Expert: Shan Yi Sheng - 7/23/2011

Question
Hi dr shan,

My wife took the abortion pill two weeks ago. One took it at the clinic and two at home after two days from the first appointment. All of them tablets. I think one of them called (misoprostol). Anyway, after she took the two at home, she got heavy bleeding for hours. So, we thought that the pregnancy is ended already. However, she remaining sick for over a week. We went to hospital and the check her up and the fount she still pregnant. So now, she just want to keep the baby after she got the abortion pill as the doctor in the hospital said that the baby grow up and have heart biting. But he didn’t mention if the abortion medicine have side effect on the baby. He said all he see that the baby is ok now but he doesn’t know about other side effect of the medicine as he is not an expert for that matter.
I read in the internet that more likely that the baby will have some birth defects and I tried to talk to her and told her that we don’t have a option now since she took the medicine but she still say that she want to talk to a doctor and discus that with them if she can keep it or not?
Beside she kind of scare to do the surgical abortion as we saw one lady last time in the clinic was carrying when she get out of the clinic. So, I told her if she decided to do surgical things, we will do it at hospital. In spit of, we paid already $500 for the clinic but she doesn’t feel comfortable with that clinic and the doctor who will do the surgical things

My question, could we keep the baby? If not what the cost of surgical things at hospital?

Thank you vey much

Answer
Dear DAV

Medial abortions are done with mifepriston 1-3 tablets and Misoprostol 2 days later.
You do not mention how many weeks your pregnancy was already.
At less than 6 weeks the pregnancy with those pills is terminated. The strong bleeding
is normal for this type of drugs. One in twenty  trials these drugs do not work, and the pregnancy stays
intact.
There are few reliable clinics in Michigan:
Detroit - Scotsdale Women's Center 313-538-2020
Detroit - Summit Medical Center 313-272-8450 / 800-482-4162
Detroit / Southfield - Northland Family Planning 248-559-0590 / 800-447-7354
Sterling Heights - Northland Family Planning East 586-268-1700 / 800-447-7354
Westland - Northland Family Planning West 734-721-4700 / 800-447-7354

The named rugs may cause birth defects.
Its up to you to risk that.
An other option is the surgical abortion by mens of suction curettage. This is not a complicated operston, taks only  a few minutes and does
not cause much bleeding. I do not understand why people choose for the drugs anyway.
I cannot advise you about those clinics. You'd better go to the clinic where you paid already. Normally they have
more docs and you can ask for another.
Good luck,
Dr Shan