at times. Is this also normal, should I go back to bed rest? I was also very sensitive during my pregnancy, I would cry over anything, I feel as if that went away very quick but now when I get upset I want to cry over nothing other wise I don't show emotion. How long does that usually last? Well those are all my concerns, can't wait to hear from you. Sincerely, Jamie.
ANSWER: Hello, Jamie,
Ouch! Why did you get an abortion so late?
Having an abortion is not normal, and having one at over 17 weeks is not even that common. So anything that happens to you afterward is not normal, either.
Many women feel cramping after an abortion. The uterus is clamping down and returning to a smaller size. Be very vigilant because there are a number of things that can still go wrong. If this was your first abortion, you will be much more at risk of getting a particularly deadly form of breast cancer. So I recommend you take Vitamin D3 (5000IU is a good dose to start) for the rest of your life. You will need to have your blood tested to make sure you don't get too much. You will also be much more likely to get an auto-immune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. I don't know of a remedy that will make the likelihood smaller, unfortunately. Also, you will be much more at risk for having a child with a birth defect in the future, because in order to do the abortion, they had to dilate your cervix. This causes many tiny tears, no matter how it is done, and this will keep the cervix from being able to support the weight of a full term baby. The birth defects from a very early birth can be significant. For that reason, when you do become pregnant again, make sure and tell your doctor about your abortion. He may need to do a procedure called cerclage to keep your cervix from dilating too soon. If they used laminaria on you, you are at risk from getting a nasty infection, so be vigilant.
As for the problems with your breasts, it sounds like engorgement. They're trying to produce milk. You can "milk" them in the same way as a woman would, if she wants to produce milk for her baby when she won't be around. Do just enough to relieve the pain. More will mean producing yet more milk. You can also use a massage technique to dissipate the fluid. Put your fingertip on the skin next to the lump, and pressing very gently, move your finger away from the lump. Do this all around. Probably the most effective remedy I have seen is to rub jojoba oil into the skin. I used to use this on my goats when their udders became impacted, and it works very well. You can find jojoba oil in a health food store. Don't get something that has a bunch of other stuff mixed in. Jojoba oil is made of tiny particles, so the skin will readily absorb it. This is important because the redness indicates inflammation which could possibly mean infection.
As for going back to bed rest, do whatever you feel up to doing. If you do too much bed rest, it will weaken you, so spend some time up and about each day. When you are resting, do something to occupy your mind, such as reading.
It sounds like your emotions are very fragile, and this is to be expected. Also, I have seen that the emotional consequences of abortion can last for many years. I talked to one woman who said she had an abortion, and now she doesn't feel any emotion at all. That certainly isn't desirable. The risk of doing serious harm to herself is significant after abortion. A woman is much more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs. Eating and sleep disturbances are also common. Some women become suicidal. I have sat up all night with women in this circumstance. If you start to feel that way, talking to someone on a suicide hotline may not be your best option, because it is unlikely they will understand what all the fuss is about. So I recommend you get some counseling from an organization that helps women in your circumstance. These organizations are all over the United States, so there is certain to be one near you. In addition, you can find a doctor through them who understands the medical consequences of abortion, and can help you with that. To find an organization near you, please visit this web site:
http://www.optionline.org/
The link to the lists is on the right, and not real obvious.
If you are not married, please stop having sex. "Protection" isn't effective. Your partner needs to respect your body and you, and not put you at risk. If you had the abortion because your baby had some kind of medical problem, please be aware that these are often misdiagnosed. Don't trust a diagnosis like that. People who do abortions won't be honest with you. They just want your money. For that reason, it would be useless to go back to whomever did the abortion, because he won't want to admit he caused you any problems. If he admitted it, or did anything to help you, he would also have more legal liability (even though in my opinion, he committed malpractice to do an abortion so late anyway).
Please take care. Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing. I will be here for you for any other issues you might have.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hey Pat, I've been doing better emotionally and physically. There are just two more things that have come up I wanted to ask about and if its normal. Remember I had said I only bled the day and very lightly the day after the abortion. Well the bleeding came back very heavy. Came back exactly a week after the abortion for 2 days and now its gone again will this continue to happen? And my breast are back to their size but I get like a pinch feeling very often on my nipples. Is this normal?
AnswerHello, Jamie,
I am very glad you are doing better. Hang in there.
Having an abortion is not normal. Neither is anything that happens as a result of an abortion. Abortion often causes erratic and heavy bleeding. It can go on for weeks. Women even sometimes bleed to death after abortion. A surgical abortion with this kind of erratic bleeding is not common, and needs immediate medical attention. The abortionist might have perforated the uterus, or left material behind. Given how late your abortion was, this is even likely. This is a very dangerous situation either way. You should be checked out by a good doctor. As I said, don't go back to the abortionist. Find a doctor by going to the web site I mentioned, and finding an organization near you. These doctors are familiar with the problems and most of them know how to deal with them. Don't wait.
In the meantime, it would be wise to make sure you get some red hot peppers, either in food, or as a supplement called cayenne, to help control the bleeding. You can get cayenne at a health food store. Do this regularly until the bleeding stops completely, and your medical problems are resolved. Please take care. Let me know how you do.
