The Choice Is Yours
If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy and want help with your next steps, visit Problem Pregnancy. Problem Pregnancy provides free pregnancy tests, limited ultrasound, and abortion consultations. Contact us to talk with someone about your situation and learn about all of your options. All of our services are free and confidential.
Abortion Pill
Mifeprex (RU-486 / Medical Abortion Pill)
The Abortion Pill can be used until 10 weeks LMP (Last Menstrual Period), however, its effectiveness may decrease as the pregnancy progresses beyond 7 weeks.
Procedure
The FDA approved regimen for Mifiprex (RU-486) is a two-visit process using two different drugs 1:
- An ultrasound to ensure that your pregnancy is < 10 weeks and to rule out an ectopic pregnancy.
- Mifepristone is given orally during the first office visit. Mifepristone blocks progesterone from sustaining the pregnancy, thereby ending the life of the baby.
- Misoprostol tablets are taken orally up to 48 hours later. The misoprostol will cause contractions to expel the baby’s remains. This does not take place at the medical office and may occur within a few hours or up to two weeks after taking misoprostol.
- A physical exam is given by the healthcare provider about 7-14 days later to ensure the abortion is complete and that there are no immediate complications.
Risks and Side Effects
- Not advised for women who have anemia, bleeding disorders, liver or kidney disease, seizure disorder, acute inflammatory bowel disease, use an intrauterine device (IUD), or are unable to return for the follow-up visit.
- Cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, heavy bleeding, infection and in rare cases, death.
- In a small percentage of pregnancies, the procedure may be unsuccessful in terminating the pregnancy. This risk increases beyond 7 weeks of pregnancy. 2
Reversal Option
Women who change their minds after taking the first pill (Mifeprex) and want to try to continue their pregnancy can visit AbortionPillReversal.com or call 877-558-0333 as soon as possible.
Get In Touch
Visit Us
Problem Pregnancy
Know The Facts
We are here to help you understand all your options so that you can make an informed decision. It is your pregnancy, your right to know, and your decision. Call or schedule an appointment at Problem Pregnancy in Worcester, MA.
Fetal Development Weeks 5-10 (on average from last menstrual period)
The following describes some of the developmental steps of the baby during the time frame when a woman is eligible for a medication abortion. 3
- The blood vessels form (5 weeks).
- The brain, spinal cord and nervous system begin to develop (5 weeks)
- The heart is beating (6 weeks)
- Eyes, ears, and lungs begin to form (6 weeks)
- Arms and legs and the facial features appear (7 weeks).
- The blood becomes separate from the mother’s (7 weeks).
- Fingers and toes develop (8 weeks)
- The baby’s brain is divided into three parts for language and emotion, seeing, and hearing (8 weeks).
- 99% of muscles are present (9 weeks)
- Brain activity is detectable (9 weeks)
- All major body organs are present, though immature (10 weeks)
- The embryo begins spontaneous movement yet cannot be felt by the pregnant woman (10 weeks).
Are you considering abortion? Are you unsure of your options? Here at Problem Pregnancy we specialize in helping you through the process. Our onsite professionals will answer your questions in a caring and confidential manner. We would be happy to serve you.
1 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2016). Mifeprex Medication Guide. U.S. Department of Health. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM088643.pdf))
2 Mifeprex Label (2016), Table 4.
3Johns Hopkins Medicine (n.d.). Pregnancy: The First Trimester. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/pregnancy_and_childbirth/first_trimester_85,p01218
Questions & Answers
According to the Mayo Clinic, an estimated 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will naturally end in a miscarriage. “Miscarriage”, medically known as “spontaneous abortion”, is the common term used to describe a natural end to a pregnancy. Problem Pregnancy offers a limited ultrasound to qualified women to confirm a viable (developing), intrauterine (in the uterus) pregnancy. In many cases, the ultrasound can be performed during the same visit.
If fetal viability is not established, then you are a candidate with a high probability of miscarrying. Miscarriage is your body’s natural way of ending a pregnancy. In a case like this you would not need the pain, cost, and risk of an abortion!
- Severe cramping of the uterus or pelvic pain
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Emotional or psychological distress
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Back pain
Medical abortion information from the Mayo Clinic
Some of the most common surgical abortion procedures include manual vacuum aspiration, dilation and curettage, and dilation and evacuation. If you choose to have a surgical abortion you may want to consider an ultrasound-guided procedure as they have been determined to result in fewer complications.
The risks for any surgery are: Hemorrhaging (bleeding) and Infection
Additional risks of surgical abortion include:
- Excessive bleeding (hemorrhaging)
- Infection of the uterus
- Infection of the fallopian tubes which can cause scarring and infertility
- Puncture or perforation of the uterus
- Scarring of the uterine lining (suction tubing, curettes, and other abortion instruments may cause permanent scarring of the uterine lining)
- Damage to the cervix creating complications with future pregnancies
- Death, in rare circumstances
Other risks can include:
- Premature births with future pregnancies
- Incomplete removal of the fetus, placenta or contents of the uterus
It may be possible to reverse the effect of the abortion pill. If you change your mind after taking the first abortion pill, mifepristone, time is of the essence. For more information, call the Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline 877-558-0333.
Before taking the Morning After Pill, you should understand what it is, what it could mean to your health and how it works.
The “morning after pill” is a large dose of oral contraceptive known as Plan B One -Step. It is a single pill you take by mouth. It must be taken within 72 hours (3 days) after unprotected sex or birth control failure to help prevent pregnancy.
Plan B is believed to act as an emergency contraceptive principally by preventing ovulation or fertilization. In addition, it may inhibit implantation. It is not effective once the process of implantation has begun. Plan B is intended to avoid potential pregnancy, so it is important to confirm you are not pregnant before taking this emergency contraception option.
If your period is more than a week late, it is possible that you may be pregnant. You should get a pregnancy test and follow up with your health care provider or come to Problem Pregnancy for a pregnancy test and consultation.
- Emergency contraception is not effective if a woman is already pregnant.
- Plan B should not be used as routine contraception
- Plan B does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections.
- The most common side effects in the Plan B clinical trial were nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and menstrual changes.
- Because Plan B makes the uterus inhospitable to the developing embryo, it may lead to an ectopic pregnancy
- The manufacturer warns that Plan B is not recommended for routine use as a contraceptive
- Use of Plan B may result in an ectopic pregnancy. If you experience severe lower abdominal pain 3-5 weeks after taking Plan B, seek medical attention.
Problem Pregnancy does not provide emergency contraception but can provide you with education and pregnancy testing.
The price of an abortion can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars. The final cost is dependent on multiple factors: how far along you are in your pregnancy, what type of abortion you have, your health insurance, the type of clinic you go to, and your choice of anesthesia.