First trimester complication rates are LOW. You probably have nothing to worry about. It will most certainly be uncomfortable, and it might even be a bit emotional depending on how you're feeling. You'll probably be fully recovered in a day or so. It's a simple procedure and pretty quick. I really wouldn't worry, you'll be fine. Unless there is something specific you're worrying about, the chances of anything going wrong are so SO low. Good luck!

The pain was nothing for me. I actually went HIKING the next day and went back to work. I think you will be fine. Don't let people get to you, this is a PRO CHOICE forum and people with ugly opinions don't need to post here!

The pain will be VERY VERY intense. I work in an abortion clinic. It is going to be painful with local only, but it only lasts a few minutes.

IV sedation is NOT general anesthesia, and does NOT carry the same risks!!

IV sedation is a STRONG narcotic which makes the procedure more comfortable. They also will use valium or Versed to make your memory fuzzy.

You could use IV sedation even if you had a slight reaction to general, because they are TOTALLY different drugs.

I have never seen a complication in my YEARS as a nurse in an abortion clinic.

I really wish people would learn to put their opinions in the debate forum. This woman needs advice and support, not criticism.

hrschk66-

I had a surgical abortion last year, and am also terrified of sedation, so I chose to be awake during the procedure. It was VERY painful (not gonna lie) but also very quick. I was literally walking out the door 10 minutes after the procedure. I drove myself there and back, and went straight to a diner for breakfast afterward. I had light cramping for about 2 days, and very light bleeding for about a week. The cramping and bleeding I get with my usual monthly period are MUCH worse then this was!

Good luck with everything!

First of all, thanks to those of you who replied in a non-judgmental manner. Part of my aversion to sedation/general (in addition to the reaction I had to it before) is that I have very frequent irregular heartbeats - several thousand a day - and find that lots of things make my heart race and beat irregularly - lots of meds.....so, I like to avoid that. What types of sedation (my clinic can give it by injection) would be unlikely to cause a change in heart rate/rhythm? Would Ativan help at all? I had a cardiac workup 2 months ago (24 hour holter and echo) and the cardiologist doesn't need to see me again - says my irregulars are "normal" for me unless they increase or won't stop. You say it will be very very painful without sedation/general - that is scary. I was hoping it would be uncomfortable, but bearable. The nurse at the clinic I am going to said that most people with a local only say that it is more painful than a backache or headache - but less painful than an earache or toothache. At 12 weeks - how long will the procedure take from start to finish? Thanks again!

The pain is intense, but bearable. I wasn't screaming out in pain or anything like that. It's a difficult pain to describe to someone who has never been through it. It's kinda like a "sharp pressure" kind of feeling. A nurse will usually stand with you during the procedure, and you can hold her hand as tight as you need to. The shots actually hurt me more then the procedure itself. The whole thing for me (including the shots) was about 7 minutes. The "actual" abortion took about 2 minutes. They had a clock on the wall, and told me to count down. It helped a lot. The second it was over, the pain stopped immediately. Except for very minor cramps. Much lighter then normal period cramping. I was dressed and out the door minutes later. I was glad I chose no sedation because I didn't have to stay in recovery and I hate that groggy feeling. I'll put it this way. If I ever had to abort again, I wouldn't chose no sedation again. So it can't be that bad, right?

As for the Ativan, it won't really help with the pain (I have been on Ativan before for anxiety) but it will relax you a bit.

Please don't worry too much. It's over very quickly.

Hrsch-

Sedation is actually BETTER for women with issues relating to anxiety, stress, high blood pressure, and even heart issues.

Sedation would not increase your heart rate, but actually keep you calmer, which is why it is good for people with high blood pressure.

AT 12 weeks it will take about 5 minutes.

Honestly, yes, it will be very painful. But you can get through it if you decide that you do not want sedation.

You can actually discuss your sedation concerns with the doctor at the abortion clinic/office. They have full knowledge of the sedation that they use, and the effects of it on the heart.

i went to planned parenthood at smithtown to get my surgical abortion. i sat in the waiting room filling out paper work and waiting to be called in. they have you pay for everything before going in to see any of the doctors or nurses. the nurse took me into a room with a few other girl where we watched a general informational video about the procedure. afterward we were lead into another waiting room to wait for the nurse to do a blood test and take out blood pressure. we waited some more and another person took our sonogram. after some more waiting, i was brought back to the room to sign some waivers for the procedure, the IV sedation, etc. and was led into yet another waiting room. after about 15-20 minute, a nurse took me into thi room with a curtain and told me to change into a gown. i was assuming that this would be the place the procedure took place. 2 male doctors came in with a female nure and started work immediately. they were like a well oiled machine, one distracting me with small talk, another holding my hand and the other doctor putting and iv for sedation into my arm. I can't remember when they pout the tube in me but i don't remember feeling my cervix stretch.

it was definitely a bearable procedure and it was over before i could remember. they are very good at distracting you, once the IV was in it became really blurry. i felt a little bit of intense cramping that became very uncomfortable towards the very end but i held on to the nurse's hand TIGHT and spoke up as the doctor reassured me it was almost over.

the most surprising thing was that i had an intense emotional reaction immediately after the procedure while in the recovery room. i think i might have been overwhelmed because the whole thing happened so fast and i started crying but composed myself quickly. i was left to recover for literally a few minute before they let me get dressed, gave me a baggy of care instructions and antibiotics, and let me go my way.


one thing i found completely surprising

im 16 and i need some advice about abortions. i am pregnent and i dont know how far. i hav known for about 2weeks i had my last period on 23rd of dec 2008. im scared and i need someones advice on what to do??

