home Consultations Abortion and discharge. Possible discharge during the post-abortion period Yellow discharge after a miscarriage with a normal smear

Abortion and discharge. Possible discharge during the post-abortion period Yellow discharge after a miscarriage with a normal smear

Abortion is a rather unpleasant manipulation for a woman, both physically and mentally. Discharge after an abortion is an informative component and the norm in the process of restoration and healing of the body in the postoperative period.

The duration of the outflow of fluids depends on the type of abortion performed. After medication, rejection occurs intensively in the first 3 days, then the discharge turns into spotting and gradually stops.

In the period after a vacuum abortion, tissue separations continue for 2-3 days and almost immediately after this they gradually close. When an instrumental surgical abortion is performed, various types of discharge can last up to two weeks.

How many days after an abortion does there be discharge?

type of termination of pregnancy;
gestational age;
the woman’s condition at the time of the manipulation;
chronic diseases;
gynecological pathologies;
conditions where the manipulation is carried out and the qualifications of the doctor.

It should be noted that tissue rejection of various kinds after termination of pregnancy is the norm and a standard phenomenon. Gradually, the scarlet discharge should turn into brownish, then into daub and stop completely. However, it is important to observe how this happens. If the general and local condition worsens, consult a doctor immediately.

A less traumatic type of abortion is vacuum aspiration. Immediately after the procedure, the discharge of blood and mucus will be more intense, gradually decreasing to the amount of fluid during normal menstruation. Normally, the duration is up to three days with complete cessation of spotting up to a week.

Through the use of specific drugs after medical abortion severe bleeding occurs, causing rejection of the fertilized egg. Within 3-5 days, a tissue clot should come out, and then the intensity of bleeding decreases. Bloody discharge can last up to two weeks.

Surgical abortion is the most traumatic for the female body and is accompanied by bloody discharge that turns brown for up to 10 days. Copious discharge occurs in the first days after surgery and gradually becomes scanty.

Causes of bleeding

A woman’s condition after any abortion is accompanied by bleeding and may stop within the first week. This happens because during abortion, the integrity of the vessels and membranes is disrupted, and bleeding occurs. This is a physiological condition during abortion.

Depending on the accompanying factors, bloody discharge may be normal after this procedure or may be profuse, which is a pathology of the condition. With such indicators, immediate consultation with a gynecologist is required.

A week after the rejection of the fetus, when the stomach hurts and blood-colored vaginal discharge occurs, it is quite acceptable. When the shade turns pink, the recovery process is within normal limits.

It is important to ensure that the color and smell of the discharge do not change, and that bleeding does not continue longer than expected.

Yellow, brown and white discharge with or without odor

When a woman’s stomach begins to hurt and the smell of her discharge changes, she needs to undergo an examination. This means that the infection could have entered through external means, or an existing chronic source of infection in the body has spread through the tissues, causing a deterioration in the condition.

The color of tissue fluids and its changes indicate the presence of an inflammatory process that requires treatment, which is prescribed only by a gynecologist. The white color of the tissues, turning into a curdled state, is an indicator of thrush. A yellow or brown color, sometimes with a greenish tint, characterizes the presence of an infection and you can find out what pathogen it is during examination.

The addition of various types of discharge odor is also an indicator infectious inflammatory process, requiring immediate treatment to exclude more complex pathological conditions. It is necessary to undergo laboratory tests to identify the causative agent of the infection and prescribe adequate treatment.

Rehabilitation period

The first day after termination of pregnancy, it is recommended to stay in a hospital under the supervision of specialists. It is important to ensure that the blood does not turn black or stop flowing altogether.

In general, the month after termination of pregnancy should be subject to certain restrictions:

you cannot take a hot bath or visit saunas;
avoid visiting the pool;
limit or eliminate heavy lifting;
Travel to the sea and exposure to the sun are not recommended;
sports activities are limited until the body is completely restored;
eliminate alcohol intake;
do not use sanitary tampons;
exclude sexual activity until the woman’s normal well-being has completely ceased.

