Medical abortion

In case of a medical abortion (the so called abortion pill) you will take medicines that induce a miscarriage. This treatment is only possible if you are less than 9 weeks pregnant. For the medical treatment you have to take several tablets spread over 2 or 3 days. This will cause you to lose the amniotic sac and you will have an early miscarriage. Medical treatment takes place in two phases.

Phase 1

In the first phase, you take a tablet of Mifepristone, a medicine that ensures that the pregnancy ends. It causes the cervix to dilate and expand and stimulates the contraction of the uterus. You come to the abortion centre to take the Mifepristone. You will first have a consultation with a psychosocial care provider, after which you will take the pill. Expect to spend about an hour at the centre.

You won’t usually notice anything from this first tablet. Only one in five women experience blood loss on the day after Phase 1. This can vary from a little to heavy blood loss with clots. Even if you think that the amniotic sac has already been expelled, it is important to complete the treatment. Are you suffering from pregnancy-related nausea and are you vomiting within an hour of taking the tablet? Please contact us.

Phase 2

For phase 2 of the treatment, use the prostaglandin tablets 24 to 48 hours after taking the Mifepristone. These cause the uterus to contract and thus cause the loss of the amniotic sac. You have to insert the tablets yourself vaginally. Usually, the amniotic sac is expelled after 4 to 6 hours. This is often accompanied by blood loss. You also often lose clots, thick pieces of blood. You may also experience abdominal cramps and nausea. Sometimes the amniotic sac is expelled earlier or later; this is different for everyone. The amniotic sac looks like a small, whitish cotton ball with flakes.

In the course of the day, the heavy loss of blood and the pain subsides. Does this not happen and do you continue to bleed very heavily for hours? Please contact the abortion centre or your nearest emergency department. Please bring the referral letter you received after your treatment at the centre.

Even after you have taken the pills, you will continue to lose blood for some time. The blood may contain clots. Sometimes this takes a week, but it can also last until the next menstruation. You will have your first period after 4 to 6 weeks.

After the treatment, you can immediately become pregnant again. Therefore, start using contraception immediately. Do you want an IUD to be placed? This is possible during or after your first period. You can contact your family doctor or gynaecologist for this. If you want to have it put in at the LUNA centre, you have to make a new appointment.