What most women do not know is that they can get pregnant soon after having an abortion. This is because the process of ovulation begins after an abortion, though you might be having slight bleeding or spotting. If you have unprotected sex within 2 weeks of getting an abortion done, you may very well get pregnant. Read to know about getting pregnant after an abortion.
Use contraceptives if you intend to avoid getting pregnant. Ovulation or the process of releasing an egg from the ovary is a natural phenomenon and is regulated by the mother’s hormones. In the absence of any contraceptive measure, pregnancy can occur as the regular ovarian cycle resumes its due course.
In This Article
- What is Abortion?
- How Soon Can I Get Pregnant After An Abortion?
- How Can I Ensure A Safe Pregnancy After An Abortion?
- Tips To Get Pregnant Fast After An Abortion
- Does Abortion Affect Future Pregnancies?
- What Can Be The Risks Of Getting Pregnant After Abortion?
- How To Avoid Pregnancy After An Abortion?
- FAQ’s
What is Abortion?
Abortion is the loss of a pregnancy that doesn’t result in the birth of a baby. Abortion is the name given to the process of expulsion of the fetus from the uterus before the fetus has reached the status of viability usually before the 20th week of pregnancy (1).
How Soon Can I Get Pregnant After An Abortion?
Medically, your body gets ready for the next pregnancy immediately after abortion which means that your body is ready to get pregnant during your next menstrual cycle.
However, there are a number of factors you need to consider before you plan your next pregnancy. You need to give your body and mind enough time to heal from the trauma of abortion. You need to be physically and mentally ready to get pregnant again.
Most importantly, your doctor must give you the go-ahead for your next pregnancy, especially if you have experienced consecutive miscarriages.
How Can I Ensure A Safe Pregnancy After An Abortion?
Make sure to discuss at length the various factors affecting pregnancy after abortion. Here is a list of steps that ensure viable pregnancy post-abortion-
1. Safe Abortion
Make sure the abortion is done by a qualified doctor so that no damage occurs. This is very important from the point of future pregnancies. Damage to the cervix, perforation of the uterus, and incomplete abortion are some of the common adverse effects of inadequately done abortion. They impede your chances of future pregnancies too.
2. The ‘Right Time’
Avoid sexual activity for at least a week after the abortion. This is beneficial for the health of the women as well as ensures good quality of semen. Both are important for ensuring a viable pregnancy.
3. Sexual Intercourse
Catch the right time at the right time as soon as the rest period is over. Have frequent healthy sex, as it amplifies your chances of becoming pregnant.
4. Ovulation Kit
Use an ovulation kit to keep a record of your ovulation period and assess your fertility chances (2). According to doctors having sex during the first 14 days after your menstrual period increases your chances of becoming pregnant. This is termed a fertile period.
5. Lie flat
Do not rise immediately after having sexual intercourse. In fact, place a pillow or rolled-up sheet under your buttocks for a few minutes and lie flat for about 15 to 20 minutes. This facilitates the sperm to reach the released eggs in the uterus and makes fertilization possible.
6. Maintain Fitness
After an abortion, your health suffers so it is very important to take good care of your health. Refrain from smoking or consuming alcohol and cut down on your caffeine intake too. Smoking and drinking can lead to spontaneous abortions (3) and must be strictly avoided from the time you plan to conceive. Do light exercises such as walking or meditation.
7. Eat Healthy
Diet is an important factor affecting your health. Include a lot of fresh seasonal fruits and green leafy vegetables in your regular diet. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, dairy, and seafood is associated with reduced chances of miscarriage (4).
8. Be Positive
Adopt a positive attitude towards life. Shun all negative thoughts and ideas. This may help keep you happy and healthy, both of which are important for having a good life.
9, Regular Medical Checkups
Get regular and routine medical checkups done by your doctor. Remember your health is of utmost importance. You can become pregnant soon after having an abortion as normally the process of ovulation begins.
Tips To Get Pregnant Fast After An Abortion
If your doctor gives a green signal and you wish to conceive soon after the abortion, you can follow the tips below to get pregnant.