The attending physician explains in detail why and how important it is to adhere to the restrictions. It is recommended to add vitamin-enriched foods to your diet to strengthen your body. No special diet required.

The first monthly cycle may be small and scanty, then it will recover completely. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the body and if dizziness, strange abdominal pain or other strange sensations occur, immediately contact your doctor or the nearest hospital or medical institution where the relevant specialists work.

If complications occur, the recovery period is quite long, so it is better to follow all recommendations.

In general, the recovery period should take place without strong emotional and physical stress, under normal working conditions, and without recurrent bleeding or changes in the color and smell of the departments.

Discharge after an abortion - by its appearance, abundance and other accompanying symptoms, we can talk about whether the body is recovering well after this surgical or medical intervention. In what cases should you consult a doctor and how can you make sure that everything is fine?

The answer to the question of what discharge should be after an abortion depends on the method, at what period of time the artificial termination of pregnancy was carried out, as well as the individual characteristics of the female body, such as the ability of the uterus to contract quickly and the characteristics of hemostasis.

How long the discharge lasts after an abortion, the approximate duration of bleeding, is known - it is 5-14 days. Typically, bleeding lasts about the same time as normal menstruation - up to 7 days. And the next menstruation comes without much delay. Bloody discharge after an abortion performed using vacuum aspiration may last for 3-4 days. Since termination of pregnancy in this case is carried out at a short term, and the doctor removes the entire endometrium along with the fertilized egg using a vacuum.

And discharge a week after an abortion or even 10 days later can occur if the termination of pregnancy was performed with medication, and if the period was close to 6 obstetric weeks, which is the maximum possible for this type of termination. The fact is that when using medications, all membranes and endometrium must completely leave the uterus on their own. The doctor here does not “help” surgically. And therefore the process is a little delayed. And blood discharge after an abortion performed using medication is more abundant than with vacuum aspiration. They resemble quite heavy periods. Blood loss can reach 80-100 grams, whereas during normal menstruation a woman usually loses 30-40 percent less. Discharge after a vacuum abortion usually lasts at least 3 days. However, infectious complications or breakthrough bleeding occur very rarely. The procedure is low-traumatic, the cervix does not dilate, and the uterine cavity is not injured by instruments. And when an instrumental abortion is performed, the discharge after the abortion can be very copious if the uterus is damaged. Unfortunately, during this surgical intervention the genital organs are often injured. Interruption, especially long term, leads to infertility.

Discharge after a medical abortion is especially abundant in the first 2-3 days, until the fertilized egg leaves the uterus. Then they gradually turn into daub and fade away. And just by this time, 10-14 days after the interruption, it is recommended to do an ultrasound to check whether the uterus has completely cleansed itself.

Normal discharge after an abortion, those that do not harm the woman’s health. Even in the case of a tablet abortion, the bleeding should not be too massive. Even if the first hours after the pills take effect, it will be even 1 pad every 2-3 hours, but soon the discharge should begin to subside. Otherwise, the woman is at risk of at least anemia.

The color of discharge after an abortion is approximately the same as that of normal menstruation. But sometimes, especially in the case of drug interruption, women note the presence of large clots. They are a variant of the norm in this case, although their appearance during menstruation is undesirable - this indicates large blood losses. But as we wrote earlier, with a medical abortion, heavy discharge is normal.

It’s bad if there is no discharge after an abortion at all, or if it stops in the first hours after the operation. In such a short time, the uterus does not have time to completely contract. And most likely, a spasm of the cervical canal occurred, that is, blood and tissue membranes remained inside the uterus. But they need a way out! Otherwise, inflammation and endometritis will occur. Usually in such cases, doctors try to “start” the uterus using oxytocin. If all is useless, vacuum aspiration or cleaning of the uterus is performed again.

At the same time, scanty discharge after an abortion can be a variant of the norm if the woman feels well, her body temperature is not elevated, and nothing hurts. And, most importantly, the result of the ultrasound after the abortion is good.

