The Abortion Episode: Your Options & After Care

The Lunar Body is back for season 3! Given the state of reproductive rights in the U.S., I felt it was urgent to open this season with an episode on abortion. You’ll learn about the different methods of abortion and what to expect with both an in-clinic (or surgical) procedure and medical abortion with pills, what you may want to know about after-care, what to do in states with restricted access, why it is strongly recommended to avoid herbal abortion, answers to common questions you may have, how to prepare for termination, how you can support others, and much more.

Disclaimer: This information in this episode, and in all episodes of The Lunar Body podcast, is for educational purposes only; it is NOT medical advice and it is your responsibility to speak to a qualified healthcare provider about your unique needs. The final decision when considering any diet, lifestyle change, or medical procedure, whether it’s discussed on the internet, in a podcast, or prescribed by your doctor, is always your own.

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This blog / podcast episode is intended to be a resource for those who need it, to be shared amongst friends, to serve as support for the questions you may not be able to find answers to otherwise.
I’m writing this because, in case you live under a rock, the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively eliminating our rights to abortion and leaving the decision to restrict or ban it entirely up to individual states.

Abortion is health care. It’s medical care that’s no different from any other care you would receive. And you don’t need a “good reason” to get one. You should be able to get one because you want one. Because you have a fundamental right to bodily autonomy. Also worth noting: banning abortions does not make them stop. It just makes them more dangerous.

First: Protect Your Digital Safety

Before you do any research, a few important notes on privacy, courtesy of the nonprofit Women Help Women:

  • Signal: Free, secure text and phone calls
  • Proton Mail: Free, secure email
  • DuckDuckGo: Private searches that aren’t tracked

I’d also strongly recommend deleting your period tracking apps and switching to pen and paper. If you live in a restrictive state, go ahead and request that your data be deleted from any apps you’ve been using. It sounds extreme, but the situation is extreme.

The Two Main Types of Abortion

1. In-Clinic Procedure (Surgical Abortion / Vacuum Aspiration)

This happens in the same kind of doctor’s office where you’d get a pap smear. In the first trimester, the whole thing takes about 10 to 20 minutes. In the second trimester, it’s a two-day procedure called dilation and evacuation (D&E).

What to expect:

When you arrive, you’ll get bloodwork done and an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy and how far along you are. You can choose to see the ultrasound or not—completely up to you. (Note: if you don’t want to see it, the image may still appear in your patient portal appointment notes, so you may want to skip over those or have someone you trust review them for you.)

From there, you’ll be in stirrups (same as a pap smear). Your doctor should be walking you through every single step before they do it, telling you what you’ll feel. If they’re not doing that, ask them to. They’ll numb your cervix with a lidocaine shot, sterilize the area, and use a dilator to open the cervix. Then, a tube connected to a vacuum (either electric or manual) is used to remove the pregnancy tissue. An ultrasound continues throughout to confirm the uterus is empty.

The whole thing, including IUD insertion if you want one placed at the same time, takes no more than 20 minutes.

Aftercare:

  • You may be able to go about your day normally with ibuprofen for pain
  • Avoid sex for at least two weeks. The cervix may still be dilated, increasing infection risk and the chance of pregnancy
  • Bleeding is normal and can range from a few hours to 2 to 6 weeks
  • Soaking two or more maxi pads per hour for two hours in a row is not normal—contact your doctor if this is happening
  • Cramping is normal as the uterus shrinks back to its normal size; this is most common in the first 3 to 5 days
  • Ibuprofen, a heating pad, uterine massage, chamomile tea, and nettle can all help with cramping and discomfort
  • Emotions may surprise you even if you’re confident in your decision

2. Medical Abortion (The Abortion Pill)

Quick note: this is different from Plan B. Plan B prevents implantation and fertilization. With medical abortion, that ship has sailed.

(Also: Plan B is available on Amazon, Target, Walmart, CVS, and Costco if you can’t access it at a pharmacy.)

Medical abortion is done at home for pregnancies under 13 weeks, though it’s most common at 10 weeks and under. It takes about two weeks to fully complete.

The pills:

Despite being called “the abortion pill” (singular), it’s actually at least 5 and up to 12 pills, depending on your setup. There are two medications:

  • Misoprostol: The required pill; promotes uterine contractions to expel the pregnancy
  • Mifepristone: Blocks progesterone, softens the cervix, and makes the uterine lining more sensitive; won’t cause an abortion on its own, but makes misoprostol more effective

You may receive misoprostol only, or a combination of both. Vaginal administration typically comes with fewer side effects.

