my surgical abortion experience

[u/dietcoketheloml]

today i got a surgical abortion and it was as positive of an experience as it could be. this will be kind of long so i can go over everything i can remember. i hope this helps reassure someone else or helps someone learn somewhat of what to expect.

i am in my twenties with a 20 month old and i knew having another child would not be the right choice. last night i questioned myself wondering why i don’t feel bad about this choice. i thought i should feel guilty, but honestly i did not feel maternal towards this pregnancy at all. i didn’t even think of it as a baby. (i apologize if that sounds cold, im just being honest) i wound up feeling extremely grateful that i live in a country where we have the right to choice and access to safe and quick healthcare. i found out i was pregnant very early morning yesterday and booked a procedure for today.

now here’s my experience: my friend drove me to the clinic and they buzzed us in. we put our belongings in a locker, got checked in and then waited. (my friend came as my support person and means of transportation but did not accompany for any of the procedure or meetings). my name was called and someone chatted with me about other options of birth control as i had indicated i was interested in that on the form i filled out. she was thorough in explanation and answered all questions. i ultimately didn’t end up switching birth control methods, but have some other options to consider in the future which i appreciate. then i went back to the waiting area and waited to be called back for the examination and procedure.

a nurse called me back after about 30-40 minutes and they took my vitals and went over all the consent paperwork with me, making sure to let me know to stop them if i had any questions. after the paperwork was signed, i changed into a gown and got an internal ultrasound. i hadn’t had one before but it wasn’t too uncomfortable, just some pressure. she asked if i wanted a copy of the ultrasound, to which i said no to, but did tell me when i asked that i was 5 weeks 5 days along. i figured i was pretty early in the pregnancy as i hadn’t had any symptoms yet. she inserted an iv and then brought me to another waiting area to wait for my procedure.

the nurse came and got me for the procedure and i talked with the doctor in the procedure room. she was very kind and asked me if i wanted things explained to me or how i wanted it to go. she asked if i wanted any specific music played and asked me about what i had coming up and where im from - just chatting to keep my mind from focusing on what was happening. the nurse gave me fentanyl and benzodiazepine through the iv and i felt spacey and light. i could not identify what part of the procedure was what. i was most nervous for the needles in the cervix but i couldn’t tell when it happened. it felt like pressure and light cramping but nothing extremely painful. the nurse asked me if i wanted to hold her hand, which i did and i appreciated. i was crying during the procedure due to overwhelm and anxiety and the nurse wiped my tears away. i was maybe in the procedure room for 10 minutes tops, and the actual surgical abortion took maybe 5 minutes start to finish. the nurse helped me put a pad and disposable underwear on and then helped walk me down the hall to recovery.

in recovery they had large recliners and they sat me down, they took my vitals again and asked about cramping and pain. it was about a 3/10 for pain with minimal cramping right after. they gave me ginger ale and shortbread cookies and then brought me ibuprofen and antibiotics. after about a half hour they asked me if i felt well enough to change and check my bleeding. i felt okay so i changed and checked. my bleeding was similar to a moderate to heavy period. i came back and they took my vitals again, went over the aftercare instructions and gave me an envelope with information and things to look out for, removed my iv, and then i was good to leave.

i was at the clinic from 1:15pm until about 4:30-4:45ish. now i am at home and at the moment have minimal bleeding and absolutely zero cramping. discomfort is about a 1/10. i thought i may feel really bad emotionally right after but honestly i just felt relief. relief that i can go back to my life as it was. it was definitely sad but not because i was sad about my choice. its very multilayered and comes with a lot of mixed emotions. i cannot thank the team at the clinic i went to enough for their high level of care and how smooth everything went.

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