Temperatures above 37.5 degrees, discharge and pain after a mini-abortion or uterine curettage indicate that inflammation has most likely begun. Usually, to avoid it, doctors prescribe antibiotics to women immediately after surgery. You should not shy away from taking them.

White, yellow discharge after an abortion that does not have an unpleasant odor and does not cause itching should not cause alarm. Although you can take a smear to determine if there is an inflammatory process in the vagina. In general, consultation with a doctor, including on issues of contraception, after an abortion is necessary, as well as an examination in a chair.

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Termination of pregnancy at different stages can lead to the death of the woman. And although modern technologies can reduce this risk to a minimum, careful monitoring of vaginal discharge after the procedure is still important. Based on their intensity and nature, one can judge the presence or absence of complications. So, discharge after an abortion should not be very heavy or prolonged.

Abortion is a procedure for removing the amniotic sac with the embryo and other structures, as well as the upper layer of the endometrium. At the request of the woman, it is carried out up to 12 weeks, for medical and social reasons - up to 20. Abortion can be performed by vacuum, surgical removal or drug stimulation of expulsion of the amniotic sac. The choice of termination method depends on the number of weeks of pregnancy and the woman’s health condition. Each type has its own characteristics and recovery time.

Why does spotting appear after an abortion?

The causes of discharge after an abortion are due to the peculiarities of the procedure. During the process, the contents of the uterine cavity are mechanically removed or detachment and expulsion of the fertilized egg are stimulated (with medical abortion). As a result of this, the uterine cavity is cleaned, the upper layer of the endometrium is removed, which is normally rejected during menstruation. In the place where the attachment of the embryo was planned or has already occurred, after its removal, an area with gaping vessels remains. Which is the cause of bloody discharge. In addition, the entire rest of the inner surface of the uterus is “cleansed” as during normal menstruation.

What determines their intensity and duration?

The nature of bleeding depends on many nuances.

On the size of the fertilized egg. The longer the gestation period, the more intense the discharge, since with the gestation period the size of the uterus and the size of the developing “baby place” increase.
From the method of abortion. Vacuum aspiration is accompanied by minimal bleeding, while with medical abortion there is the most of it.
From the presence of gynecological diseases. If a woman has fibroids, they can interfere with the contractility of the uterus, resulting in more heavy and prolonged bleeding.
On the intensity of uterine contraction. The speed at which the uterus contracts after termination of pregnancy will affect the discharge. The worse it is, the more there will be, up to life-threatening bleeding.
From the quality of the procedure performed. If, after an interruption, even the smallest particles from the chorion or amniotic sac remain in the uterine cavity, this will lead to severe bleeding, which sometimes occurs many days after the procedure.

The main signs of the norm

It is important to understand why there is discharge after an abortion, and what it should be like normally. The main characteristics are as follows:

no more than 14-16 days;
without large clots;
anointing from the fifth to seventh day;
should not be accompanied by a rise in temperature;
painless;
no unpleasant odor.

Features of discharge after vacuum

Vacuum aspiration (mini-abortion) is one of the most minimally traumatic methods of terminating a pregnancy. It is carried out up to five to six weeks of gestation, and the fetal sac should not exceed 21 mm in diameter according to ultrasound results.

During vacuum aspiration, a special catheter is placed into the uterine cavity, with which it is cleaned under pressure. The fertilized egg and superficial endometrium are removed. At this point, the fetal sac itself has not yet had time to penetrate the wall of the uterus, so it is easy to remove, and the consequences of the procedure are minimal.

Therefore, women’s discharge after a vacuum abortion is scanty, sometimes it’s just a smear for five to seven days. They may intensify somewhat on the second day after the procedure; sometimes small (up to 5 mm) clots are observed.

After surgery

When performing a surgical abortion, using a special instrument (curettes), the fertilized egg is removed, and then all the walls of the uterus are carefully scraped out (cleaned). This is done with the aim of completely removing the chorion - the developing “children's place”. By a period of six or more weeks, the fertilized egg is already securely attached to the wall of the uterus, so all elements can be removed only by careful curettage.

