Exercise care and caution after an abortion. Follow these tips

If you or someone close to you has recently had an abortion, it is important to take care of your health. Follow these tips and you will recover well.
abortion
An abortion can be an emotionally and physically tough experience. Care is important. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Dr Surabhi Siddhartha Published: 14 Dec 2021, 10:30 am IST
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A pregnancy may end for various reasons, including health conditions. The process of abortion leads to physical and psychological distress for the pregnant woman. She may encounter depression, guilt, anger, and suffer from infections, or blood loss. The woman who undergoes abortion might experience severe back pain, blood loss, stress, frustration, and anxiety. These signs need to be controlled by taking proper care.

Here’s how to take care of yourself after abortion:

  1. Eat a well-balanced diet

Include green leafy vegetables, dry fruits, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, and milk in the diet. Avoid junk, processed food, sugary drinks, and colas. These things can take a toll on your well-being.

Take supplements like vitamin D, iron, and calcium only after consulting the doctor.

  1. Say NO to heavy workouts

    It is advisable to avoid weight lifting, including washing clothes, utensils, and lifting water buckets after an abortion. These can be problematic for you. Do not exert at all, and get enough rest. It will be imperative for you to sleep for at least eight hours to stay healthy.

  2. Have warm water

    There are higher chances of feeling dehydrated after abortion. So, drink warm water to avoid constipation and stay hydrated.

  1. Get a body massage

    Yes, a relaxing body massage can be a great idea. After all, you have been through so much pain, and you need to be calm and stress-free. Thus, a massage can be soothing. Using mustard or sesame oil can help in reducing the pain or cramps post-abortion. So massage, especially your feet and palms to reduce the pain and to produce heat in the body. But, don’t go overboard and be harsh on yourself.

  1. Hot compression can do the trick

    Post-abortion, you might have cramps. Hence, hot bags can reduce the pain and you will feel better.

    abortion
    You can concieve after a miscarriage. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
  1. De-stress

    Abortion can be a traumatic experience for many. A majority of women feel depressed, anxious, irritated, guilty, angry, sad, and stressed. You can try and de-stress by spending some ME time. Activities such as gardening, cooking, listening to music, and photography can be helpful in dealing with the trauma. You need to speak to your partner, friends, and family members about how you feel. If need be, opt for counseling.

  1. Avoid conceiving immediately, in case of a miscarriage

    You can plan your pregnancy after three months of the last miscarriage. If the miscarriage was after six months, a gap of one year is required.  You can start having intercourse only after eight weeks from the miscarriage.

  2. Don’t skip your medical check-ups

    If you are one of them who has had an abortion, take charge of your health. Report any abnormal changes in the body to your doctor – these could be blood loss, dizziness, feeling nauseated, or vomiting. Follow the instructions given by the expert, and you will be able to recover quickly from the abortion.

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About the Author

Dr Surabhi Siddhartha is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Motherhood Hospital in Kharghar, Mumbai. For the past fifteen years, she has been delivering specialist Obs-Gyn care as a leading gynaecologist in Kharghar and Navi Mumbai. Dr Surabhi's areas of expertise and interest include high-risk pregnancies like hypothyroid pregnancy, diabetes in pregnancy, twin pregnancy, ovarian cyst with pregnancy, fibroid in pregnancy, and other surgeries like hysterectomy, cystectomy, fibroid removal, and adolescent health care. Her super specialized surgical skills in women's healthcare also involve Cosmetic Gynecology (vaginoplasty, hymenoplasty, surgical and non-surgical vaginal tightening), Urogynecology (SUI treatment, Prolapse), ART & Infertility treatment, Minimal Invasive Gynaecology surgery treatments (Laproscopy) Dr Surabhi Siddhartha completed her MBBS from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Government College, Bhagalpur and obtained her DGO from College of Physician and Surgeons, Mumbai. ...Read More

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