Expert: Doctor Early Options - 2/16/2009

Question
QUESTION: Dear Dr,
I have been reading all the questions posted on this website. Now I too have a question and I hope I get a relieving answer from your end. Dr.I am a hyper sensitive person and tend to think too much...I had an abortion on the 15th of Jan, this year...I was almost 2 and a half weeks pregnant. The Dr. conducted a suction abortion on me. I bled only on that day. For the next few days I could see some spotting..which is quite normal I believe. I felt absolutely normal and had no pain or any other side effect. The Dr. told me that my periods would start somewhere around the 15th of Feb. The first week after my abortion was a normal healthy week. I had an intercourse(protected) with my guy on the 10th day after my abortion. Then after a couple of days, I noticed a discharge and it was smelling bad. This discharge however continued only for a couple of days..the outer and inner lips of my Vagina had a burning sensation and I used to feel like scratching. But the third day after the fowl discharge I saw cottage cheese like discharge..this too was for a few days...since then I have been very normal..but offlate I have noticed a very slight ...extremely mild pain in my lower abdomen..especially on the right side...there is a feeling of heaviness...
are these because my periods are due...
was the abortion conducted on me was safe and successful...(The very fact that I had no pain and I was feeling quite normal..I think it was safe and successful) Still I want you to answer
I want to have babies in future...so plaese please give me an answer


ANSWER: Dear Naina,
Everything you are describing sounds normal.  You are right, if everything went fine for the first week after the abortion, then it was successful and without complication.

The discharge you are describing could either be yeast (white, cottage cheese, burning) or bacterial vaginosis (foul odor that comes and goes), or both.  These types of discharge are NORMAL and do not indicate an infection.  Yeast and bacteria normally live in balance in the vagina, and are always there.  During pregnancy the hormones influence the environment in the vagina so that the yeast or the bacteria can overgrow and get out of balance.  Often these kinds of discharge resolve on their own.  If they are not going away, or the symptoms are bothering you, youd can treat them. You can treat the yeast with a vaginal cream that you should be able to get over the counter, without a prescription.  If you want to treat the odor, you will need to get a prescription for antibiotics (Flagyl or metronidazole is the most successful treatment).  

As far as the pain - if it is mainly heavyness and not pain, and it is not getting worse, there should be nothing to be concerned about.  Try taking ibuprofen 800 mg and see if it goes away.  If it does, it is probably related to your period coming.

I hope this is helpful,
Doctor Joan
EarlyAbortionOptions.com
New York City

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

QUESTION: Dear Dr.Joan,
I am happy to inform you that my periods have started right when the Dr. had predicted. I am feeling absolutely normal. One question that I would like to ask you is does an abortion affect future pregnancy? How do I get to know what time I am ovulating? I believe the consistency of the cervix mucous helps determining the time of ovulation...is its true...? All I want is to have healthy babies in future...please please let me know...

Thanks and regards,
Naina

Answer
Dear Naina,
I am so glad everything worked out. You can be reassured that there is no issue for getting pregnant after an abortion.  As long as you get your periods, you are just as fertile now as you were before the abortion.  As far as when you are ovulating, this is outside my expertise - this site is dedicated to answering questions related to abortion.  You may go to the gynecology section of this website.
I hope this is helpful,
Doctor Joan
EarlyAbortionOptions.com
New York City