The abortion is performed under intravenous anesthesia; the woman lies down for about 20-30 minutes after the procedure. During this time, secretions accumulate in the uterine cavity, and when moving to a vertical position they come out. Therefore, women notice heavy discharge immediately after getting out of bed. They last for a week or 10-14 days, in nature and abundance they resemble normal menstruation. The same characteristics are observed after a late abortion.

After medication interruption

A medical abortion is different in that to perform it you simply need to take two types of pills. The former block the action of progesterone and cause detachment of the fertilized egg from the walls of the uterus. The second, taken after 36-48 hours, stimulates contraction of the myometrium, as a result of which the amniotic sac and parts of the endometrium emerge from the uterine cavity. Therefore, spotting after taking medications indicates the beginning of rejection of the endometrium and fertilized egg.

But they do not always happen immediately after taking the pills, and can begin at any time within three to five days. The intensity of the discharge initially increases, and clots may appear (the fertilized egg is also released in the form of a clot). Gradually the intensity decreases. Minor spotting after a medical abortion can be observed for another two weeks after the interruption.

If contraceptives were prescribed

Often after an abortion, especially after a mini-abortion and surgical abortion, a woman is prescribed oral contraceptives in order to prevent conception in the near future and for recovery.

When taking hormonal pills, the nature of the discharge may change slightly. In addition to those associated directly with the removal of the fertilized egg, there are spotting symptoms associated with the body’s adaptation to hormones. Therefore, brown discharge after an abortion may last longer, until the next period.

Manifestations of pathological conditions

After any type of abortion, complications are possible. They are associated either with incomplete removal of the fertilized egg, or with the addition of an infection. In the following cases, you must urgently seek medical help.

Copious discharge. Immediately after the procedure and during the first month, bleeding may appear after an abortion. If within an hour a woman does not have enough two maxi pads, there is a lot of discharge and it is scarlet, she needs to visit a gynecologist.
Discharge of pathological color. When inflammation occurs, the color of the discharge after an abortion will change: it can become purulent, green, yellow, watery, with a repulsive odor.
No discharge. Normally, after such procedures there should be bloody discharge (at least spotting). If after an abortion there is no discharge, this is the first sign of their accumulation in the uterine cavity. This happens when the cervix contracts, and therefore blood cannot come out. Pressure increases inside the uterine cavity, which causes severe pain in the lower abdomen. In such a situation, the cervical canal is bougienage, after which the outflow is restored.
The discharge is accompanied by pain. Minor nagging pain in the lower abdomen is acceptable. But when they intensify, it is necessary to exclude disruption of the outflow of secretions and inflammation.
There is an increase in temperature. If the high temperature is not associated with other diseases, this is evidence of inflammation in the uterine cavity and pelvis. It can be caused by either a violation of the rules for terminating a pregnancy, the presence of an infection in the vagina, or the early resumption of sexual intercourse (if sex occurs before the end of the discharge).

If such complaints occur, or even if a complication is suspected, it is necessary to seek medical help for further examination and determination of the cause.

How to prevent complications

Terminating a pregnancy is a serious procedure, even if it is a medical abortion. Feedback from women confirms the fact that following all the doctor’s recommendations will protect against the development of complications. The following must be observed:

undergo examination before the procedure (vaginal smears, blood test);
perform a pelvic ultrasound to confirm the gestational age;
follow all doctor’s instructions after the procedure;
abstain from sexual intercourse for two to three weeks after the abortion;
choose a reliable method of further contraception after consulting your doctor.

Abortion causes psychological and physical harm to a woman's health. Therefore, termination of pregnancy should be treated responsibly, following all instructions of specialists. Monitor the nature of the discharge after the procedure. Remember that it is normal:

There should be bloody discharge after an abortion;
clots can only occur after an abortion performed using pills;
within one to two weeks, discharge should decrease to a minimum;
There should be no severe pain or fever.

If you have any doubts (for example, if a woman is worried about how much discharge there is after an abortion, or her stomach hurts), it is better to consult a doctor. Only a specialist can distinguish normal from pathology.

