Expert: Pat G - 10/6/2010

Question
I found out i was pregnant on Sept. 16. I didn't want to postpone anything and had to make a decision immediately. I decided to have an abortion while I was still on the 6th week of pregnancy. I had a medical abortion on Sept 23, took the Miso pills the day after that. I passed a golf size clot, and bled for a week. I also started birth control pills the day i took the pills (Sept 24). However, I missed a day and had to take 2 birth control pills the following day. Anyway, 7 days after the abortion, I stopped bleeding and had unprotected sex. I went back to the clinic 2 days after for a follow up and they told me I was not pregnant anymore (nothing in my uterus after the ultrasound). I told them I had unprotected sex 2 days prior and they advised I should take Plan B since I missed a day on my birth control and I have only been on it for a week. I have taken Plan B before and I know I should immediately be bleeding a day or two after taking both pills but this time I did not bleed AT ALL. No more bleeding from the medical abortion and no bleeding from Plan B. I am aware that I will still test positive on a home pregnancy test until 5-6 weeks from now due to my body retaining HcG. And I will not be able to make sure I am not pregnant until then. How can I make sure that I am not pregnant again since I didn't bleed from Plan B? Is it normal to not bleed from Plan B after a medical abortion? Is there a chance  I may be pregnant again? Because I would not want to go through another abortion.
Please help me the best way you can.
Thank you very much.

Answer
Hello, Angela,

It has only been three weeks since you found out you were pregnant. The likelihood of a new pregnancy in that length of time is very small.

When you say you were 6 weeks pregnant, were you counting from your last menstrual period, or from the probable date of conception? This is important, because if it was from the probable date of conception, you may still be pregnant from before. When a woman takes the pills, the first thing that happens is that the first drug cuts off the mother's supply of progesterone to the baby. This causes the baby to be cut off from nourishment. However, at some point, the baby starts to make his own progesterone, and past that point, the first pill won't cause lack of nourishment. The pills do cause bleeding. If you are counting from the last menstrual period, then a golf ball size clot would be about right. I am guessing you didn't look at it closely.

If you are measuring from the probable date of conception, Plan B wouldn't have any effect either, because it is basically the same type of drug. The fact that there is plenty of progesterone means that the bleeding will be stopped, and everything should be all right.

If it turns out you are still pregnant, don't go through abortion again. If you don't want an abortion, don't have one! If you are not still pregnant, you really need to stop having sex (unless you are married). There is no method for preventing pregnancy that is foolproof besides abstinence. If you are married, the best thing to do is let your body return to normal, and learn fertility awareness. You must chart faithfully, and you cannot be taking any hormones of any kind, which includes birth control pills. To find out more, go to this web site:

http://www.fertilityuk.org/

Another thing to keep in mind is that by now you have taken so many different kinds of hormone drugs that your body's delicate hormonal balance is all out of whack. Anything is possible. You really need to let your body recover.

If it turns out that you are still pregnant, you can find real help to meet your needs by finding an organization in your area that offers this kind of help. They offer counseling, medical care, things for babies, and adoption services. You should get a referral to a doctor from them, and you should go to the doctor and let him check you out. There is no point in going back to whoever is supplying these drugs to you. They don't care. They just want your money, and they won't want to admit anything went wrong. They might offer to do a surgical abortion on you for more money, but that wouldn't make any sense if they told you that you are no longer pregnant. Their medical judgment cannot be trusted.

To find an organization near you, please go to this web site:

http://www.optionline.org/

The link to the lists is on the right, and not real obvious.

Please have one of their doctors check you out. Good luck. I'll be here for you any time you need to talk, and please let me know how you do. Take care, and stay safe!