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Abortion
When faced with the difficult situation of an unplanned pregnancy, abortion can seem to be the best choice. But many people know very little about it and you need more information to be able to decide for yourself.
How is abortion done?
- Abortions are free under the NHS and are carried out in a hospital or sometimes at a private clinic.
- Most abortions are done between 8 and 13 weeks of pregnancy under a general anaesthetic using the suction method.
- If you are under 35 and less than 9 weeks pregnant you may be offered RU486. By this method you take a tablet and later a vaginal pessary is used which lead to the abortion.
- Abortions over 14 weeks may involve going through a mini labour and delivery or maybe performed by an operation. The practice varies in different areas and for different pregnancies.
Immediately after an abortion there will almost certainly be a sense of relief.
There are small risks of:
- Infection (which can occasionally lead to infertility)
- Haemorrhaging (bleeding)
- Damage to the cervix or womb (which can cause miscarriage later).
- A possible increased risk of breast cancer
Later some women experience:
- A sense of loss, grief, guilt or regret
- Emptiness, and numbness
- Tearfulness and depression
- A strong desire for another baby
- Relationship problems
- A problem being near other babies
These sort of problems are more likely to happen if:
- You don’t feel comfortable with the idea of abortion
- You feel pressurised into the decision and feel you have no choice
- You have suffered with depression previously
- You have strong maternal feelings
If you would like to talk to one of our trained counsellors to help you think this through, do contact us at CedarOak.
