Expert: Pat G - 12/7/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I need to know I recently had a surgical abortion i was 8 weeks and i was take under anastatic and to theather, and now 14 weeks later another doctor says the baby is still inside me how possible is that and how healthy is that child after all tthe pills i was given and i took laxatives and other pills after that. what do i need to do, i doubt that foetus is healthy
Please help me

ANSWER: Hello, Goitsemang,

It is possible for the baby to be missed during an abortion. Do you still have symptoms of pregnancy? By now, you should have noticed that your uterus is larger, if the baby is still alive. Lie on your stomach and see if you feel a lump. You would be 22 weeks, so you should feel movement by now. You haven't said what pills you took. Although some medications will cause defects, the odds are that your baby is OK. The body is completely formed by 8 weeks, so there wouldn't be any gross malformations. If you can, you can get a sonogram, and see that the baby is all right. All women face the possibility that their babies will not be perfect. It's something you have to be patient about. If you are unable to handle the situation when your baby is born, you can choose adoption. There are people who are willing to adopt babies with a disability. But give yourself a few days after the birth, and see how you feel about it. I can tell you that mothering a baby with a disability can be a very rewarding experience.

If the baby is no longer living, which is likely if you haven't experienced signs of pregnancy, you may have what is called a missed abortion. Sometimes a woman's body will take care of the problem by itself, but sometimes the doctor will need to intervene. Follow your doctor's recommendations. Let me know what you find out and how things go. If you need any resources, let me know that, too. Take care.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response the baby is 14 weeks and I have been sleeping on my tummy and not feeling any pains or discomforts and I need to know at what grounds can i be given an abortion again cause I dont wanna take the risk of giving birth to a child iam not sure will be mentally or physically ok.  

Answer
You're welcome.

If the baby is 14 weeks, and you weigh a lot, you may not notice anything. But the best way to deal with it is to see the doctor. If you have a problem, he can treat you to protect your health. If you don't have a problem, then you can just leave things alone. As I said, it is unlikely that your baby has any serious abnormalities, since you didn't have the abortion until you were 8 weeks along. Any time a woman gets pregnant, she runs a risk, however slight, of having a baby with an abnormality. In reality, we all carry at least 4 lethal genes. That's just the way things are. Try not to worry about it. Just take one day at a time.

I wouldn't recommend you have another abortion anyway, since it can cause birth defects in your future children.

So consult your doctor. Let me know what you find out.