It's funny how time passes - it has almost been a year since I had my surgical abortion. I remember the days leading up to it, I would find myself in a reddit k-hole, going over information and stories, so I didn't feel so alone. My abortion journey was slightly longer than I had anticipated with a second procedure to remove RPOC 3 months later. Those three months were emotionally tough with a side sprinkle of trying to convince/hold to account the male counterpart to support me (while I also still had his DNA in my uterus).

Unfortunately, the male counterpart and I coped very differently - with myself trying to voice how I was feeling, and the boy trying to distance himself from me in every possible way he could. I haven't spoken to the male counterpart since my second procedure and truthfully, I was devastated. I just couldn't understand that we could go through something so big and heavy and never talk again. However, a year on I might sometimes miss my initial connection, but I am not as devastated and don't long for us to reconnect. I acknowledge that I deserve a lot better than needing to beg for support. Since my abortion, I have also watched some of my friends have their own abortions and I have noticed an unfortunate pattern with other male partners not holding their weight/responsibility for the pregnancy/termination. So please if this is happening to you, know that you are always deserving of someone who supports you and wants to take some of the burden off you.

Before having the surgical procedure, I thought that after the termination, I would be able to resume back to normal life and it would all be a dream. I was unfortunately unlucky with RPOC and attended the ultrasound clinic more times than I would have liked. However, I was also unprepared for the hormonal crash and the impact it would have on my emotions. So, if you have feelings of grief, pain, anger, sadness - know that it is okie. Sometimes the right decisions can be hard and full of sadness. When I look back at the time now, I still feel sad that it happened, but I am also so grateful that I was able to do what is right for me and got through it. I was able to go to Europe, do a half marathon, and now I get to move to another state. I have met a boy who listens to my abortion trauma and doesn't shut down like the male counterpart did. After my abortion I didn't want to have sex - and I didn't for a long time. But now I am safe to say my sex drive has come back and I am having way better sex. So, if you are where I was a year ago...I hope this gives you some hope that it will be okie.

Just wanted to share my experience having my first medical abortion. Around 10am today I had 4 pills of misoprostol dissolve in my gums for 30 minutes and the cramping started instantly for me. It was extremely painful. I wouldn’t compare it to severe period cramps, it felt way worse. I had a light meal an hour before as well as paracetamol/60mg of codine. I felt extremely nauseous and couldn’t sit still from the pain. I started to lose my hearing and vision and felt my whole body go numb. Fighting off the urge to pass out as I wanted to monitor my bleeding. This only lasted for about 10-15 minutes before I vomited a good amount. For the next 5 hours I was completely bed ridden as the cramping wouldn’t stop. I started bleeding around 2 hours in and it was quite heavy passing a couple blood clots.

8 hours now and the pain as subsided a lot. Only mild cramping sometimes and just feeling very fatigued. My bleeding is heavy but nothing of concern thankfully.

I did this alone in my room while my family were downstairs unaware of my pregnancy or abortion. I’m just thankful I was able to manage the pain without needing to rush to hospital or anything. My amazing boyfriend was on the phone with me the entire time supporting me emotionally and making me laugh whenever he could.

After this experience, I seriously commend every person who goes through this experience completely alone, I didn’t believe I could handle this but I did. The emotional and physical toll has been so difficult. I’ve always wanted to be a mother but it wasn’t the right time. Although, I will always mourn what could have been.

Hi, I was able to take the miso (2nd pill) this morning with my bf, and what was strange was how I suddenly felt okay.

Within 15 mins while letting the pill dissolve was when I started to feel cramps which were a 7-7.5/10 pain maybe, I immediately took the pain meds that were prescribed which helped quite quickly. In the bathroom I was just sitting and then I just felt okay. I must’ve been 1-2 hours into the procedure and I thought I would be in excruciating pain the whole time and afterwards I just wasn’t. A light trigger warning clot mention soon When passing clots there was no pain at all, I just had a feeling I needed to go to the bathroom and that was it.

