“For anyone who is worried, you don’t need to be.”
An MSI client tells her story of accessing medical abortion care with MSI UK, and taking abortion pills at home.
When I found out I was pregnant, all I can say really is that I was devastated. I knew when my last period was so I knew I was 4 weeks pregnant by the time the medication arrived.
I already have children and another really wasn’t in my plans. I struggled with depression after my last, so the thought of dealing with it again wasn’t what I wanted. I really didn’t want to have to tell anyone what I was doing, or go to a hospital as it made me feel really anxious, so doing it at home was the best thing for me, as I didn’t want to be away from my children.
When I found MSI I was so happy. I booked my appointment online and someone called me a few days later. I spoke to her on the phone, and a few hours later a nurse called me and went through my medical history.
I honestly expected it to be horrific, but it wasn’t half as bad as I thought it was going to be.
The following evening, just over 24 hours from taking the first tablet, I did the second lot. I started getting cramps an hour later and by the time I did the second lot of tablets I had started bleeding. When I woke up in the early hours of the morning, I had some pain and quite a lot of blood. I went to the toilet and just sat for a little while, and I felt a clot come out, I didn’t see it but it felt quite big.
When I woke up the next morning, I still had quite a lot of blood but minimal pain, I felt tired and groggy a bit like when you are coming down with something, and on and off cramps with bleeding, but only like a heavy period. I’m now on day 7 and the bleeding has slowed down to probably what a normal period is for me.
I stopped bleeding on day 9 and started again on day 14, only lightly though and it stopped again on day 17. I did the pregnancy test provided 3 weeks after and the test was negative. I honestly expected it to be horrific, but it wasn’t half as bad as I thought it was going to be. So for anyone who is worried, you don’t need to be.
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Sharing stories is at the heart of ending the stigma that too many people still feel when it comes to abortion.