- Stay hydrated and drink plenty of fluids
- Refrain from heavy physical work for a few days
- Take adequate rest
- Eat a lot of healthy fresh fruits and vegetables to get the natural supply of vitamins, and minerals
- Take antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor to avoid falling prey to infections
- Do not exercise for at least the initial two weeks after the abortion
- Say no to swimming for two weeks
- Maintain strict personal hygiene
Does Abortion Affect Future Pregnancies?
No, abortions are quite common and go unnoticed in many cases. In most cases, you should be able to concieve easily after an abortion without any issues.
However, if you are experiencing repeated abortions and miscarriages, you may need to consult a fertility specialist to rule out any underlying causes that may make a successful pregnancy difficult for you.
What Can Be The Risks Of Getting Pregnant After Abortion?
Whether the abortion is planned or spontaneous, future pregnancies are generally not affected. Sometimes abortion can adversely affect your physical and psychological health. There are chances of complications that might affect your future pregnancies.
a. Repeated Abortions or Miscarriages
Having a previous abortion can put you in the risk zone of having another abortion especially in the cases of induced abortions (5).
b. Scarring of Uterine Wall
Sometimes, surgical abortions can lead to the scarring of the uterine wall which may make future conception difficult.
c. Fallopian Tube Blockage
Some women may experience an ectopic pregnancy and may need an abortion and fallopian tube removal. If the Fallopian tubes are blocked, then the sperm and eggs cannot meet, and this may result in secondary infertility.
d. Abdominal pain
Sometimes abortion can result in persistent abdominal pain and discomfort.
e. Bleeding
This is another complication of having an abortion because the inner lining of the uterus gets damaged and this can hamper future conception.
Additional complications may include preterm delivery (6) postpartum heavy bleeding, placental retention, etc.
How To Avoid Pregnancy After An Abortion?
If you do not want to get pregnant immediately after an abortion, then take appropriate steps and seek a doctor’s advice. Contraceptive measures (7) such as intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUD), contraceptive pills, condoms, depot provera injections, etc., should be adopted to evade the probability of having an uneventful pregnancy.
It is optimally safe to discuss your pregnancy after abortion with the gynecologist to ensure maternal and fetal safety. Ideally, it is recommended to wait for at least three months before you try to become pregnant. An important point that your doctor will consider when you wish to become pregnant is to keep the safety of the mother and fetus in mind.
Well, it is good news that you can conceive immediately after an abortion, especially for those who are eager to conceive. The loss of a fetus can be quite discouraging but with proper medical care and recommendations, you can conceive and have a baby again. Keep the pregnancy-supporting factors in mind and have a wonderful pregnant life!
FAQ’s
1. How Soon Can You Get Pregnant After Abortion?
For many women, it may be possible to get pregnant in the immediate menstrual cycle after a miscarriage. However, some women may need time to heal both physically and mentally from the trauma related to the abortion. It is important to heal completely before you go ahead with planning for your next pregnancy. Some doctors suggest waiting for 6 to 8 weeks before getting pregnant again. It is best to get doctors’ advice in this regard.
2. Is it Easier to Get Pregnant After An Abortion?
Some women find it easier to get pregnant after an abortion while others may find that they take more time and effort to get pregnant post abortion. Many factors influence your chances of getting pregnant after an abortion.
3. How do I Know if I am Ovulating After an Abortion?
Ovulation symptoms post-abortion are the same as regular ovulation. You can observe for signs of ovulation such as observing cervical mucus and tracking basal body temperature and use ovulation prediction kits to track if you are ovulating.
References
- A research on abortion: ethics, legislation and socio-medical outcomes. Case study: Romania – PMC – [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7728127/]
- Should home-based ovulation predictor kits be offered as an additional approach for fertility management for women and couples desiring pregnancy? A systematic review and meta-analysis – PMC – [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6509595/]
- The association of smoking, use of snuff, and preconception alcohol consumption with spontaneous abortion: A population-based cohort study – PubMed – [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36222196/]
- The association between dietary patterns and risk of miscarriage: a systematic review and meta-analysis – PubMed – [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37061157/]
- Induced abortion and risk of subsequent miscarriage | International Journal of Epidemiology | Oxford Academic – [https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/32/3/449/637113?login=false]
- Determinants of repeated abortion among women of reproductive age attending health facilities in Northern Ethiopia: a case–control study | BMC Public Health – [https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4106-1]
- Contraceptive Methods: Needs, Options and Utilization – PMC – [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3307935/]