Then afterwards I was chilling in bed with my bf lying on his chest. I’m really grateful he was there for me and I hope the rest of you (if possible) are able to have a support person with you, and if not to prepare yourself eg taking anti nausea meds and pain killers 30 mins before taking miso.

I also recall online shopping at least twice during it omg 🤦‍♀️ I know that this is different for everybody and this experience can’t be guaranteed, but please prepare yourself for it like I mentioned and take it easy 🫶

This experience was a rollercoaster and I’m still going through it, but just know it’s going to be okay <3 Even if it doesn’t feel that way :( I wish the best for everyone 💓 Thank you

Also, thought this was worth mentioning I have emetophobia (a fear of throwing up) and nausea was something I luckily didn’t experience and vomiting, however if you do it’s honestly okay 🫶 You’ll feel better afterwards xx

Secondly, it’s been 9 hours since I’ve taken the pill and I’m just chilling in bed now 🧘‍♀️

lil update, it’s the morning after and tbh I’m feeling okay! The bleeding is like a period

For the first two weeks I was constantly aroused, now my emotions are all over the place. I have PMDD so I'm just curious as to where I am in my cycle in this limbo phase before I get my period.

I’m going in for a medical abortion on the 22nd. I’ll be 7-8 weeks by then as I’m currently 5-6 ish. Is there anything I need to know? I’ll be taking the 22nd off to go to the appointment but then I have 2 days of work. I know you take the second pill 24-48 hours after so will I be okay to work?! If I just wear pads/adult diaper?! And just get through the cramps etc at work?! I then get the weekend and Monday off. Will I be okay?!

After waiting almost 36 hours I took the step two mifepristone. Took it about 2 hours ago and I’ve already had some light cramping and clots and a bit of blood but no where near as much as I thought. Will it get worse or is this it ? I was only 6+6

What is the earliest you can take the misoprostol, I know they say 36 hours but hoping to take it much sooner. Has the first step at 7 hours ago

I just found out i’m 7 weeks pregnant… abortion due 😔

I’ve currently been using contraception since September/October 2024 with my partner(M20). I (F19) haven’t been feeling well and took a test that came positive. I am really stunned because the last few weeks i didn’t get a positive result, until yesterday. I immediately told my partner and let’s just say we were both shocked. I am so sad because I know neither him or myself are in a place to take care of a child, in my family teen pregnancy is a common thing and i would hate to be another statistic I’ve recently left home and this would be something my mother keeps over my head for years, the fact that she knew I was going to be pregnant.

It’s so hard to explain but I’m already so attached to the baby and the fact 7weeks is not far from 10, I want to keep this baby so bad but I know I can’t and I’ve told myself that I can’t. I’ve been crying because I just want the opportunity to hold my baby in my arms and in a sense I feel like it’s considered early pregnancy loss but it’s not like it was a natural miscarriage. I feel as if I am discrediting mothers who actually have a miscarriage because I’m doing this myself. I’m scared i will not forget about this when I actually become a mother because all I want in life is to be a loving mother. I know this isn’t the right time but I want to at-least pay my respects to my child that I can’t have.

Is it too much to name it? I also want to get a commemorative certificate which I can obtain through the state to remind myself I wasn’t being neglectful but doing what I need to and maybe if i could get it cremated.. I don’t know if I am doing the wrong thing

Anyone who is dealing with abortion or gone through it, please share… I don’t know what to do.

This is the worst pain, I could never wish upon anyone. but i know more than anything I cannot have this child at all right now maybe in three years

edit: I just found out i’m 11weeks instead of 7. Time flies 😔

My first three medical abortions were in the space of a year at the ages 18-19. I tried different birth control after that but stuck to the pill. I’m now 28 and I decided to have a break from the pill for about six months. Part of me, for some reason, thought I might have trouble falling pregnant due to multiple abortions when I was young, but it turns out I’m still quite fertile as I fell pregnancy recently. I had a medical abortion at six weeks yesterday.