If your last period was on Dec 23rd, then you would be about 7-8 weeks. I'm not going to be much help about what to do, though, but there are people on here who can help you, so please check back. Have you told your parents?

Woow,
Im shocked that so many of you had the procedure, and it hurt.
The part where Im surprized is "why were you not given meds to make MAKE IT NOT hurt?". In a male dominated field (surgery, anaesthesiology), I have an idea, but lets try not go there,

I had one, in a hospital, OR. It was under IV sedation, but I felt nothing, and remember nothing. 10 minutes later I was done, Recovery for 10 minutes in a room, and NO after effects. Light light period, no cramps.

Now, seriously. WHY is it not set up that way for everyone? (Again, I go to the field being male-dominated......) again...lets not go there.

Im sorry, to all of you who had pain, that you did. Hopefully, my experience can indicate that at least to some extent, it does not need to be that bad.

Emotionally painful: Absolutely!!. Physically painful: can be avoided with proper care, I believe.

Women, ask for your rights!

Dr S

Dear happy 2009

Actually, I was devastated that I lost that baby, (that it died inside me) and it plunged me into a serious depression. It took me three years of doing everything to get pregnant again. And for those three years I was deeply miserable.

So, before you throw your ugly judgements around, think about the feelings of all of the LIVING HUMANS people that you are being hateful about.

How can you hate people so much and also want them to be born?

If you want a hatred forum, please, start one up. It will help you .

eses

I chose not to have meds during the procedure, although it was offered and recommended. I knew it would hurt (and the pain was awful), but I wanted to be able to leave as soon as it was over, and I absolutely hate the feeling I get after twilight sedation.

For those people posting comments like you are "killing your baby". why dont u shut the f**k up! it has absolutely nothing to do with you and it's not your decision. How dare you try to convince someone to your way of thinking! every has their own opinions and rights! You wont have someone convincing you abortion is the right thing to do...and yet we always have bossy people like you telling us that we should keep the baby. Isn't it more unfair to bring a baby into the world when u are not capable of looking after it?? and giving it up for adoption is extremely hard, harder than an abortion!

So in a nutshell....back off!!!! keep your opinions to yourself1

My fiancee had an abortion today. Was kinda painful for the both of us cos even in this day and age we are still bound by the rules of time. We could have had him...we didnt cos she took morning after pills...much too late..docs said it would have already harmed the baby and abortion was the only advice.

For all you women out here...let me tell you...whatever decision you take in ur life..its yours to make...and today...ill tell you..from a mans point of view...Thank you all...for going thru so much pain...yet still loving us just the same.
I hope everyone of you who have been thru this trauma..suffered pain..and had to live with emotional problems...i say...you are amazing...all of you.

I was so anxious about getting an abortion and it was was not that bad at all. I had it done yesterday. I had the conscious sedation and it was one of the best drugs ever! My anxiety just melted away and I didn't feel ANYTHING. Today, I am a little sore but scine you have had several children, I would not even worry about pain. I have had only one child and the pain was much much worse than this. Just a little cramping and a little soreness today. Not even much blood, good luck and know that for yourself you have made the right decision!!

how far along were all of you when you got the procedure done? im 15 weeks and am scared to death because i do not handle pain well.

At 15 weeks, you cannot do the medical abortion, but you can request sedation for the surgical procedure. As a matter of fact, being that far along, I do believe they have to sedate you because I don't think (correct me if I am wrong, girls)that aspiration will work. The pain should not be horrible during recovery, but every person is different. I have had a medically necessary surgical type of abortion at 7 weeks due to an ectopic pregnancy and I was put under for that. The medicine they give you can range from full blown general (or being put under, as some call it)anesthesia, to a mild sedative, where you feel the pain but don't care. Some hospitals and clinics even offer what is called a twilight sedative. With this sedative, you are awake, can move and such, will feel pain, but won't remember the pain. It is the same sedative they use in the ER to help patients who need bones realigned or joints relocated.

i would like to share my experience with you, i decided to get an abortion for personal reasons and decided to go for the surgical abortion,i got to the clinic and was due to have local anesthetic which was arranged over the phone, before the abortion i had to give blood a lood sample and had to have one more ultra sound to see how far gone i was, the nurse then took my blood pressure and said my bmi was too high so i wouldnt be able to have local or general anesthetic or any pain relief at all... i was so scared and told her i would not be able to go through with the abortion because i were so scared not to have any pain relief at all, but then i told myself it needed to be done and i had to do whatever and wanted it over and done with as soon as possible so decided just to go along with it, i asked the nurse if it hurt and she told me from what people have told her its just tugging and pulling but not unbearable so that put me at ease a bit,i went into the room and there were 2 nurses one to calm you and the other one to preform the procedure, i am not going to lie they open your cervix with a clamp and insert a suction tube inside whilst they get everything out, it really hurt me but it was over and done with in about 5 minutes i just held the nurses and hand and she spoke with me all the way through it which helped alot, after it was done i felt relief wash over me, afterwards i went into a room with a few other women and laid down with a hot water bottle and they gave me a cup of tea and biscuit to get your energy levels back up, i really think at the time i felt it was the best option for me, but now i am very careful and use contreception to prevent me from ever having to go through it again because it wasn't a good experience as you can imagine, but i agree if you want an abortion its your decision nobody elses, good luck!!! i hope a gave you an honest answer and hope it will help you make your desicion good luck!!! xxx