Due to certain circumstances, women have to terminate an existing pregnancy. There are several ways to extract the fetus, each of which is characterized by uterine discharge after an abortion. The duration, consistency, smell and accompanying signs will indicate the recovery period or possible violations.

Types of abortions

Abortion refers to the artificial termination of pregnancy. Depending on the gestational age, health and age of the woman, concomitant pathologies and diseases, specialists use the following types of abortions:

Medication

Pharmabort is considered the safest because it does not require surgical intervention. It is carried out using two drugs in the form of tablets. The first contains an active substance - Mifepristone, which, when entering the body, blocks the effect of the hormone progesterone, which is responsible for maintaining the vital functions and healthy development of the fetus. Due to the action of the drug, the embryo dies. With the help of a second tablet containing hormone-like substances, the uterus begins to contract intensively and reject the dead embryo. Pharmaboration is carried out only in the early stages, up to 5–7 weeks. Menstruation after medical termination of pregnancy may be delayed by 40 days.

Vacuum aspiration

This method is applicable up to 7–9 weeks. Its essence is to apply vacuum pressure to the uterine cavity and extract the fetus without damaging adjacent tissues using a special apparatus.

Surgical abortion

The surgical method provides for the latest period of up to 20 weeks. It is carried out in two stages: dilatation - expansion of the cervix, then curettage - curettage of the fetus and the walls of the womb. The procedure takes place under general anesthesia.

Spontaneous abortion

There is another type of abortion that occurs without outside intervention. The body independently decides to reject a dead embryo or fetus that has any abnormalities. Spontaneous termination of pregnancy can also occur due to a lack of the hormone progesterone in a woman’s body, and for a number of other reasons. When the uterus is not completely cleaned, its cavity is cleaned, and the completion of the process is monitored using ultrasound. Read one of our articles about character and duration.

How many days does discharge last after an abortion?

The duration of blood released as a result of artificial or spontaneous termination of pregnancy depends on the period of gestation of the child, age, concomitant diseases and the competence of the specialist who led the process. Therefore, even an experienced doctor cannot say exactly how much discharge should go after an abortion.

Pharmabort is characterized by the fact that with the help of hormone-like drugs it has an aggressive effect on hormonal levels, and after such a shake-up the body takes a long time to come to its senses. Despite the fact that there is no surgical intervention or mechanical impact on internal tissues, hormonal imbalance can cause bleeding for up to a month, or even before the menstrual cycle begins. On average, bleeding lasts 2–7 days. At first it may be the discharge of dark clots or heavy bleeding; after a day or two, the symptoms subside and end in spotting. Light brown, dark brown, and scarlet discharge without an unpleasant odor is acceptable. The first days after the procedure, cramps and pain in the lower abdomen are possible.
Discharge after mini-abortion (vacuum aspiration) is abundant on the first day. On the second day, blood production stops or appears as a smear. On days 3–4, the symptom resumes and occurs in the form of scanty pink, brown or scarlet discharge. Sometimes stretching in the lower abdomen can be bothersome. The general condition returns to normal within a couple of days. On the seventh or eighth day they stop completely. During the first few cycles, your period may be delayed.
After a surgical abortion, the discharge is the longest and most intense. On average, their duration is 2–3 weeks. During the first 7 days, the amount of blood is abundant, since with this type of abortion the fetus is removed in parts, and there is a high risk of removing not all of its particles, which are then excreted with secretions. A significant role is played by the fact that during curettage, the endometrium, the inner layer of the uterus, is injured. Considering that cleaning is used for periods up to 22 weeks, the uterus can be quite enlarged by this period, and therefore, due to the extraction of the fetus, the area of damaged tissue will be larger, and bleeding after this manipulation will be more abundant and longer. Read about the link.

Post-abortion condition: causes of bleeding

Often women do not understand the reasons for the appearance of discharge after an abortion, especially a medical one. Indeed, in the first case, there is no surgical intervention or medical manipulation. The fact is that with the onset and course of pregnancy, the uterus grows and increases in size several times as the fetus develops. During this period, the mother's hormonal background changes. After an abortion, the uterus returns to its normal state and regains its original size through contractions and self-cleaning. This process causes bleeding. At the moment of greatest muscle contraction, the amount of blood reaches its maximum.

