To end an early pregnancy, a medical abortion at home is an effective non-invasive method. However, many wonder how to understand if the abortion pill worked, what are the common signs that would indicate the procedure’s success, and what are the indications of an incomplete pregnancy termination.
Awareness about both these possibilities are necessary. At the same time, it is vital to have knowledge about what to do next if the Mifepristone and Misoprostol pills do not work as expected. In this blog, we will explore all these three aspects.
What are Abortion Pills and How Do They Work?
An abortion at home is a step-by-step process usually including Mifepristone 200mg, followed by Misoprostol 200mcg x 4 pills – 24 to 48 hours later.
- You can take the MTP Kit (Mifepristone + Misoprostol pills) to end an intrauterine pregnancy in its first 10 weeks (or up to 12 weeks) of gestation.
- Mifepristone blocks progesterone hormone. It cuts off nutrition and uterus support for the pregnancy.
- Thus, Mifepristone discontinues the pregnancy by disintegrating the endometrial lining.
- Later, Misoprostol pills cause uterine contractions and cervical dilation to expel the pregnancy from the womb.
Signs That the Abortion Pills Have Worked
Here is a detailed synopsis to detect if a medical abortion at home is a success:
- Abdominal pain and cramps happen in a couple of hours of administering Misoprostol. After a few more hours – bleeding heavier than a normal period may begin.
- The heavy vaginal bleeding may contain large blood clots with pregnancy tissues and sections. This is a sign of the uterus emptying itself of the products of conception.
- Other temporary side effects of the abortion pill due to hormonal shifts are nausea, fatigue, headache, dizziness, breast tenderness, stomach upset, etc.
- The common MTP Kit side effects generally go away after a week or two of a successful pregnancy termination.
- As for the bleeding, it is heavier while the womb is still letting out the pregnancy. But after a complete abortion, the bleeding starts to reduce but lasts moderately or lightly for 2 to 6 weeks.
Signs of Incomplete or Failed Medical Abortion
While Mifepristone and Misoprostol pills have a success rate up to 98% and above, depending on at what stage of pregnancy you administer them, in some cases, a medical abortion may remain incomplete. Here a few signs that would help detect an incomplete pregnancy termination using the pills:
- If you soak through over two large sanitary napkins per hour, and the same happens for the next two consecutive hours – maybe a sign of excessive bleeding and failed abortion.
- Severe pelvic and abdominal pain not relieved by pain relief medication.
- Fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, chills – maybe a sign of an infection.
- Pregnancy symptoms or ‘feeling pregnant’ even after two to three weeks. The signs to watch out for are morning sickness, fatigue, breast tenderness, etc.
- Passing pieces of pregnancy tissues and large blood clots for several days.
- Lastly, no bleeding after taking Misoprostol pills, even after 24 hours – could be a sign of ectopic pregnancy, a conception beyond 12 weeks, or the pill not causing uterine contractions strong enough for passing the pregnancy.
- If these symptoms occur, seek medical attention immediately to check for the pregnancy status.
How to Check for a Pregnancy After Abortion?
Here is how you may confirm the abortion pill process result:
- After 14 days of taking the last abortion pill, get an ultrasound detection for pregnancy (usually involves a scan of the whole abdomen). This shall show up the uterus clearly having pregnancy leftovers or not.
- Though an abortion at home with pills is feasible, we suggest this in-clinic scan rather than using a pregnancy test kit.
- Pregnancy hormones like hCG stay in the system for several weeks.
- Thus, the pregnancy test kit using urine or blood samples may not show the right results compared to an abdominal ultrasound.
When and Why Abortion Pills May Fail?
It is unlikely for a medical abortion at home to fail. However, the pills do not have a 100% success rate. In some instances, failure is possible. But the reason for an incomplete pregnancy termination could be any of the following as well:
- Pre-existing health issues affecting action mechanism or absorption of the MTP Kit pills.
