Signs of pregnancy after an abortion. Don’t be taken by “Unawares”
pregnancy after abortion

Abortions are meant to terminate a pregnancy but there are times when a woman still sees signs of pregnancy after an abortion. Don’t be taken unawares.

Abortion doesn’t mean that a woman will not want to have a baby again in the future. Are you wondering how having an abortion can affect your future chance of getting pregnant again? If you’re thinking that you might be pregnant soon after an abortion or you are trying to get pregnant or wanting to avoid getting pregnant again after abortion, then keep reading.

Normally, having an abortion will not affect your fertility. It is possible to get pregnant a few weeks after having an abortion. This can even happen when you haven’t had a period since the abortion. This is dependent on how far along you were in your pregnancy before the abortion.

Signs of a continuing pregnancy even after an abortion

A continuing pregnancy is a pregnancy that continues to develop even after the use of Mifepristone and Misoprostol for abortion. In such an occurrence, the abortion failed and the fetus lives, meaning that the woman is still pregnant. Research has shown that the risks of a continuing pregnancy increase depending on the length of the pregnancy before the abortion.

See also signs of incomplete abortion to never ignore

Even though you bleed, it does not always mean that the abortion was successful. If you still have symptoms of pregnancy such as sore breasts, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, or fatigue, you may be experiencing a continuing pregnancy. In this case, you should either wait 3 weeks then do a pregnancy test or you do an ultrasound within a week.

Doing a pregnancy test before 3 weeks may not be reliable because the signs of the previous pregnancy could still linger, making the test show a false positive.

How long does it take to get pregnant after an abortion?

It is possible to get pregnant again in your next ovulation period after an abortion. Since abortion restarts a woman’s menstrual cycle, ovulation can occur as soon as 2 weeks after an abortion. This means that even before a woman’s next period, she may become pregnant. Since menstrual cycles also vary in length from woman to woman, those with shorter cycles may ovulate sooner.

The duration of the pregnancy before the abortion can also influence the onset of ovulation. If a pregnancy was farther along, maybe around the second or third trimester, a woman’s ovulation may delay for several weeks after abortion. This happens when pregnancy hormones linger in the body. Therefore, to avoid getting pregnant soon after an abortion, use contraceptives or condoms during sexual intercourse.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a woman can use any form of contraceptive, immediately after an abortion or delivery. Thus how long it will take for a woman to get pregnant after an abortion will depend on the length of her menstrual cycle and how far along she was in her pregnancy before the abortion.

How can you conclude you are pregnant again after an abortion?

If you had unprotected sex and haven’t had a period within like six weeks since the abortion, take a home pregnancy test. If the results are positive, head to the hospital for a confirmatory pregnancy test to be done to determine whether you’re pregnant or still have leftover pregnancy hormones from the aborted pregnancy.

Signs and Symptoms of pregnancy following an abortion are similar to symptoms of any regular pregnancy. They include:

  • tender breasts,
  • sensitivity to smells or tastes,
  • nausea or vomiting,
  • fatigue, and
  • a missed period.

Usually, symptoms of pregnancy like nausea, vomiting, and weariness normally end within 3 days after the abortion. Breast tenderness may remain for up to 10 days before disappearing. Your breasts may leak and be tender and firm after the abortion. However, breasts will become normal after about 4 days of swelling.

Summary

It’s possible to get pregnant again in the next ovulation cycle after having an abortion. If you’re trying to avoid becoming pregnant again, begin using a birth control method immediately after the abortion or use a condom during unprotected sexual intercourse. A healthcare provider can give you better advice on which is better for you.

Pregnancy hormones quickly reduce after an abortion but it does not completely disappear immediately after the procedure. A pregnancy test will test high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine of the person. It normally takes like 15 to about 2 months for the hCG levels to normalize below detection by the test. Taking a pregnancy test within this period will likely show a false positive even if you aren’t still pregnant.

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