QuestionI m a student.i had an abortion a week ago.but now i m having lower back aches.it usually starts around noon,after my classes.is it normal?is there anything i can do 2 stop the pain? And one more thing,when can i start exercising again?
AnswerThere is no complication from an abortion that specifically causes backaches, as far as I know. This sounds very much like a pregnancy side-effect, and it is completely normal to experience pregnancy-like symptoms for the next 3-4 months, because the leftover pregnancy hormones in your body can take up to 6 months to clear out completely.
So don't be surprised if you start feeling nausea, breast tenderness, frequent urinating, food cravings or aversions, etc. Your periods will also be completely unpredictable: your first period will be anytime between 4 to 12 weeks after the abortion, and after that it may take 3-4 months for your cycle to become regular again. Expect heavy, light, early, late, spotty or even missed periods during this time. This also means you should definitely use contraception every time you have sex, because it's impossible to predict when you will ovulate.
As for exercise, wait till your follow-up appointment two weeks after the abortion to begin again. Until the two weeks are up your cervix is not back to its fully closed position (which is the reason why you can't have sex or use tampons right now), so there's a high risk of inducing bleeding if you exercise too hard. After your follow up appointment you can go back to all your normal activities provided of course your doctor says it's ok.
Take care, and let me know if you have more questions.
