Abortion aftercare, recovery in the days and weeks after

How the first days feel depends on the method and the stage of pregnancy. After a medication abortion the heaviest bleeding usually happens while the pregnancy passes, then eases. After a procedural abortion bleeding is often lighter and can start a few days later.

• Cramping like a period, easing over a few days
• Bleeding or spotting on and off for up to two weeks, sometimes until the next period
• Tiredness, and for some people nausea or tender breasts that fade within days
• Pregnancy symptoms that fade within about a week

Most people return to work, study and usual activities within a day or two. You can rest as much as you need.

Your clinic gives you written aftercare instructions for your situation, and those come first. General advice from medical societies is simple.

• Use the pain relief your clinic recommended, a heating pad and rest for cramping
• Use sanitary pads, which make it easier to see how much you are bleeding
• Eat and drink as usual and keep the clinic's number close by
• Shower as usual, and follow your clinic's advice about baths, swimming and tampons
• Have someone you trust nearby or on the phone for the first day if you can

Many clinics no longer set strict rules on sex, exercise or tampons after an uncomplicated abortion and say you can return to them when you feel ready. If your clinic gave different advice, follow it.

Serious complications are uncommon. Contact the clinic's number, which should be available at any hour, or your local emergency number such as 112 in the European Union or 911 in the United States and Canada, if you notice any of the following.

• Very heavy bleeding, for example soaking two or more large pads an hour for two hours in a row
• Fever that lasts longer than a day, or a fever that starts days after the abortion
• Severe pain in the abdomen that pain relief does not ease
• Feeling very unwell, weak, dizzy or faint
• Discharge with a strong unpleasant smell
• Pregnancy symptoms that continue a week or more after a medication abortion

If you are unsure whether a symptom is normal, call the clinic. Staff expect these calls and would rather hear from you early.

The WHO Abortion care guideline (2022) does not require a routine follow-up visit after an uncomplicated abortion. After an early medication abortion many clinics offer a phone call, a symptom checklist or a pregnancy test at home a few weeks later instead of a visit. A urine pregnancy test can stay positive for several weeks because pregnancy hormones take time to clear, so use the test at the time your clinic recommends.

Some countries and clinics still schedule a visit or an ultrasound, especially after care later in pregnancy. If you traveled for care, ask the clinic how follow-up works once you are home and who you can contact in your own country.

The next period usually comes four to six weeks after the abortion and can be heavier or lighter than usual. Ovulation can return within a couple of weeks, before the first period, which means a new pregnancy is possible very soon.

Medical societies state that an uncomplicated abortion does not reduce the ability to become pregnant later.

WHO describes almost every method of contraception as suitable right after an abortion, including the implant, the hormonal or copper IUD, pills, the patch, the ring, the injection and condoms. Many clinics offer to start a method at the same visit, and an IUD can often be placed at the end of a procedural abortion or soon after a medication abortion. Choosing a method is optional and your decision. Our contraception guide compares the options.

People feel many things after an abortion, often more than one at once, such as relief, calm, sadness or grief. Hormone changes in the first days can make emotions stronger. Research reviewed by medical societies shows that most people do not experience lasting mental health problems because of an abortion, and that support from people close to them helps.

If you want to talk, our abortion support guide lists ways to find support without judgment. If you feel overwhelmed or think about harming yourself, call your local emergency number, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the United States, or the emotional support line 116 123 in many EU countries.

• World Health Organization, Abortion care guideline (2022)
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), clinical guidance on abortion care
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), guidance on abortion care
• International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), recommendations on abortion care

This page is general information and not medical advice. Medical decisions are made together with a doctor. Read our sources and editorial policy.