Post-Abortion Concerns: Possible Pregnancy After Procedure

Question
i'm a 41 year old woman with two older children and going through a divorce.  after having sex just once in 3 months i ended up getting pregnant. as soon as i found out i went for an abortion. (5 days ago) i was exactly 5 weeks along.  the problem is is that i did not bleed AT ALL i  had no cramping, my breasts are still really tender, i am emotional and crabby, and still very tired.  i'm afraid that i might still be pregnant.  i know this type of thing happens.  but how often and what are the chances?  if i take a pregnancy test will it still come up positive?  how can i be sure?

Answer
If you underwent a surgical abortion, and it was carried out by a doctor and there were no complications immediately after (you do not have a fever and/or heavy bleeding), then there is nothing to worry about.

The hormones from your pregnancy will be around in your body for quite a while longer - maybe even as long as six months. For the next two or three months at least, you may continue to feel many symptoms of pregnancy, including:
* No periods
* Morning sickness
* Breast tenderness
* Fatigue
* Food cravings/aversions
* Moodiness
* Positive result on home pregnancy tests from the leftover hormones

There is of course a slight possibility that the abortion was incomplete. In that case, however, you should look out for some very specific symptoms of infection: high fever and heavy bleeding. There is really only a very, very slight chance of this happening.

In any case, you will have a follow-up appointment with your doctor two weeks after the abortion to make sure that the fetus has been completely expelled, and that there were no complications from the procedure. This is an extremely important appointment that you should not miss - but most of all it will set your mind at ease that the abortion is indeed complete.

If you underwent a medical abortion - i.e. you took pills and expected to miscarry your fetus - then the lack of bleeding and cramping says that your abortion was definitely incomplete. There is a slight percentage of women on whom medical abortions do not work, and you are one of them. You should see your doctor right away, and you will probably have to undergo a surgical procedure.