The decision to have an abortion is not one most women make lightly. Experiencing an unexpected pregnancy can be incredibly stressful. With the pressures of fulfilling the expectations of your boyfriend, family, and work, it’s not uncommon to feel an initial sense of relief following an abortion.
But what about after the emotional and physical experiences of abortion? Many women experience the lasting, painful aftermath of the experience, both physical and emotional.
But what about afterward? For many women, the initial relief of an abortion is shortly accompanied by various symptoms, both physical and emotional.
In this blog, we’ll go over some of the after-abortion symptoms you can expect and provide you with some helpful coping options.
Experiencing physical pain after an abortion is not at all uncommon. Many women report cramping and bleeding after having an abortion.
Generally speaking, this pain can last up to two weeks or longer, depending on how far along the fetus was developed at the time of abortion.
If you find your symptoms lasting longer than this, it’s a good idea to check in with your healthcare provider. Unfortunately, post-abortion care follow-up isn’t a priority for many healthcare providers, so you will likely need to take the initiative yourself in scheduling an appointment.
One area that is often neglected in discussions of post-abortion care is the emotional and/or spiritual effect an abortion can have.
Many women don’t regret their decision to have an abortion; it’s true. But there are also plenty of women who do. And even if you don’t regret your decision to abort, that doesn’t mean you won’t need to undergo some emotional or even spiritual healing in the process.
This could be due to mourning a future that could have been with a child, feeling like the abortion was due to pressure from others and not legitimately your decision, or a religious conviction you feel like you might have betrayed.
As such, having a support network is essential for post-abortion care.
The truth is, while the physical pain of an abortion can last for a couple of weeks, sometimes the emotional pain of the experience can take months, if not years, to heal from.
Hope Pregnancy Center offers post-abortion care for clients of all ages and stages, regardless of when your abortion was performed. Our care team is ready and available to help you process everything and find healing, all within a confidential space with women who have shared your experience.