One week later: Abortion aftercare and follow ups

It has been a little over a week since I had the procedure. I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable about the body, but there are many things I didn't know regarding abortion aftercare that I thought I would share with you.

I mentioned in my first post that I became pregnant while on birth control. It also happened while I was on vacation. I didn't miss a pill, I took them in the mornings as usual, nothing out of the ordinary happened to make me think "OK, I understand why this happened." I have always trusted birth control 100% but apparently, even if taken as intended, you can only trust it 99%. The doctor was amazed that I became pregnant while taking birth control, and assured me that it was extremely rare. "Well," I said, "It happened once, can it happen again?" I was not able to get a straight answer. On one hand, what are the odds that something so unlikely would happen AGAIN? On the other, what if there is something about my body, my response to birth control, my boyfriend that makes it that much more likely that it will happen again. Anyhow, the questions are endless.

I had my follow up appointment on Saturday. When the procedure was performed, the doctor had the specimen analyzed to make sure the placenta was intact (if it isn't, they have to go back in and look for it). Luckily, everything was removed successfully. The doctor did another quick ultrasound and confirmed that everything was healing properly, and I was sent on my way.

Now, on to the aftercare:

1. No sex and no use of tampons for 2 weeks after the procedure. The cervix remains dilated for about 2 weeks after the procedure, so women would be much more likely to contract an infection.
2. About 3-4 weeks after the abortion, women can be hyper fertile, meaning it is possible to get pregnant again shortly following an abortion. Be careful and use condoms. Even if you are on birth control, remember that it doesn't always work (that's how I ended up in this predicament).
3. Your hormones will go crazy! Mine have always been relatively stable, but I honestly felt like I got a glimpse into what it's like to have Bipolar Disorder. I found myself acting extra needy (not at all in my personality), and being overly sensitive. Be prepared and remember that you have just gone through something intense, both physically and emotionally. Give yourself time to heal.
4. Limit your exercise. The muscles in your uterus are contracting to bring it back down to its normal size so you will feel some cramping. Don't overdo it on the workouts in the meantime!

I have since looked into getting the Mirena IUD. IUDs are considered to be the safest and most recommended birth controls for couples in a monogamous relationship (which I am). Without insurance, it costs about 350,000 won in Korea, which isn't cheap but when you consider the long term cost of birth control (and in my case the 500,000 spent on an abortion) it seems quite worth it. With insurance, You may be able to get it for less than 150,000! What a deal! And they're good for 5 years. The downside is it makes you more prone to infection because the IUD can act as an irritant, so women who might contract an STD should stay away from this method. There is also the copper IUD, which doesn't release hormones but is just as effective at preventing pregnancy as the hormone IUD. The major plus side is that an IUD removes all possibilities of human error (forgetting a pill, taking a pill too late, etc).

Following an abortion, you should wait until after your next period to get an IUD if you so choose.

I think that's all I have for now. Hope this helps.