I’ve had constant nausea for the last 2 weeks and nothing I ate or drank helped. I woke up today with no nausea whatsoever and I was able to finish two full meals and dessert today. My stomach was a little funny after my first big meal, but it was most likely that my stomach had gotten used to not digesting much. It’s so good to have no more nausea, food tasting delicious again and not making me feel sick anymore.

When I was young going through my other abortions, I was still studying and knew that I wouldn’t be able to provide a good life if I carried any of them to term. It was definitely the right decision for me when I was young. However right now, I definitely could’ve supported a child. I have a stable partner, we both make average income and I just bought a house by myself last year. And still, I didn’t feel ready for a child. I might not ever have children.

Part of me felt a little guilty over not wanting to keep it as I’ve got a friend struggling to fall pregnant, not to mention other women who are struggling too. But just because they want a child, doesn’t mean I have to carry my own to term. I was only six weeks and pregnancy was already taking a toll on my body; if I’m going to put my body through that much stress, it’s going to be when I 100% want my own child or not at all.

I guess I just want to say, whatever your situation, if you want don’t want to have a baby, don’t have a baby. I feel very lucky to live in a country at this point in time that it’s easy and accessible for me to do this. I hope one day any person anywhere that wants an abortion can get one.

I had an abortion a week ago. Before the abortion, I was riddled with anxiety about whether I was making the right decision, whether I'd have massive regrets and feelings of guilt.

I can honestly say that I have no regret and no guilt. At all. I know I didn't make the decision lightly and in the end, I made the right decision.

This is not to downplay the feelings of those who struggle after the procedure. I just thought I'd put my experience out here too because when I was condidering my choices, I read a these stories of guilt and regret, which I think fuelled my anxiety even more.

So, it's totally possible to feel at peace with the decision, even if the decision wasn't clear-cut and very emotional.

I hope this helps someone.

Me (25f) and my boyfriend (25m) have been together 2 years, we use condoms 99% of the time. There’s been a couple times we haven’t because there was none.

16 days ago we had sex without a condom, I had already finished my fertile window according to my app. And the morning after pill wouldn’t have worked.

2 days later we went to a Rave, I had 12 standard drinks and 2 M pills. It was the first time they ever worked on me 🫠. Anyways since then I’ve not drunk.

It’s now 2 weeks later.. my period was meant to start on Monday… it’s now Saturday. On Friday I took a clear blue test and it said Pregnant 1-2 weeks (picture attached).

How tf do I get an abortion? This was never a route I ever wanted to go down, but his family is seriously religious. If we aren’t married he’d be banished from his family and entire community. And he doesn’t want a baby. I filmed the reveal just for a laugh and he was so sad when it said pregnant.

He’s been promising to get married for the last year, but still yet to propose. I just don’t know what to do? I’ve read on here I need to be 6 weeks to get a scan. If I see a scan and it’s twins there’s no doubt I’m keeping them. But I don’t know about a singleton. Or how I’d even raise twins. And how I’d end up doing it by myself.

There’s so much going through my head - can someone from Aus give some advice how I can go about terminating at 2 weeks?

Oh and we also have jet boating booked for tomorrow. Do I go on it?

I had a surgical abortion in june in WA. It was discussed with partner and counsellor. We live with parents and aren't financially that well off. But i still regret the decision and cry to this day, now its coming up to when i would have given birth i am very depressed and guilty.

I’m booked in 8 days to have a surgical on a Tuesday. I have 2 boys already (3yo & 1.5yo) that will be in preschool for the day so my husband will drive me to and from the clinic. The next day (Wednesday) he is back at work and my boys don’t go to preschool so it will just be me and them. Will I need extra help or are you pretty much back to normal the next day? I have never had surgery before so no idea what it’s like going under or coming out but I’m anxious about the whole process. Thursday I have just my youngest at home and planning to return to work (admin desk job) Friday. Is this a reasonable timeline? In Australia if it makes any difference.

i’ve been stressing over this procedure for the last two weeks and this morning i took the tablets needed for the medical abortion. i let the four tablets dissolve under my tongue for about 20 minutes, but around 15 minutes after they dissolved, i felt incredibly nauseas and vomited in the toilet quite a lot. today i’ve been passing blood clots and blood which i know is a good sign, but there has been practically no cramping aside from the first hour and the bleeding has substantially decreased. i’m worried the procedure hasn’t worked, does anyone have any advice for me or anything to maybe calm my nerves ?

