Expert: Diane Cheryl - 6/21/2007

Question
Hi Ms. Cheryl,
I need to know approximately how long an abortion would take, including: sedation, actual abortion, and the time after the abortion.
I've been told I'd be at the clinic for about 4 hours and that for a couple of hours after that I would be unable to concentrate on anything but the abortion.
Are these facts?

Answer
Dear Rissa,

I'm not a doctor so I do want you to know that. The abortion provider should inform you on all that but it does sound like you checked and you just want verification? Every abortion provider is somewhat different in their practices. The abortion time could take several hours.
What you did mention sounds generally true. Sedation could be different in different places. You might want to check out the abortion provider to see if they have any malpractice suits against them. You might also want to check out if they have counseling available to you before the abortion. You can find out what kind of abortion procedures are done, such as manual vacuum aspiration (up to 7 weeks LMP), suction curettage (between 6 to 14 weeks LMP) dilation and evacuation (13 to 24 weeks LMP), etc. Also, make sure they tell you the risks and after-effects from the abortion. Also, ask for information about the development of your baby. You could ask for a sonogram to make sure of the status before the procedure. Also, you need to check out the 24 hour waiting period and if applicable, the parental consent provisions. If you would like to email me at DCHERYL51@yahoo.com I would be glad to talk to you more about all the various questions in detail that you should ask before the procedure. Hope to hear from you soon.
Diane Cheryl
DCHERYL51@yahoo.com