Is it normal to bleed days after an abortion

Some women may experience spotting up until their next period. Some birth control methods may affect the regularity of periods after an abortion. If a person typically has irregular periods , they may continue to experience these after an abortion. Experiencing stress can change the regularity of periods. If a woman has irregular periods after an abortion and did not previously, she should speak to her doctor.

The abortion procedure fully empties the uterus, so there is less tissue to expel, which can result in a lighter period. This period can also be heavier as the body may have additional tissue to expel after the procedure.

Using pads during the first period after an abortion allows a woman to monitor the amount of blood she is losing.

That said, some women may find that it takes two or three cycles for their periods to return to normal. If this does not happen, they should speak to their doctor. Women can start using birth control straight after an abortion.

If they want to use an intrauterine device IUD , they can ask a healthcare professional to fit one during the same appointment as the abortion. IUDs are an effective form of birth control. The advantage of copper IUDs is that they do not affect mood, but they may cause heavier periods.

Which contraception method to use is a personal choice, and different options work for different people. If a woman experiences very heavy bleeding after an abortion or pain that is not manageable with over-the-counter pain medication, she should speak to her doctor. Blood clots up to the size of a lemon are normal during postabortion bleeding.

Blood clots that are larger than this are something to discuss with a doctor. Symptoms that may include dizziness , sweating, and nausea during or after an abortion are typical. Flights of 4 hours or more should be avoided for up to 48 hours after receiving a sedative or anaesthetic.

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Should I schedule a follow-up appointment? When can I resume my normal activities after the procedure? Will I bleed or cramp? Fever over degrees or chills Excessive bleeding soaking one pad per hour for three straight hours Bad cramps unrelieved by ibuprofen or Tylenol or prolonged abdominal pain A doctor can be reached at any time. Monday to Friday during business hours, call Nights, weekends and holidays, page a doctor by calling At the beep, enter the phone number you want the doctor to call, then press the key.

How can I prevent infection? To decrease the chance of pelvic infection, please follow these instructions: Take your antibiotic medication as directed. Don't have vaginal intercourse and don't insert anything, including tampons, in your vagina for two weeks with one exception. If you use NuvaRing as your birth control, you may insert it after the procedure. Do not douche, taking baths or swim. You may shower, but do not sit in a tub of water.

Related clinics. Recommended reading. An abortion restarts your menstrual cycle. Your periods should return to normal within a month or so after the procedure. Your periods should return within 4 to 6 weeks of your abortion. How much time elapses before you get your first post-abortion period depends, in part, on how pregnant you were.

Pregnancy hormones may remain for a few weeks afterward, causing a delay in menstruation. Your first period may be shorter than it was in the past if you had a surgical abortion, or longer if you had a medical abortion. This irregularity is due to your hormones and menstrual cycle returning to normal. Your first period may be heavier than usual if you had a medical abortion because your body has to remove all of the extra tissue from your uterus.

You might also pass some small blood clots. Periods after a surgical abortion may be lighter at first. They should normalize within a few months. Foul-smelling discharge could be a sign of infection. Your periods may be shorter or longer than usual for a few months. You may also bleed more than you did in the past, especially if you had a medical abortion.

You can use whatever is most comfortable to you. You can resume using most birth control methods — including the pill, patch, condom, implant, and intrauterine device IUD — immediately after, or within a few days of, your abortion. If you had a second-trimester abortion, you might have to wait about four weeks to start using methods that are inserted, like the diaphragm , cervical cap , or IUD.

Hormonal birth control methods like the pill may make your bleeding lighter and reduce the number of days you bleed after an abortion. You should start ovulating about three weeks after a medical abortion.

Some people start as soon as eight days afterward. Talk to your doctor about birth control options. There is concern that repeated surgical abortion may cause scarring in the uterus by the instruments used to remove the pregnancy.