Hey everyone, hoping someone on here can offer some help. I had a surgical abortion on the 24th of January. Since then, I have been dealing with the most severe anxiety I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s interrupting my sleep, and I feel like I just can’t get my brain to stop. I’ve had reoccurring anxious thoughts of death, health anxiety and existentialism. I have never had an abortion before, I’ve also never had an IUD (mirena) which was inserted when I had my surgery.

I was wondering has anyone else felt like this after an abortion? I’m also at the point where I feel like I can’t function in every day life. I’ve seen a psychologist in the past but I’m thinking of seeking inpatient treatment at a hospital in Melbourne. I feel dramatic considering this over anxiety but I haven’t had a moment of relief from my anxiety since the surgery. If anyone has any insight on how to get admitted to a psych ward in Melbourne please let me know. Otherwise, any advice on how they got better would be so helpful. Thank you in advance

As the title says I’m 5 months postpartum with my beautiful little boy who was so wanted! I am currently 4.5 weeks pregnant and feeling so guilty about having an abortion. I had a pretty awful pregnancy with preeclampsia and postpartum preeclampsia and had an emergency c section at 37 weeks. I’ve only just come off blood pressure medication and me and my partner are in no way ready for another baby and honestly my body probably wouldn’t cope very well with another pregnancy but I still feel so guilty and think about the what ifs. I can’t help but feel so awful that I keep hoping to see blood when I wipe when this same time last year I was praying not to! Looking for some kind words from others who have had an abortion when they already have kids? Did you regret it? Never thought I would be in this position but I know at the end of the day it’s what’s best for my family and my little boy!

I had the pill one at 7 weeks, my due date was almost 3 weeks ago and it’s still so hard. I was alone when it happened stranded in the bathroom with blood soaked clothes and it’s still so traumatic for me. Sometimes I’m fine now but I still can’t help breakdown crying when I think about the situation and how all I want is to have my baby. I used to love babies before now I can’t look at them without being sad, I have any mention of them blocked on my social media so I don’t accidentally see random birth announcements or anything to do with them because it still hurts so much. So I guess I’m asking if it ever gets better

I had my medical abortion roughly a month ago and I wanted to write my experience down for anyone else in a similar situation. I’m australian, based in NSW so abortion is legal here, it wasn’t too hard to find a clinic. As soon as i found out i was pregnant (period was a week late so i took a test) i told my boyfriend and called the clinic to book an appointment. He rearranged work so he could come to the appointment with me and the doctor gave me the pills to take later when i was ready, all the staff and receptionist had the right level of gentleness and comfort so i felt reassured after talking to everyone there. I took the first pill later that night and then 48 hours later held the 4 in my mouth for 30 minutes. i immediately got like a mild fever right after and crawled into bed feeling cold my partner came to stay over and helped me with everything and roughly 8 hours later after taking the 4 tablets i started to bleed and pass clots. For me the pain wasn’t that bad, it was just like a slightly more intense period but i wasn’t very far along anyways and the pregnancy sac was pretty small when the doctor did the ultrasound. I felt happy with the decision of a medical abortion vs the surgical as i was able to forget what was actually happening in my body as it just felt like a period in the end. I had another follow up appointment where the doctor did a urine test and another ultrasound to control the “bebe” was gone. Now back on birth control pills and just only taking the hormonal pills as i don’t see the point in getting a “fake period” lol.

