important
We have collected important information for you here, so that you can inform yourself as best as possible. But please note that we do not perform abortions ourselves, but can accompany and support you.
before the (surgical) appointment:
Take off jewelry, especially rings and piercings in the tongue or genital area. Do not take alcohol or drugs (48 hours before the treatment) and do not smoke (24 hours before the treatment).
What to bring:
- Identity card
- Insurance certificates
- Referral slip or ultrasound documents
- Comfortable clothes (bathrobe, pajamas, flip-flops or warm socks and comfortable underwear) + sanitary napkins.
The day of the (surgical) appointment:
Check-in - You will first check in at the reception desk, where you will be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire.
Examination and interview with the doctor - The doctor will perform an ultrasound examination to determine the time of pregnancy. Depending on the COVID rules in place, you may or may not bring your partner with you. In either case, you will have a private conversation with the doctor to ensure that your decision to terminate the pregnancy is not coerced by anyone. Preparation - A nurse will meet you from the waiting room. You can ask this person any practical questions or express your fears and needs. The nurse will take you to the ward you share with other patients. A shower is available in case you need one after a long trip. You will be given a cannula and cervical preparation medication. The cervical preparation medication (misoprostol) takes 1 hour (if you are less than 14 weeks pregnant) Blood test - your blood type (AB0 neg/pos) will be determined. If your rhesus factor is negative (AB0 neg), you will receive additional medication after the procedure.
Procedure - The procedure will take place in a separate room and will be performed by the doctor you saw at the consultation. For all pregnancies under 13 weeks, sedation (light anesthesia) is performed, which means you are asleep and have no pain. The procedure takes a maximum of 25 minutes.
Recovery Room - You will remain in the recovery room until you are awake, normal blood loss has occurred and pain is tolerable.
Return home - Many patients return home the same day. You will not be allowed to drive for up to 24 hours after your procedure, as there is still some sedative in your blood.
After the appointment
Vaginal blood loss - It is normal to lose vaginal blood after the procedure. In the first few days, it may be as high or even higher than during your period. It usually decreases day by day and turns into brownish discharge. It may occur for up to 2 weeks in total.
Prevent infections - To prevent infections, you should not use tampons, bathe (showering is fine), or have penetrative intercourse after the procedure while you still have light red blood loss. Once the blood loss has turned brownish, there are no restrictions.
Pain - You may experience pain after the procedure, similar to menstrual cramps. You may take pain medication to relieve the pain; take acetaminophen (up to 4x 1000 mg per day, called APAP in Poland) and/or ibuprofen (up to 3x 400 mg per day, called Ibuprom or Nurofen in Poland). Menstrual cycle and fertility - Only in very rare cases can abortion procedures affect your future fertility and pregnancy (for example, difficulty getting pregnant if there are many adhesions in the uterine cavity, or premature birth if the carrying capacity of your cervix is reduced by multiple procedures). Your menstrual cycle resumes when the pregnancy hormone is completely gone from your body. You can expect your next period 4-6 weeks after the procedure. Keep in mind that you will still be fertile before this first period, so you should take birth control measures if needed to prevent another pregnancy. If you have a desire to become pregnant again soon, please ask your on-site care provider for advice on the interval between pregnancies, as this varies from individual to individual.
When to seek help-If you have had an abortion, please see your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:-Pain that does not respond to pain medications as described above-Vaginal blood loss that lasts longer than a week or lasts longer than 2 weeks to stop-Fever associated with cramps and/or if the fever cannot be explained by flu/cough/cold, etc.
What to tell your doctor in your home country: it is perfectly legal to have an abortion abroad, so you can share your abortion story with your local doctor or someone else. If you do not want your doctor to know that you had an abortion, you can tell him/her that you had a spontaneous miscarriage; he/she will not be able to tell the difference based on your symptoms or through a physical exam.
which data the doctot will need from you?
- Your full nameDate of birth
- Your height and weight
- A copy of an ultrasound image or a doctor's certificate confirming your pregnancy. You can also provide us with the date of the ultrasound and the following values on the ultrasound image: BPD and FL
- The first day of your last period*
- Whether you have or can get a European Health Insurance Card
- A phone number where you can be reached in case of need
- Any allergies you haveAny medications you takeDo you have any children? If yes, were any of them born by cesarean section?
- Is there any problem with this pregnancy that requires special attention during the procedure?
- Do you have someone you trust who knows about your situation?
- Have you been vaccinated against Covid?