In rare cases, white marks are visible after expulsion of the fetus. With the onset of pregnancy, the level of the hormone prolactin increases in the female body, which is responsible for milk production and prepares the mammary glands for the upcoming lactation. After an abortion, they remain enlarged for some time and may. This is mainly observed after an early abortion.

Scanty discharge: pink or light brown

If there is no discharge the next day after an abortion, this usually means that the procedure was not effective and the pregnancy was not permanently terminated. Statistics show 7% of cases of this phenomenon.

If we are talking about a failed pharmaceutical abortion, then it is completed by vacuum aspiration or cleaning. A mini-abortion is completed by curettage.

However, do not panic ahead of time, sometimes the discharge makes itself felt after 2 days. At first it may be a slight pink or brown discharge, but with each passing hour its intensity increases. If scanty discharge continues for more than 3-4 days, then the uterus is not cleansed and you need to inform your doctor about this.

The intensity of the blood released may be insignificant during an early abortion (2 weeks), which does not always indicate pathology.

Heavy discharge

Excessively abundant discharge can also indicate incomplete interruption. In this case, the uterus tries intensively to reject the remains of the fetus, due to which a large number of blood or clots are released.

It happens that dead cells from the remains of the embryo provoke sepsis of nearby tissues. Heavy bleeding is accompanied by purulent mucus, an unpleasant putrid odor, nagging pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to the side and back, increased temperature and deterioration of the general condition. If such symptoms are detected, urgent hospitalization is necessary to preserve the health and life of the woman.

Inflammatory processes have similar signs. The open wound that is the uterus after any abortion is at risk of attack from outside pathogens. The chances of infection and inflammation increase due to reduced immunity and stress experienced by the body. They are characterized by painful bleeding and spasms, fever, chills, and malaise. Inflammations require immediate treatment, as they sometimes affect nearby organs.

Yellow, white and brown discharge after abortion with or without odor

Sudden blood loss, brown mucus streaked with blood, increasing pain a few days after the abortion indicate a polyp, endometriosis, neoplasm or erosion of the cervix.

Yellow, white or gray discharge after an abortion, found interspersed with blood, indicates infectious inflammation. These include bacterial vaginosis. In addition to the fact that this disease is sexually transmitted, it can also be caused by a disruption of the microflora of the genital mucosa due to stress, medications and tissue injury. Discomfort in the form of itching and burning of the vagina, the unpleasant smell of rotten meat complements the symptoms of this pathology.

Fungal disease - Candidiasis - has similar symptoms. The difference is the curdled consistency and sour milk smell. Thrush often occurs in the post-abortion period due to taking antibiotics.

Yellow, odorless discharge during medical abortion after the first tablet does not pose a threat and indicates the onset of the drug’s effect.

If you notice prolonged, painful blood loss after manipulation, immediately contact a specialist.

Rehabilitation period

It is important to monitor how the post-abortion condition progresses so that complications do not arise. For the sake of maintaining health, it is necessary to comply with these rules:

Stay in bed for at least a week.
Avoid physical and emotional stress.
Avoid drinking alcohol, taking a bath or hot shower, or visiting the sauna and swimming pool.
Take all medications prescribed by your doctor.
Wear natural, loose and comfortable underwear.
Wash and change pads as often as possible.
Use special intimate hygiene products without dyes or fragrances.
Stop having sex for a while. Ideally, this is a 30-day period for curettage (for pharmaabortion - two weeks).
Do not self-medicate if problems are detected.

Not only your health, but also the likelihood of re-conception depends on how successfully you pass this stage.

Briefly about the main thing

Thus, bleeding due to artificial termination of pregnancy is a mandatory indicator that the manipulation was successful. If there is no discharge after an abortion, this indicates incomplete and incomplete extraction of the fetus. The intensity and nature of blood loss depend on the type of abortion and the period at which it was performed. There is no need to worry that abortion will cause infertility. The main thing is to entrust this process to a competent specialist and monitor the body and secretions during the rehabilitation period. Be healthy!

