How Soon Can You Get Pregnant After An Abortion?

Once you get an abortion done, it is very much possible to get pregnant soon after. But how soon can you get pregnant after an abortion?

Abortion does not affect your ability to give birth. It is possible to give birth after you have an abortion, with the egg being released from the ovary as early as five days post your treatment in order for you to be pregnant before your next period hits.

Similarly, if you do not want to get pregnant after getting an abortion, you must have a solid contraceptive choice in place as soon as you are done. Most abortion centers will offer a range of protection methods for you to choose from. Be mindful and choose wisely.

How Soon Can You Get Pregnant After An Abortion?

Getting an abortion will automatically restart your menstrual cycle. Ovulation that happens between days 14 to 28 of your cycle would happen, in your case, within a couple of weeks of the abortion. 

What this means is that you can definitely get pregnant again if you have sex without any protection within a couple of weeks of having the procedure despite not getting a period. Keeping in mind that not everyone has a 28-day cycle, the timing could vary. 

Some women have shorter menstrual cycles, which could get them ovulating within 8 days of the procedure. in an earlier pregnancy.

The amount of time that passes before the ovulation can also depend on how far along your pregnancy was pre-abortion. This can delay ovulation and menstruation. 

Symptoms of pregnancy after an abortion are the same as that of a normal pregnancy. They are:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Missed period
• Tender breasts
• Sensitivity to smell or taste
• Fatigue 

If you have not had a period within six weeks of abortion, get a home pregnancy test done. If your results are positive, get in touch with your OBGYN. Running a blood test will confirm if you really are pregnant or if it’s your leftover hormones from the previously aborted pregnancy. 

How Long Must You Wait To Get Pregnant?

Your doctor may recommend you wait before trying again for at least 1 or 2 weeks to prevent the chances of infection.

The decision ultimately lies with you as to how soon after an abortion you want to become pregnant, provided you discuss it with your doctor. Previously, doctors would advise women to wait for at least three months before trying, but this is no longer the issue. 

As the woman in question, if you feel ready mentally, emotionally, as well as physically, you need not wait. But if you faced issues after your abortion that made you wary, waiting around would be the apt decision until you are all good to go again. 

Your doctor can tell you when it can be safe to have sex again. Although it is not common to have serious problems, occasionally, issues do occur. 

Complications are more common following a surgical abortion. Some of them are:

• Bleeding
• Infections
• Cervical tears or lacerations
• Retained tissue
• Uterine perforation
• Allergic reactions to medications during the abortion

Make sure you get a long checkup following a medical abortion so that all problems during your pregnancy can be avoided. 

Can Abortions Affect Future Pregnancies

Abortion does not usually cause any issues with fertility nor cause issues in future pregnancies. However, recent research has shown that abortions can increase the risk of preterm birth or cause low birth weight in babies. 

One study also said that women who had a surgical abortion could have a higher risk of miscarriage in future pregnancies. But these risks are definitely rare. However, there is no proven link between the two events. 

The risk depends basically on the type of abortion carried out, so it does not affect how soon you can get pregnant after an abortion.

Types Of Abortions

There are two types of abortions carried out:

Medical Abortion

This abortion entails taking a pill taken in early pregnancy in order to abort the fetus. Medical abortions have not yet been shown to increase any risk of future pregnancies of women taking the pill.

A study has said that medical abortions carry no risk of:

• ectopic pregnancy
• miscarriage
• low birth weight
• Preterm birth in a later pregnancy

Surgical Abortion

A surgical abortion aborts the fetus using suction and a sharp, tool known as a cure. Surgical abortions have another name – dilation and curettage.

Sometimes, rarely, a surgical abortion can scar the uterine wall. In case a surgical abortion scars the uterine wall, the condition is called Asherman Syndrome. It poses a risk to women who have had multiple surgical abortions. This scarring could make it difficult to get pregnant later. It also increases the risk of stillbirths and miscarriages.

A licensed medical provider should perform abortions. The medical professional should do it safely in a sterile environment. If a person with no medical background performs an abortion, then it is unsafe and potentially fatal.

When Can My Pregnancy Test Be Accurate?

Pregnancy tests detect a hormone called hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). When a woman is pregnant, her body releases a high percentage of this hormone. After an abortion, they decline rapidly. But they don’t reach their normal levels either. 

It could take 16 days to 2 months for hCG levels in the body to completely diminish. So, how soon after an abortion can you get pregnant again? If you take a test at this time, you can test positive even in case of a non-pregnancy.

If you think you might be pregnant soon after your abortion, check with a licensed professional. They can do a blood sampling instead of the over-the-counter pregnancy tests. They can also carry out an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy. 

To Conclude

To recapitulate, how soon can you get pregnant after an abortion? In short, it is physically possible to be pregnant after an abortion during the next ovulation cycle. 

If you want to avoid getting pregnant again, you must begin to use a birth control method right after the abortion. Your healthcare provider can guide you with this. In most cases, having an abortion does not affect fertility or your ability to get pregnant immediately after. 

You can totally have a healthy pregnancy after an abortion. But in rare situations, a surgical abortion could cause scarring of your uterine wall if the number of abortions carried out is a few too many. This could make it difficult to get pregnant.