How Do Abortion Pills Work?
While it’s commonly called “the abortion pill”, having an abortion with pills usually means using 2 different medicines to end a pregnancy: mifepristone and misoprostol. These medicines are FDA-approved and have been tested and used safely by millions of people for decades.
When used correctly, abortion pills work really well. And you can use them and have the abortion in the privacy of your own home.
So how does the abortion pill work? The first medicine, mifepristone, stops the pregnancy from growing. The second medicine, misoprostol, causes your body to cramp and push the pregnancy out through your vagina.
We have information and resources on our website to help you learn more about abortion pills, and how we can help you get and use them safely and privately at home, at a price you can afford.
Deciding When to Take the Abortion Pill
We know many things go into your thinking on when to take the pills. We want you to have the information to make the choice that is best for you.
If you’re under 5 weeks pregnant, the pills may not be as effective. At 6 weeks they work 98% of the time. At 5 weeks it is 92%. At 4 weeks it is 85%.
If you bought your abortion pills in advance (also known as “advanced provision” pills), it’s a good idea to wait until you’ve had a positive pregnancy test to take them. They’ll work best if you wait until it’s been at least 5 weeks since the first day of your last menstrual period.
One way to tell that abortion pills worked is that pregnancy symptoms like nausea, tiredness, and sore breasts go away. At 4 weeks pregnant, you may not have these symptoms. So, it can be hard to tell if the pills worked.
How to Prepare for the Abortion Pill
There are some things you can do in advance to prepare for your abortion to make things easier and more comfortable. You’ll want to pick up these supplies:
Maxi pads
Heating pad
Water
Light snacks
Over-the-counter pain medicine like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen
If you can, plan out when and where you’ll take the pills. Plan where you want to be for the cramping and bleeding. It should be a private and comfortable space you can rest in, with a bathroom nearby. You’ll want to be near a bathroom for at least 12 hours after taking the second medicine, misoprostol.
It’s also a good idea to think about emotional and physical support. Do you want someone to be with you for emotional support, or to go grab something at the store you might need? This is up to you. You might need privacy and safety more.
Keep any helpful contact numbers nearby. This includes the contact number we sent you to reach us, the M+A Hotline (833-246-2632), and the Reprocare hotline (833-226-7821).
Knowing how to prepare for abortion pills will make things go more smoothly. We are here to help every step of the way.
What Happens After Taking an Abortion Pill?
A lot of people wonder: what is the abortion pill process like? What happens during an abortion?
This is the usual process:
First you’ll take a pill called mifepristone. It stops the pregnancy from growing. Many people don’t feel anything from taking this pill. Some people have bleeding after the mifepristone. Whether you have symptoms or not, it’s important to take the rest of the pills anyway.
The second abortion pill is called misoprostol, which you’ll take a day or two later. This is when cramping and bleeding starts. The bleeding can be very heavy with clots, lasting about 4-5 hours or more.
During the abortion, it’s common to feel nauseous or even throw up. We’ll give you anti-nausea medicine to take before your mifepristone and your misoprostol to help. Drinking lots of water and having light snacks can help too.
You might continue to have cramping for a few days. You might continue to have bleeding and spotting on and off for weeks. Again, this is normal. You can take ibuprofen for cramps if you need.
If you’re more than 12 weeks pregnant:
Bleeding will be heavy with large clots. You will see a small fetus and a placenta. It’s important to keep taking your pills until you have passed the fetus and placenta.
If your blood type is rH negative, you should get a Rhogam shot within 3 days after your abortion. Rhogam prevents problems in future pregnancies.
If you don’t know your blood type, urgent care or most labs can do a blood test.