Expert: Doctor Early Options - 10/7/2009

Question
Hi Dr. Joan,

I have been fretting endlessly about preparing to have a surgical abortion (aspiration I'm assuming) on friday of this week.  I'm just 6 weeks along, and my question is, after reading so much material online, how much pain could I expect from the procedure?  It seems whatever I read talks about horror stories of extreme pain, massive cramps, feelings worse than giving birth.  Is this true?

Answer
Dear Samantha,
At 6 weeks of pregnacy, you are very early, and the Aspiration Procedure is the most safe and simple early abortion method.

If you are having the Aspiration abortion Procedure, it is not painful at all.  Most women describe it like bad period cramps, that go away completely within minutes.  The best thing to do is to read testimonials from my website: earlyabortionoptions.com, and go to "See patient reviews."  Many patients write about their experience with the Aspiration Procedure, and they are all positive.

If you are getting a surgical abortion procedure, it can be more painful, depending on how it is done.  Make sure they do not use a "curette."  That is what's used to scrape the uterus AND IT IS UNNECESSARY for early abortion at 6 weeks.  If you don't use a curette, the surgical procedure is not that painful, and can be done while you're awake.  

Either way I would not describe an abortion (even with scraping) as close to the pain of giving birth.  There is no comparison.  It is not that painful, and it is over quickly.  

I hope this is helpful and good luck!
Doctor Joan
EarlyAbortionOptions.com
New York City