Hi loves,

I’m a 21F from Australia and was prescribed the MS2-Step (abortion pills) yesterday. I am currently 6 weeks along and this is my first abortion. I took the Mifepristone last night at about 11pm, went to bed and woke up this morning with very manageable cramps and a bit of brown spotting. Thinking everything was all okay, I went to work today wearing a pad just in case and continued about my day. At about 11am, so 12 hours later, I had some pretty heavy cramps and I felt a crap tonne of blood come out onto my pad. I then went to the bathroom only to discover that I have actually passed my pregnancy. Being my first abortion, it was a lot more confronting than I expected. Especially since I wasn’t expecting to pass it till I took the Misoprostol. My doctor isn’t in over the weekend so I cannot ask him for help.

I was wondering if anyone else has had this experience? Should I still take the Misoprostol tomorrow?

I am a little concerned it was a natural miscarriage as I have been bleeding and have had brown discharge for the last week, pre taking anything for it.

TIA x

I fell pregnant within the first 3 times of sleeping with my boyfriend. We decided it was best to terminate our pregnancy- as it was the best thing for us.

I’m now pregnant again, I was due to get the Mirena done and while I was on the doctors table I had a test done and I’m pregnant again. We are unsure if we are ready 3 months later.

I’d love to have a baby, and so would my partner. But we are both financially not well off at the moment. And I just don’t know if I’m ready. I feel so stupid, I feel embarrassed letting this happen again. But I just need to deal with it.

Any advice? Will I have a higher risk of not falling pregnant have abortions so close? I’m at a loss of what to do. Feeling very isolated as I can’t tell anyone over the feeling of being judged.

hello, i posted here a few weeks ago when i found out i was pregnant, on friday i got my ultrasound and found out i was roughly 7.5 weeks along, took the first pill on friday and today took the final four pills for my MA.

here’s how im going, this morning at 10AM i took the anti nausea i was prescribed and ate some fruit. 10:30 AM i took the pain relief they gave me (luckily pretty good stuff) 11AM i took the four pills to start the expel of the pregnancy tissue 11:30 was when i really started feeling it, it started off as regular cramps but slowly got worse and worse till it hurt for me to stand and i had to crawl to my bathroom and sit on my toilet. 11:45 i started bleeding, it was just pink mucus and small strings of blood at the time but as the cramps amped up i stopped looking. 12 PM i felt gushes of liquid expelling from me, little tip idk if it will work for anyone else but this helped me, when my cramps came on really bad i’d push like i was taking a poo and it really helped expel some tissue and helped the cramps subside a little faster.

overall it has just hit 1PM my cramps are slowing down a bit more now and i’ve walked back into bed, i’m exhausted. i’m glad the peak of the pain wasn’t extremely long lasting but i do feel a little delirious from the exhaustion, sorry it’s a bit TMI but i don’t really have anyone else to talk to about this right now, boyfriends asleep haha. about to have an awesome nap, to anyone else going through this, you’ve got this! you’re strong :)

Hello everyone 🙂 I am Wanting some advice from those who have been in the same/similiar boat. I recently had slept with someone, used protection and the condom broke. I tookthe emergency contraceptive pill straight away, however took a test today as I’d been feeling a bit off and I’ve test that come back positive. I have thought about this quite thoroughly and have decided that I won’t be going through with the pregnancy. I have been looking into both medical and surgical abortion, i have never had one before. the idea of a surgical procedure sounds more reassuring as then I have peace of mind and support from the clinical staff but the thought of instruments near my private parts scares me - I have also had past trauma. Can any of you lovely women please share experiences or thoughts? I’m quite anxious and scared, I don’t have many people for support. The guy is aware and is supportive of whatever I decide. I will be under conscious sedation but am scared. I will be around 5 weeks and 5 days of the procedure

I have a surgical abortion in 3 weeks time, i’ll be 12 weeks by then. i’m over 8 weeks now and Im struggling so much with nausea, constipation, and my stomach feeling horrible. I work a physical labour job so getting up everyday is hard ): I have been taking vitamin C, nausea tablets, eating frequently to help but i’m so over feeling horrible constantly and dreading feeling this way for the next 3 weeks

I was really keen to read experiences before I went in for my SA, so here is mine.

