If a woman has an abortion, her body can then recover in different ways, and this depends on the chosen method of abortion. The experience of the doctor conducting this procedure is also important. The body after a medical interruption much faster returns to normal, but surgical intervention usually requires quite serious rehabilitation measures. So how long does recovery from abortion take? Try to answer this question.
General recommendations
In order for recovery after an abortion to be successful and without complications, you need to give up sex for 3 weeks. Sexual incontinence after surgery is very dangerous, as there is a high probability of various complications, such as rejection of the uterine mucosa or bleeding. The infection that got into the body during intercourse leads to this.
Physical health is usually restored after an abortion, usually 2 weeks, and sports are contraindicated during this period. This is necessary so that the abdominal muscles are at rest. It is also forbidden to lift weights. Thanks to successful physical recovery, the risk of complications is reduced.
In order to protect against infection or bacteria, it is necessary to refrain from bathing in the bathtub, pool or open water for some time.
An important factor after the procedure is proper nutrition. An abortion is very stressful for the body, so you should saturate it with trace elements and vitamins, as well as fiber and protein. It is also necessary to periodically measure body temperature, pulse, pressure. Any deviation of the body from the normal state indicates the onset of complications, so you should visit the doctor as soon as possible.
Quite often, recovering from an abortion requires taking antibiotics. In this case, do not drink alcohol.
Menstruation
Abortion is a serious stress for the body, so after it the menstrual cycle is almost always disrupted . Normally, in a young and healthy woman, the restoration of menstruation after an abortion is carried out in about a month. But it often happens that the cycle duration is lengthened or shortened, and the nature of the discharge also changes. A scanty daub may appear, and this is due to the incomplete restoration of the endometrium after surgery.
If the restoration of the menstrual cycle after abortion is accompanied by scanty secretions for a rather long time, it is necessary to be examined. Such a pathological condition can be caused by the following factors:
- Functional failure in the production of hormones by the pituitary, ovaries and hypothalamus. This usually occurs after medical abortion and is associated with the intake of a large amount of antiprogestin, and therefore hormone therapy is necessary.
- Mechanical damage to the endometrium or cervix. An endometrial injury in the uterine cavity leads to the formation of adhesions in the pelvis, which is rejected during menstruation.
You should also be wary if the recovery of the cycle after abortion is accompanied by copious discharge. They may indicate that endometrial hyperplasia or adenomyosis develops.
Uterus Recovery
After an abortion, the uterus is most affected, and it suffers rather serious damage when a pregnancy is terminated for a long time. Especially severe injuries cause curettage with tools.
After abortion, the uterus begins to contract and takes on its normal size. But in the place where the ovum was attached, a large wound appears, which takes time to heal.
If everything proceeds without complications, then the restoration of the uterus after an abortion lasts about a month and by the beginning of menstruation it usually has its former size. But if after 2 weeks during the compulsory examination the doctor sees that the uterus has enlarged, softened or become painful and all this is accompanied by dark red discharge with a very unpleasant odor, then we can assume its inflammation.
This condition occurs for the following reasons:
- poorly performed abortion, as a result of which a part of the fetal egg remains in the uterus;
- infection;
- activation of latent infection;
- formation of hematometers.
Recovery after medical abortion
In another way, such an abortion is called hormonal and is carried out in the early stages (up to 6 weeks) using drugs that cause a miscarriage. Such drugs belong to different pharmacological groups and affect the contractile activity of the uterus and the production of hormones that support the course of pregnancy. Under the influence of these medicines, the uterus begins to contract strongly, hormone production decreases, as a result of which the fetal egg dies and a miscarriage occurs.
To restore after a hormonal abortion without complications, there are certain rules:
- you need to try to prevent stress, eat right and have a good rest;
- to reduce pain after an abortion, women take drugs, but only after coordinating them with the doctor, as they can weaken the immune system;
- a special diet will help saturate the body with vitamins and minerals;
- it is necessary to abandon sexual activity for a certain time in order to avoid infection, repeated pregnancy;
- it is necessary to observe the peculiarity of the menstrual cycle and the nature of the discharge, and if after 2 months it does not recover, hormonal correction will be required .
If you follow all these recommendations, you can avoid quite serious complications.
What complications may arise?
After an abortion, negative consequences can be expected. For example, a part of the fetal egg remains in the uterus, so the doctor cleanses, which leads to additional damage to the uterine mucosa and its neck. This provokes the occurrence of bleeding, which requires urgent hospitalization. In addition, the presence in the uterine cavity of the remains of the fetal parts creates a favorable environment for the development of infection. With injuries of the mucosa without treatment, salpingitis, endometritis or purulent inflammation occurs.
What symptoms require you to see a doctor?
When the following symptoms appear, do not hesitate, but you must consult a doctor:
- severe bleeding with clots;
- discharge with a pungent odor;
- high fever, not straying even with drugs;
- severe abdominal pain;
- nausea, fainting, dizziness.
Recovery after an abortion proceeds in different ways, but the main thing is that a woman devotes as much time as possible to her health. Two weeks after the procedure, minor physical activity is already recommended.
Further pregnancy
Many women care if they can have children after an abortion. This is quite likely before the restoration of the menstrual cycle. After this procedure, the body is able to quickly rebuild, returning to its normal rhythm. In preparation for a new menstruation, the ovaries begin to produce progesterone and estrogens, contributing to the occurrence of ovulation.
Further pregnancy should be planned no earlier than after 6 months, or even after a year. This time will be enough to restore the body, and the likelihood of complications is significantly reduced.
Use of contraception
To avoid unwanted pregnancy after an abortion, it is necessary to choose the right contraception. The best option is the use of tablets, which, among other things, eliminate the effects of hormonal failure and protect against endocrine disorders. Thanks to birth control pills, the risk of inflammation is dramatically reduced. In addition, these contraceptives contribute to:
- a decrease in the amount of blood released, which can become a source of the development of pathogenic microflora;
- a decrease in the activity of uterine contractions, due to which pathogens cannot penetrate from the uterine cavity into the tubes;
- compaction of cervical mucus, which serves as an obstacle to the penetration of infection.
Tablets containing a small amount of hormones are considered the most effective, since the estrogens that are part of the drug contribute to increased blood coagulation.
Output
Thus, if a woman was forced to terminate the pregnancy, then she must remember that recovery from abortion can last quite a long time and be accompanied by various complications. Therefore, to avoid unwanted pregnancy, you should use contraception.