Concerned about your period post-abortion? Don’t worry – it can take some time for your menstrual cycle to resume as normal after having an abortion. However, some signs and symptoms may require further follow-up and consultation with your healthcare provider. This article will delve into what you should expect regarding your period after having an abortion and when to seek medical attention.
When to expect your period
In general, it is normal for the menstrual cycle to take four to eight weeks to return after an abortion. However, if you haven’t had a period after five weeks, consider taking a pregnancy test or consulting a healthcare provider.
When you may get your period again will depend on what kind of birth control you are on. If you aren’t on hormonal birth control, you will likely get your period within eight weeks of your abortion. If you aren’t on hormonal birth control and eight weeks have passed without your period, it is best to consult with a healthcare provider.
If you are on hormonal birth control, your period may be lighter, shorter, or even missed altogether. This is because hormonal contraceptives can partially or completely suppress a normal menstrual cycle. Regardless, it is important to keep tabs on your period post-abortion.
It is also worth noting that some of the side effects of an abortion are similar to those of your period. For example, after an abortion, you may experience bleeding and clots for several days, and spotting could continue for several weeks afterwards. Some may mistake this for a period, when in reality it is just an abortion side effect. You can handle this bleeding the same way you do your period, with a pad, tampon, or menstrual cup. However, if you think you are bleeding too much, you can use normal pads to measure it. If you soak two regular pads per hour for two hours in a row after you think you have passed the pregnancy, this is considered very heavy bleeding. You should seek medical help if you bleed this much.
Hormonal recovery explained
The reason your period is delayed can be explained by hormone fluctuations before, during, and post-abortion. Upon becoming pregnant, two hormones known as progesterone and estrogen increase significantly throughout the body. This uptick in hormone levels is accompanied by typical symptoms of pregnancy, such as breast tenderness.
An abortion terminates the pregnancy and leads to the removal of pregnancy contents from the body. As such, there is a sudden dip in progesterone and estrogen levels, causing hormone shifts throughout. Thus, your hormones after an abortion can fluctuate while your body balances back to its normal, non-pregnant state. As such, ovulation may be delayed, affecting cycle regularity.
Because of these hormone fluctuations, you can usually expect your period to return in four to eight weeks.
Other things that can impact your period
Other factors can affect your period aside from just the abortion itself. It is important to be aware of these things so you can anticipate how your menstrual cycle may be impacted. For example, the following can cause changes to your period:
- Hormonal birth control. As previously mentioned, hormonal birth control suppresses ovulation, meaning you won’t have a real period despite experiencing vaginal bleeding. Although some may bleed once monthly like a normal period, others may experience irregular bleeding, spotting, or no bleeding at all.
- Stress. A large contributor to abnormal periods is stress levels. One study, for example, indicated that as many as 54 percent of individuals reported abnormal periods at the beginning of the pandemic. This is likely because of higher levels of stress at the time.
- Other health conditions. There are several health conditions that can impact your period regularity, specifically those having to do with your hormones. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid disease, for example, can impact your ability to ovulate or menstruate normally.
- Exercise and weight. Excessive weight loss or exercise can also make periods irregular or stop altogether.
Potential concerns to look out for
While a delayed period after an abortion is normal, there are a few signs and symptoms you should look out for. For example, if you experience severe pain, heavy bleeding, or any signs of pregnancy, seek medical advice. While abortion complications are very rare, they can still happen and would require intervention by a healthcare professional.
Conclusion
In summary, most people can expect their period to return within four to eight weeks after getting an abortion. It usually takes this long because of hormone fluctuations associated with terminating a pregnancy. It can take some time as the body begins to readjust back to its baseline, after which your menstrual cycle should resume as normal.
Remember that several other things can impact your cycle, including birth control, stress, health conditions, exercise, and weight. If you continue to go without a period for an extended period or experience signs of pain, prolonged heavy bleeding, or pregnancy symptoms, it is best to consult with a trusted healthcare provider.
It is also important to remember that you can become pregnant again as soon as 8 days after a medical abortion if you don’t use any protection, so if you find yourself not having your period and suspect that you might be pregnant, you can chat with Ally, our safe abortion chatbot, for information on how to use the abortion pills.