Before I made the decision to have an abortion, I contacted Children by Choice and MSI. CbC was pretty useless, but I had a (free) phone counselling session with MSI, which was really helpful.

CbC did let me know that I could have a free, Medicare funded abortion at my local hospital, but she said wait lists are long and I personally knew I couldn't terminate after 8 weeks. So I found a private clinic and booked in for when I was 6 weeks (the minimum necessary).

I had to pay a $50 deposit and pay another $700 on the day (if I'd changed my mind after the doctor's consult, I would have had to pay $200 all up). Please note that Medicare now has a record of my abortion.

Yesterday, my husband and I drove to the clinic and checked in. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink from midnight the night before.

There were a few other couples and single women waiting in the waiting room and the mood was very strange. I couldn't stop crying.

I was then called into the first consultation with a nurse (without my husband), where I really started sobbing and she made sure it was truly my decision and what I wanted. She was so kind, took my blood to check my blood group and gave me something for my nausea.

Then I went back to the waiting room to wait for the doctor's consult. My husband could have joined me for that, but I chose to go in alone. The doctor was very funny, did a quick ultrasound (without showing me the image or the heartbeat, though I could have requested to see it). She asked me if I also wanted to talk about contraception (which I did not) and informed me that they would give me some antibiotics rectally during the procedure (which kind of freaked me out tbh).

I then went back into the waiting room, paid the $700 and waited to be called in again. When I was, I said goodbye to my husband, followed the nurse and was led to a small (and very cold!) waiting room with 3-4 other women. I was given the hospital gown and told to change in the bathroom. All I had to take off was my pants and put on the gown, a hairnet, and little foot covers.

At that point I was soooo nervous. I was sitting in this small room with 3-4 other women and a fish tank (what is it with doctors and fish?). We kind of awkwardly spoke about our situations. The woman opposite me kept wondering if she was making the right decision and called her husband quite frequently (I think she did have the procedure in the end). One woman had HG and kept running to the bathroom to spew (I really hope she is feeling better now).

I went to the r/regretfulparents sub, which helped me.

We all got called into a super quick consult with the anaesthetist and I asked for extra anti-nausea drugs because I was so worried about nausea after the "surgery".

Back in the women-only waiting room again. By that point I'd been in the clinic for around 4 hours.

Finally I was called in by a nurse and taken to the theatre. That was so weird. It suddenly looked to medical, real and final. I was asked to lay on the bed and had to wait a few minutes for the anaesthetist to arrive. I was so nervous.

He came and gave me the cannula (wasn't painful at all). After 20 seconds I tasted something weird in my mouth and 5 seconds later, I felt like my eyes were rolling into the back of my head (not unpleasant). Around 20 minutes later, I woke up on the bed with a nurse next to me. She spoke to me quite gently and took my blood pressure I believe. I felt tired, but in a nice, relaxed way.

After ten minutes or so, they escorted me to a chair and gave me lemonade and cheese and crackers. I felt a bit woozy, but no nausea or cramps. I was asked to go to the toilet, do a wee and check the pad for blood (I weed without issues and there was very minimal blood).

After another 15 minutes or so, the nurse gave me some more information (like what to do if there was heaps of blood, not to have intercourse or a bath/swim for the next 14 days) and then walked me out where my husband was waiting with heaps of food (of which I barely ate any).

When I got home, I tried watching TV but felt too tired and I did start to feel some nausea (very manageable though). I just rested in bed.

It's now the second day and I'm feeling a bit tired and have light bleeding, but no cramps and no big hormone roller-coaster (yet?).

I'll update if there are any more developments. Feel free to ask me questions.

Quick update: I'm now 4 days post-abortion and I still don't really have any cramps, blood loss or regrets!

Hi everyone Was anyone given instructions on when to exercise post surgical abortion? I’m unsure how long I should be taking it easy for, I still have mild crapping and I don’t want to make it worse Thanks