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- You may need to sit with your doctor and discuss what happened; the cause (if known), the treatment you were given, possible complications and what to do next. This may give you and your partner some direction and closure eventually.
- You may want to get a written report of what happened for your personal records so you don’t forget, can process the situation when your mind is clearer and also to refer to in the future as part of your medical history.
- Some abdominal cramping is expected in response to your womb trying to return to its pre-pregnancy size as well as the medication given to facilitate that by your doctor. Do not hesitate to request for further pain relief if you need it. You are perfectly within your rights.
- It’s important that you have a scan done before and after your womb has been evacuated. Depending on the age of the pregnancy at the time it came to an end there will be some bleeding which may resolve within a few days. This is to confirm that the pregnancy was actually situated within your womb (ie. not an ectopic) and then to ensure that all the products of conception which could cause prolonged bleeding, infection or formation of adhesions (which could compromise future fertility) have been removed completely.
- Still dependent on the age of the pregnancy, some women produce breast milk after evacuation. This can be an inconvenience as well as cause some discomfort if the mother gets engorged (breasts swollen with milk). There are medications that should be prescribed to suppress breast milk production. In some countries, mothers have been known to donate their milk to breast milk banks or intensive care units for premature babies who need it. We aren’t there yet but it’s reassuring to know that this option exists.
- As with regular childbirth please do not hesitate to go back to the hospital for treatment if you observe warning signs such as a fever of 38 degrees centigrade and above, foul smelling vaginal discharge, sudden , continuous bleeding which soaks a sanitary pad or more within an hour, passing of clots larger than an egg or golf ball and dizziness.