A positive pregnancy test might have been the shock of your life. And now you aren’t sure what to do next but are exploring all of your options. After all, the best decision is an informed one.
Maybe you have heard about abortion but don’t actually know that much about the details of what it entails.
But if abortion is an option you are considering, you don’t want to be blind-sighted about what it would be like–and especially what the risks look like.
Here is everything you need to know.
What is a Chemical Abortion?
A chemical abortion happens when you take the abortion pill series within the first ten weeks of pregnancy. First, you take Mifeprex, which blocks the hormone progesterone. This hormone is like a delivery truck that brings oxygen and nutrients into the womb. Mifeprex crashes the vehicle, so it can no longer make deliveries.
Without progesterone, the pregnancy is starved until it ends.
Then, the second pill Misoprostol is taken, which begins labor-like contractions to expel the pregnancy.
What are the Risks of the Abortion Pill?
Taking the abortion pill can cause:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Heavy bleeding
- Infection
- Incomplete Abortion
What is a Surgical Abortion?
A surgical abortion usually happens in the second trimester when the abortion pill is no longer an option.
The cervix is mechanically dilated, and instruments are used to pull the fetus and pregnancy parts out of the womb.
What Are the Risks?
Risks include:
- Incomplete abortion
- Infection and sepsis
- Tearing of the uterine wall
- Damage to other internal organs
- Heavy bleeding and hemorrhaging
- Infertility
- Death
What Are My Other Options?
Abortion is not your only option for an unplanned pregnancy.
If you are not ready to be a parent, you could also consider adoption. In Ohio, you can receive financial aid for labor and birth, housing, food, maternity clothes, and more if you are a birth mother placing your baby for adoption. You also would get to choose the family your child is placed with and choose whether or not you want to have contact with him or her in the future.
Parenting might be another good option for you, even if it sounds a little scary now. A lot of time, fear comes simply because of uncertainty. Perhaps your anxiety about being a mother could be quelled after receiving education about being a mother. We also can help you find resources that can help you be successful in that role.
The state also offers programs like WIC for help with food and Medicaid for help with medical bills for pregnant women.
If you are uncertain about what to do with your unplanned pregnancy, please call us today to talk through all the different options that you have. We can answer your questions and point you toward helpful resources.