- Taking Mifepristone and Misoprostol medicine beyond 10-12 weeks of gestation.
- An extrauterine pregnancy (ectopic pregnancy) or other complicated pregnancy scenarios such as a molar pregnancy, cannot be ended with the abortion pill use.
- Not adhering to the right method of administering the pills – incorrect dosage, taking only Mifepristone but not Misoprostol, not taking enough Misoprostol pills, not maintaining the proper timing between use of the two medications, etc.
What to Do If You Think the Abortion Pills Didn’t Work?
If you find signs of an abortion at home not going as expected or indications of an incomplete termination, then do the following:
- Do not take additional MTP Kit pills without medical guidance if there are no bleeding or signs of a successful abortion.
- Contact a healthcare professional immediately. Let the doctor know the symptoms you are undergoing and signs of a continued pregnancy. The appointment may oversee a physical exam, blood tests, ultrasound, and pregnancy hormone level diagnosis.
- Emergency care could be necessary if you are experiencing fever over 100.4°F (38°C) for more than 24 hours, soaking two or more large sanitary pads per hour for the next two hours and so forth, rapid heartbeat, faintness, severe pain not reduced by pain meds, or signs of infection.
- Remember, if you go in too early for a consultation after taking the abortion pill (like in a week or so), the uterus may be expelling the pregnancy in this duration. You may be asked to return for an ultrasound after 10-12 days.
- If the medical abortion at home is incomplete, the physician may suggest a surgical termination to remove the leftover pregnancy tissue or suggest a second dose of Misoprostol.
What to Expect During Abortion Recovery?
Following a successful pregnancy termination, here is what to expect during the recovery phase:
- Most bleeding will disappear and the blood flow should recede over the next few days, ending in a few weeks.
- Some spotting and cramping may persist while the uterus heals. Consider avoiding heavy physical activity while the bleeding is heavy to moderate.
- Drink plenty of fluids and water, take time to rest and relax, and maintain a regular and restful sleep cycle.
- Avoid putting anything into the vagina after an abortion at home, for at least two weeks or as recommended by a healthcare provider. This includes vaginal intercourse, use of tampons, and menstrual cups.
- Your next menstrual period should arrive after 4 to 6 weeks. In some instances, it may take longer for the menstrual cycle to normalize.
- In case, the first period after medical abortion at home does not happen within 6 to 8 weeks, or if there are abortion symptoms like bleeding and cramping restarting, then consult a doctor at the earliest.
A Short Recap to Get You Ready for a Medical Abortion
Here is an overview of what we have discussed so far to help breakdown the facts:
- Signs of a successful abortion with pills are heavy vaginal bleeding, abdominal cramps, and pain after a few hours of Misoprostol. These symptoms reduce after a couple or more days of a successful termination. Some common side effects may persist due to hormonal changes.
- While an abortion pill is highly effective, it is not completely foolproof. At times, improper dosage, taking medicine in complicated pregnancies or beyond 12 weeks, or certain medical conditions and interactions may reduce the efficacy of medical pregnancy termination.
- Signs of an abortion at home failing or a problem requiring emergency care or doctor’s attention are prolonged bleeding, severe pain not going away by using pain relievers, signs of being pregnant even after two weeks of abortion pill use, infection, etc.
- Get an ultrasound of the abdomen after 14 days of an abortion pill course. Seek a professional’s guidance on detecting abortion results and follow the guidance to end the pregnancy, in case of an incomplete abortion.
- Understand what happens during recovery after a medical abortion. Take care of your health by having a nutritious diet, staying hydrated, relaxing, and keeping a check on your next period.
A medical abortion at home is easy to follow, if you understand how to self-initiate the procedure. Since MTP Kit pills have a high success rate, they are relied on worldwide to perform an early pregnancy termination. At Homeabortionrx, we deliver effective abortion pills ensuring your privacy is intact, and that you receive compassionate care, promised by our team. So, if you are looking for a safe place for abortion pills, you are already here.