What to expect:

The embryo typically starts to pass within 5 to 10 hours after taking the pill, though it can take up to 2 days. Expect bleeding and discharge similar to a heavy period, possible cramping (that’s the uterine contractions), and possible temporary side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and a low-grade temperature.

Heavy bleeding, severe pain, and high fever are not normal. Fever indicates infection, contact your doctor ASAP.

If you have an ectopic pregnancy, medical abortion will not work. This is not an avenue you’ll be able to take.

Did it work?

Don’t take a pregnancy test right after; your hormones are still in pregnancy mode and it’ll read positive regardless. The best way to confirm that it worked is an ultrasound 2 weeks post-pill. If that’s not accessible, wait at least 4 weeks for a test to be accurate.

According to Safe to Choose, if you used the medications as directed and bled as heavily as (or more than) a normal period for several hours, it very likely worked. Your pregnancy symptoms (breast tenderness, nausea, fatigue) should gradually disappear around 5 days after taking the pills.

Can’t get the pill through your doctor?

Here are resources for getting pills by mail or finding them in restricted states:

A Word on Herbal Abortion

I want to address this directly because dangerous information circulates constantly on TikTok and Instagram.

I strongly recommend against herbal abortion. Unless it’s part of your culture and traditions and you have a deeply trusted practitioner guiding and monitoring you, herbs are too nuanced to work with on your own without specialized knowledge.

From the Archive of Healing:

  • Inserting herbs into the vagina can cause life-threatening infections
  • Using essential oils in any abortive fashion is deadly; several women have died this way
  • Herb dosages are highly subjective and difficult to control
  • Abortifacient herbs are often toxic and can cause liver and kidney damage
  • Natural does not mean safe
  • Herbal abortion is unpredictable and, by the most generous estimates, unsuccessful more than 60% of the time

Self-managed abortion with the pill is the safest option when medical care isn’t available, and it’s endorsed by the World Health Organization.

What’s Happening in Your Body Afterward

When will my period come back?

It varies. Your period could return in as little as 4 weeks or take up to 3 months.

What about basal body temperature?

After an abortion, progesterone stays elevated and your temperature can remain high for 4 to 6 weeks. This is also why pregnancy tests aren’t accurate right after; your body is still catching up. Once your temperature drops back down to your pre-ovulation range (around 97°F), your period is on its way.

Herbal support post-abortion:

Three categories of herbs to look into (informed by my training with the Commonwealth Center for Holistic Herbalism):

  • Uterine tonics (to support and nourish the uterus): red raspberry leaf and berries, uva ursi leaves
  • Nutritive herbs (to support the liver, kidneys, and endocrine system): nettle, dandelion, milk thistle
  • Nervines (for emotional support): Tulsi (holy basil), linden, lemon balm, chamomile

As always, discuss with a qualified healthcare practitioner who knows your situation before taking anything.

How to Prepare

Once you’ve decided on a method and made your arrangements:

  • Identify your support system: partner, best friend, therapist, whoever you need
  • Sort out logistics: transportation, childcare, time off work
  • Stock your home: meals prepped, comfort items ready, things queued up to watch
  • Wear comfortable clothing: for in-clinic or at home, comfort first
  • If going to an abortion clinic, call ahead to ask if they have escorts to help you safely enter the building

If you need financial help, visit abortionfunds.org, the National Network of Abortion Funds, where you can find a fund by state or donate to the national network.

How to Support Someone Who Needs an Abortion

Keep their story to yourself. If someone confides in you, that information is theirs. Outing someone’s abortion is dangerous and a violation of their trust, regardless of how you feel about it.

Don’t offer your home on social media. It’s a genuinely well-meaning impulse, but publicly announcing that you’ll host someone seeking an abortion creates a paper trail and puts both of you at risk. Anti-abortion groups look for exactly this. Law enforcement can connect the dots across state lines. Established networks know how to move people safely; random strangers on the internet do not.

What actually helps:

  • Donate to abortion funds – abortionfunds.org or find one local to your state
  • Volunteer with organizations already doing the work
  • Contact your local politicians via Resistbot – text RESIST to 50409 and urge them to make misoprostol available over the counter in your state

Other Resources

  • plancpills.org
  • aidaccess.org
  • abortionfunds.org
  • safe2choose.org
  • womenonweb.org
  • womenhelp.org
  • Books: Taking Charge of Your Fertility, The Fifth Vital Sign, Period Power (likely available at your local library; if not, you can request they purchase them)

Please share this post. That’s why it exists.

This post is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for your unique needs.

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