Some women, after learning that they are in a “situation”, decide to have an abortion. There are many reasons - the presence of serious illnesses, unpreparedness to become a mother, etc. Regardless of the reason for making such a decision, a woman must understand that abortion is a serious procedure. It can lead to the development of various complications, and therefore, after it is carried out, you need to carefully monitor all changes in well-being that occur during this period. Vaginal discharge after an abortion should deserve special attention. After all, a change in their character is the first sign of the development of complications.

Features of various methods of abortion

Heavy periods always appear after an abortion, regardless of what method of termination of gestation was used. However, the chosen technique depends on how quickly the woman recovers from the procedure and returns to her normal life.

In gynecology, there are 3 ways to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. Among them are:

Medical abortion. They only do it up to 6 weeks of gestation. To carry it out, steroid drugs are used that reduce the level of progesterone in the body, which is why the embryo begins to be rejected by the endometrium of the uterus. Then another drug is used to stimulate active contraction of the smooth muscles of the organ and promote the “pushing out” of the embryo. Due to the fact that this technique does not involve the use of surgical equipment, it is considered the safest for a woman’s health. But there is one drawback - medical abortion does not always give positive results. Sometimes, after taking steroid drugs, pregnancy continues and serious interventions have to be resorted to.
Vacuum aspiration (another name for mini-abortion). Used only in cases where the gestational age does not exceed 7 weeks. To carry it out, a special device is used that works like a vacuum cleaner. It “pulls” the embryo out of the uterine cavity, having minimal impact on its mucous membranes. But damage to the endometrium of the organ still occurs, which leaves the risk of some complications.
Surgical abortion (curettage). Allows you to get rid of unwanted pregnancy for up to 12 weeks. During this procedure, special instruments are used, with which the doctor cleans the uterus from the fertilized egg. However, along with it, the adjacent layers of the endometrium are also removed, which leads to serious damage and an increased likelihood of developing other pathologies in the post-abortion period.

It must be said that the risks of complications are proportional to the gestational age. The larger it is, the higher the likelihood of their occurrence. But, in any case, after an abortion there is a decline in progesterone levels, which leads to hormonal disorders in the body, and the integrity of the uterine endometrium is disrupted, as a result of which the organ begins to bleed. And the presence of bleeding is a natural process. But at the same time, it is important to know which discharges really do not pose a threat, and when you need an immediate trip to the clinic.

What is normal?

In order for a woman to understand whether the cleansing of the uterus was completed without complications, she should know what the vaginal secretion should be during normal recovery.

If the procedure is successful, the appearance of discharge is never supplemented by:

Lethargy.
High temperature.
A specific smell from the intimate area.

After a surgical or mini-abortion, there should be scarlet discharge. At the very beginning they flow abundantly, but this should not last long - only a couple of hours. Then they begin to secrete less and after 2-4 days, instead of blood, a daub appears.

At the same time, scanty periods after an abortion should not contain mucous lumps or any other elements, and the consistency should be uniform, not too liquid and not too thick. In other words, spotting after termination of pregnancy should not be any different from menstrual blood.

And talking about how long the discharge lasts, it should be noted that its duration depends on various factors. The method chosen for the procedure, as well as some characteristics of the body (how long the menstrual cycle lasted before, how heavy the periods were, etc.) are important. So, after a mini-abortion, spotting may bother a woman for 3 days. Then they stop and after 5–7 days the first menstruation appears.

But discharge after a surgical abortion lasts much longer, since during the procedure the endometrium of the uterus is severely damaged. And when discussing the topic of how long the discharge lasts after such an intervention, it should be noted that the duration of the discharge in this case can be from 5 to 9 days.

3–7 days after cleansing, spotting brown discharge (daub) appears. It is their presence that indicates the successful completion of the procedure and the absence of complications. If brown discharge does not appear within 10 days, you should definitely visit a doctor.

