Expert: Pat G - 7/9/2010

Question
Hello!

I've been through a lot these past couple of months and I'm seeking for answers. For one, everyone says that I should go see and talk to a doctor. The thing is, I don't have medical insurance at the moment so I find as much help as I can online. My husband (boyfriend at the time) split up for a year.. we decided to see other people and during that time I got pregnant by someone else. My husband and I decided to get back together, then a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant. I got a surgical abortion on March 1, 2010 (I was 10 weeks pregnant). the procedure went well, I went to my two week checkup. The doctor did and ultrasound and pregnancy test to make sure the baby was gone.. and it was! My husband and I are trying to get pregnant now. Like I said before, the doctor said that I had a "lose hormone" or my hgc levels were really high because of the abortion.. I tested 6 times in the month of May and all tests were a false positive. We have been very sexually active, especally around my ovulation time. I'm just wondering, how long will my hgc levels be high to give off a false preg test?? I had my period on June 24, 2010.. it lasted 3 days as usual. but 3 days after my period stopped, I started spotting. The spotting only lasted half the day but the cramps continued til the next morning then stopped. Can implantation occur right after your period? It's very confusing for me! lol I started looking into ovulation calendars.. it said that I should ovulate around the 7th of July. So my husband and I have been sexually active since the end of June and we started again on July 4th throught July 8th. if my period is only three days long, do I have a 28 day cycle? you've helped a lot already, and I really appreicate that.

Answer
Hello, Ashlee,

You have asked questions that nobody can answer. Abortion totally disrupts a woman's hormones, and every woman reacts differently. There is no telling when your hormones will straighten out. In addition, if you are avoiding animal fat, this will affect your hormones, because hormones are made from cholesterol. The body will replace them for awhile, but not indefinitely. I assume you're not taking birth control, and you don't have an IUD.

Ovulation calendars aren't all that good. You should learn to tell the signs of fertility. You can't be using any artificial hormones. A woman is fertile when she has fertile mucus. Fertile mucus is transparent and slippery, and stretches like a raw egg white. For more information, go to this web site:

http://www.fertilityuk.org/

It would be rather unusual if you had implantation right after your period. The reason is because a woman's period starts approximately 14 days after she ovulates. Implantation takes about a week. So it would occur somewhere in between, about a week before your period is due to start. The spotting you experienced is much more likely to be due to the continued disruption of your hormones. As long as you have a positive pregnancy test (and you're not taking hormones), it is unlikely you will ovulate (but not impossible).

Unfortunately, about 10% of women who get a surgical abortion will never conceive again. We can hope you aren't in that number.

I recommend you find a local organization that helps women who have had abortions. You can find one near you by going to this web site:

http://www.pregnancycenters.org/

They can recommend a doctor who may be willing to see you for very little cost.

If that doesn't work, try going to your county health center. Your hormones should be tested, probably several times. Also, you should be examined for physical injuries that may preclude conceiving. Surgical abortions cause scar tissue to form. If scar tissue covers the openings to both Fallopian tubes, a woman will not be able to conceive. If it covers these openings partly, tubal pregnancy is a possibility, so be vigilant.

The length of your cycle depends on the time between the onset of your period, and the onset of the next one. The length of the period doesn't figure into the length of your cycle.

I hope this helps. Please take care.