Abortion Aftercare

Caring for your wellbeing after an abortion

It’s a good idea to rest and take it easy for a couple of days after an abortion. Most people have a smooth and quick recovery period, but if you have any worries you can call our Aftercare Line. Our nurse-led Aftercare Line is open 24 hours a day, including weekends and bank holidays. We are always here for you.

NUPAS Aftercare Line

From the UK:
0333 016 0400

From the Republic of Ireland:
(01) 874 0097

From All Other Countries:
+0044 161 4872660

Bleeding: What is Normal?

Bleeding can vary for each person and each abortion. It is important to wear sanitary towels suitable for a heavy flow to keep track of how much you bleed. We have described the type of bleeding that can be expected for medical and surgical abortions with some images to guide you below. If you are ever unsure if what you are experiencing is normal, call our Aftercare Line.

Medical Abortion (Abortion Pills)

It is normal to have light, moderate, or heavy bleeding during a medical abortion. Not everyone will pass blood clots during a medical abortion. For those who do, the clots should be no larger than a lemon.

It is not usual to have no bleeding, scant bleeding, or flooding during a medical abortion.

Call our Aftercare Line on 0333 016 0400 if:

You do not bleed at all, or only have spotting or scant bleeding 48 hours after taking the Misoprostol pills (see Scant image).
You have heavy bleeding that soaks 2 heavy-flow sanitary towels per hour for 2 hours in a row (see Heavy image).

Call 999 if you experience extremely heavy bleeding (see Flooding image) and feel unwell.

Find out more about what to expect during a medical abortion here.

Surgical Abortion

It is normal to bleed as much as your usual heaviest menstrual period after a surgical abortion. You may pass small blood clots. Bleeding usually stops after 1-2 weeks. You may have spotting until your next period. You may not bleed until your next period and that’s normal too.

Sometimes you may feel a short pain with a gush of blood or a clot several weeks after the abortion. Call us if this continues.

Call our Aftercare Line on 0333 016 0400 if:

You are bleeding more than your usual heaviest period.
You have heavy bleeding that soaks 2 or more heavy-flow sanitary towels per hour, for 2 hours in a row (see Heavy image).

Call 999 if you experience extremely heavy bleeding (see Flooding image) and feel unwell.

Find out more about what to expect during a surgical abortion.

Pain: What is Normal?

You will have strong pain and cramping during a medical abortion. You may have some pain and cramping after a surgical abortion. This cramping feels similar to period pains.

Pain Relief

It is important that you have pain medication ready at home. Our team will talk to you about pain relief during your consultation. The best pain relief for you will depend on your medical history. Always check the labels for instructions and medical guidance.

Pain relief that can help abortion pains and cramps include:

Ibuprofen (2 x 200 mgs). This can be taken every 4 – 6 hours.
Codeine Phosphate (1 x 30 mgs). This can be taken every 6 – 8 hours.
Warm hot water bottle or heat pad on your lower abdomen (tummy). Heat can help reduce pain.

Call our Aftercare Line on 0333 016 0400 if :

You have abdominal (tummy) pain or discomfort that is not helped by pain relief medication, or by using a heat pad.

Understanding Complications

Serious complications have warning signs. If you have any of the symptoms listed below call our Aftercare Line straight away as they can (but not always) be a sign of infection or complication:

Flu-like symptoms such as a fever, high temperature and feeling shivery 24 hours after your abortion, this could be a sign of infection or sepsis.

Abdominal (tummy) pain or discomfort that is not helped by pain relief medication, or by using a heat pad.

Vaginal discharge that smells unpleasant.

Very heavy bleeding. Soaking through more than 2 heavy-flow sanitary towels an hour for 2 hours in a row.

During a medical abortion - No bleeding, or only spotting or scant bleeding 48 hours after taking Misoprostol tablets.

If you have pregnancy symptoms 2 weeks after the abortion.

Features suggestive of sepsis and indicating the need for urgent intervention include:

Low Blood Pressure which may present in the form of light-headedness or dizziness, feeling sick, blurred vision, generally feeling weak, confusion and fainting.

Fast heart rate when not undertaking physical activities.

Increased breathing rate when not undertaking physical activities.

Further information about sepsis

Call our Aftercare Line

Call 999 or ask your support individual to phone for an ambulance immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

Loss of consciousness.

Severe allergic reaction such as facial, mouth, throat swelling or breathing difficulties.

Extreme heavy bleeding (flooding). Soaking through heavy-flow sanitary towels every 5 - 10 minutes and passing blood clots larger than the size of your hand.

Worsening pain in one side of the lower tummy, under the ribs, or up to the shoulders. This might indicate an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy.

After Your Abortion

2 Weeks After

If you had sore breasts, sickness or nausea before your abortion it may take a week or so before symptoms subside. If you have been pregnant for around 12 weeks or more your breasts may feel tender and leak after an abortion. You can take pain relief medication and use a cold pack to ease breast discomfort.

Call our Aftercare Line if you are concerned, or if your pregnancy symptoms last longer than two weeks.

3 Weeks After

4 Weeks After

What Activities Can I Do After an Abortion?

After your abortion is complete, you can usually return to your normal activities as soon as you feel comfortable. Find out more about specific activities below.

Driving

Having a Bath or Shower

Menstrual Products

Exercising

Heavy Lifting

Sex

Travelling Outside the UK

It is best to not travel a long way for 24 hours after an abortion. If you do need to travel, have an adult companion with you.

We recommend that you do not to go on holiday until you have had a negative pregnancy test 3 weeks after your abortion. Travel insurance companies may need to be told about recent abortion treatment for them to cover any related medical issues while you are away.

It is illegal to take abortion pills prescribed to you out of the country. This is because different countries have different laws on abortions.

Your Emotional Wellbeing

After an abortion, you may feel a mix of emotions. All emotions are normal and valid.

If you feel low or have conflicting emotions that linger after your abortion, you might like to access counselling. This could be a couple of weeks after an abortion. It could be a couple of years after. No matter how long ago you were in our care, you are welcome to access our free counselling service.

Find Out More About our Counselling Service