QuestionQUESTION: Hello Pat,
I went through a medical abortion almost about 2 weeks ago when I was 7 weeks pregnant. My bleeding has stopped but I still come across discharge on my panty. The discharge is yellower than the one I experienced while I was pregnant. Can this mean that I am still pregnant?
I also experienced breast tenderness before and after abortion. My breasts felt lumpy and painful, so much so that I had trouble moving around in bed. Since my abortion, my breasts feel better. I still can feel lumps and they still are tender but it feels much better now. At least they don't pain anymore in bed or when I loosen my bra.
By the symptoms of my breasts, I feel I am getting better, ie the abortion was successful. I also don't feel nauseous anymore. But the discharge is kind of scaring me. Do u think I could still be pregnant?
Thank you.
ANSWER: Hello, Soniya,
You're welcome.
A lot of times, pill abortion fails at 7 weeks. I think about 15% or more of the time, it doesn't do anything. This is because the baby is making his own progesterone, and all the pill abortion does is cuts off the supply of progesterone from the mother, and then causes labor. That's what causes the bleeding. Did you pass anything other than blood?
Your hormones would still be high, even if the abortion was successful, although they would be declining. Since these pills mess up a woman's hormones anyway, there's no telling what your decreased symptoms mean, even if the abortion wasn't successful.
What worries me more is the possibility you have an infection. Certainly yellow discharge isn't normal, although it could possibly be from a tinge of leftover blood. But it's something you need to check out. The other problem is that the bleeding could resume. And sometimes women bleed to death after these abortions. If you start bleeding abnormally again, please contact me and a doctor right away.
Normally, they give a woman two kinds of pills. The second pill is not intended to be used for abortion. The manufacturer says a pregnant woman should never use it. Bleeding to death isn't the only way it can kill a woman. Whoever gave you those pills was acting negligently.
One more thing: did you take any pills vaginally? If so, your doctor needs to test you for Clostridium sordellii. If a woman uses pills vaginally and has this bacterium, it can cause Toxic Shock Syndrome, and that can kill within hours. So if you took any vaginally, have the doctor check you for this organism, and if you have it, start immediate treatment. I know of no way a woman's life can be saved once symptoms start.
Also, especially if this was your first pregnancy, you have greatly increased the risk you will develop breast cancer. I will be happy to give you information on how to minimize the risk of that. Just let me know.
I urge you to see a doctor about your symptoms, and to make sure that you don't have another problem. Don't go back to whoever supplied the pills. If you need help finding a good doctor, please let me know. Please let me know what you find out, and please don't take such a chance again. You deserve better. Take care.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello Pat,
I am so sorry but I didn't know that the process of abortion pill is called medical abortion. I apologize for the incorrect information from my end. I (correct myself) went through a surgical abortion.
About the bleeding, I did bleed and often came across the lining being dischaged with blood (it wasn't a lot though). Also the bleeding was never heavy. It was acually lighter that my normal periods. My discharge currently is not exactly yellow and it doesn't have any smell (atleast I feel that it's normal).
I would like to again ask you the same question as before wih the symptoms mentioned. I really appreciate your help.
Thank you,
Soniya.
AnswerHello, Soniya,
You're welcome.
Thank you for the additional information. Infection doesn't necessarily smell. It should be checked out. Truly. You should be checked out anyway. Don't go back to the person who did the abortion. Find a doctor you can trust. Abortion is harmful, so anybody who would do that to a woman has poor medical judgment.
You have to be the judge of how much bleeding you had after abortion. Theoretically, they should have scraped all that away, but it is difficult to scrape just the right amount. Injuries are common. And bleeding can come from injuries.
Please do have yourself checked out, and let me know what you find out. Please take care.
