Expert: Pat G - 5/13/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi, my last known period started on the 8th of April and it ended on the 13th April. I had sex on the 16th of April, and I took the Morning after pill 12:00pm on the day after (17th April). One the 6th of May, I took two pregnancy test and they both showed positive.

I took 3 cytotec 200g pills orally that same night and then 7 more the following night (7th may) at the advice of a pharmacist and up to date, I have had no serious bleeding or pain. Yesterday, I got a little blood when I wiped but it was gone by the time I wiped twice. Is this normal? Did the abortion not work? I am also wondering if this could be an ectopic pregnancy, since I got pregnant after taking the morning after pill?

Thanks for any advice you can give. I hope to get a response soon.

ANSWER: Hello, Nicky,

You're welcome.

Cytotec won't help at those times. Occasionally, it will cause a birth defect instead. It isn't wise to use Cytotec by itself. In fact, it isn't wise to take it at all. The manufacturer says a pregnant woman should never take Cytotec, because it can kill her. It is also unlikely you became pregnant from sex three days after your period ended, although it does happen occasionally. Taking such powerful and poisonous pills because you MIGHT be pregnant is not a very good idea. Are you prepared to pay the medical bills for complications?

I wouldn't be able to tell you if you have an ectopic pregnancy. You need to see a doctor with that question. However, given the fact it's not likely you are pregnant in the first place, it is also not likely you have an ectopic pregnancy. If you have periods that are a normal length, it is even more unlikely.

Please take care of yourself and don't take chances. You deserve to be free of the fear of pregnancy. If you are not married, the best way to prevent pregnancy is not to have sex. Your partner should respect your body, and not expect you to take such risks. If you are married, you can learn how to tell when you are fertile. You can then avoid sex at those times. If you would like that information, let me know.

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

QUESTION: Thank you for such a quick response.

But I have another question, you said that I may not be pregnant, but I have missed my period, and I took two pregnancy tests some hours apart and they both read positive. My period always comes on time and this time it didn't. Could it be I got pregnant earlier in the month (2nd April, I know the exact days I had sex)and I my period just came like normal on the 8th April as expected? I am just so scared about everything, especially now that you've said taking the cycotec can be extremely dangerous for my health.

I am thankful for any information you can give me to learn when I am fertile and when I am not...thank you for your kind offer.

I am going to see a doctor tomorrow, would he be able to tell without the use of an ultrasound whether or not I am really pregnant?

Answer
Hi, Nicky,

I can't tell you for sure you are not pregnant. However, the timing is wrong if you have a normal cycle. You said that you had sex three days after the end of your period, on the 16th. If your period started on the 8th, and you have a normal cycle, you should have started the next period on the 6th of May. That is the day you took the pregnancy tests. It is rare for a home pregnancy test to be sensitive enough to show pregnancy that early. Nearly all of them won't show it much before a week later. I'm wondering if the morning after pill confused things for the tests or the tests were defective (you said you took them both the same day; did you buy the same brand at the same time?)

Another thing that is important to know is that a woman ovulates about 14 days before her next period is due to start. If your period should have started on the 6th of May, you would have ovulated on April 22. But you didn't say you had sex anywhere close to April 22. Fertility only occurs, at most, 3 days before and after.

If a woman has a short period (3 weeks), then she might be fertile so quickly after the end of a period. You haven't told me if your cycle is abnormally short.

That's why I said you are probably not pregnant. You could be pregnant, but it wouldn't be that common to be pregnant from the times you had sex.

Now suppose that you got pregnant on the 2nd of April. Your period started on the 8th. Too short. If you were pregnant on the 2nd, your period should have started on the 16th, give or take a couple of days. It would have started more than a week early.

So hopefully you see why I think it is unlikely you are pregnant. I can't rule it out, but unless you omitted some important information or got some dates wrong, the timing is all wrong.

There are other things that can cause a woman to miss a period. Among them are stress, poor diet, or excessive exercise. If you are stressed out with worry about being pregnant (sounds like you are, since you took so many pills), or if you are a vegan, these are possible reasons. Also, taking hormones does interfere with a normal cycle.

Fertility awareness involves looking at various symptoms. The major one is the mucus that the cervix produces. During the fertile time, it is transparent and slippery and will stretch like a raw egg white. Other times, you either have no mucus, or it will be white and not slippery. Other symptoms may also be taken into account, such as self-examination of the cervix (it has to be open a little for pregnancy to occur) and taking the basal temperature. If you are going to use fertility awareness to prevent pregnancy, you have to chart faithfully, and you cannot be taking ANY hormones. For more information, please go to this web site:

http://www.fertilityuk.org/

As for the doctor being able to tell if you are pregnant without an ultrasound, I should say that ultrasounds are relatively recent. Doctors were able to tell if a woman was pregnant in the past simply by taking a blood test. Your doctor would still be able to tell in this way, or at least he'd know when he needs to test again. Blood tests are more sensitive than home pregnancy tests. And in fact, an ultrasound might not show much at this point anyway. Personally, I would avoid ultrasound simply because I don't really know what the long term consequences of putting that sound energy into the body of a very young developing baby would be. I think they should not be used routinely.

I hope this helps. Please don't take any more toxic pills. You deserve better. Keep in touch.