It is difficult to say how long a woman’s discharge will last, since in this case it all depends on how many days her body needs to fully recover. And since hormonal disorders are observed, a woman may notice scanty discharge several times a month. And that's okay. Moreover, they are capable of acquiring both a brownish and pink tint.

Important! After the procedure to terminate gestation, women may have periods in the middle of the cycle, which is normal, but it is important to understand that everything has its own “framework”. It takes 2–3 months for the body and its hormonal levels to fully recover. If after this period there is heavy bleeding outside of menstruation, you must immediately seek medical help, since this has nothing to do with the norm.

Possible complications

After termination of pregnancy, the woman's condition worsens slightly. Her stomach hurts and she feels weak. Sometimes on the first day after an abortion, the temperature may rise slightly (not higher than 37.4 degrees) and chills may occur. After a few days, the discharge decreases and the woman’s condition returns to normal. If this does not happen, and after an abortion there is discharge, accompanied by severe abdominal pain or other unpleasant symptoms, you should immediately go to the doctor. Even if the condition is normal, but there are changes in the nature of the vaginal secretion, you will still need to consult a doctor.

The most dangerous are yellow discharge, which can appear both the next day after the procedure and some time later. Their occurrence indicates infection of the uterus and requires immediate hospitalization of the patient and treatment with antibacterial drugs.

Infection can appear for various reasons. Among them is the negligence of doctors who use contaminated instruments when cleaning the uterus, and of the woman herself, who neglected the recommendations of the gynecologist.

As the infection develops, not only yellowish discharge appears, but also a specific odor. It can be different - sour, sweet, rotten, etc. The consistency of the secretion released from the vagina can also be different - foamy, mucous (in appearance such secretions resemble snot), liquid and thick.

The appearance of a yellowish tint and a specific odor is due to the fact that many volatile compounds come out of the uterus, which release pathogenic microorganisms during their life processes.

Important! If, after an abortion, yellow mucus with an unpleasant odor begins to be released from the vagina, you should immediately go to the doctor. Only he will be able to say exactly what kind of infection provoked the appearance of such vaginal secretion and what to do in this situation.

The risks of uterine bleeding after such manipulations persist for a long time. When it occurs, blood begins to flow profusely from the vagina. Moreover, there is so much of it that it becomes necessary to change gaskets more than once every 2 hours. At the same time, the woman begins to have a stomach ache, severe weakness, dizziness and a decrease in blood pressure.

Important! Stop the bleeding immediately. Due to large blood loss, the level of hemoglobin, which saturates cells with oxygen, decreases. As a result, they begin to experience oxygen deficiency and eventually die. And this causes disruption to the functioning of many internal organs, including the brain!

How to stop bleeding after an abortion is decided only by the doctor, taking into account the method of intervention performed and the patient’s contraindications to the use of certain drugs.

It is also abnormal when there is no discharge or very little discharge after an abortion. This is due to two factors:

The occurrence of uterine spasms.
Blockage of the cervix (a blood clot forms in it).

These conditions prevent the normal removal of blood from the uterine cavity. And to let it out, conservative or surgical intervention will be required. If blood begins to accumulate in the uterus, this leads to severe inflammation and activation of bacterial growth inside the organ, which not only causes abdominal pain, but also increases the risk of developing sepsis or an abscess.

If after an abortion your stomach hurts and there is discharge with dark lumps in it, you should go to the hospital for an ultrasound. The appearance of any elements in the vaginal secretion indicates that the uterine cavity has not been completely cleaned and remains of the embryo are still present in it. If they are not removed, this will also lead to serious consequences.

To summarize, it should be noted that normally, after an abortion, menstruation lasts about 3–9 days. Then light white discharge (leucorrhoea) should appear, which is noted throughout the entire cycle outside of menstruation. If the daub lasts longer than 10 days and the stomach begins to hurt, weakness occurs, etc., you cannot sit idly by. Since if a woman has had an abortion and has similar symptoms, this is a sign of the development of complications that need to be treated urgently.