You expected the nausea and the tender breasts to fade once the abortion was over. Instead, days later, you still feel pregnant.
Many women notice that certain symptoms hang on for a while, but lingering symptoms can also be a signal worth paying attention to. Knowing the difference helps you protect your health.
If you’ve had an abortion and believe something may be wrong, seek immediate medical care. You can also schedule a free appointment with New Beginnings Pregnancy Center if you are still sorting through your options or have recently had an abortion and would like confidential support.
Why the Symptoms Do Not Stop Overnight
Most early pregnancy symptoms are driven by hormones, especially human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG.
After a medical abortion or a surgical abortion, those hormone levels do not drop to zero right away. They fall gradually, often over a period of weeks, so your body may keep sending some of the same signals it did before the pregnancy ended.
What You Might Still Feel
For a week or two, it is common to notice:
- Nausea or changes in appetite
- Breast tenderness or soreness
- Fatigue as your body recovers
You will also experience side effects from the procedure, such as abdominal cramping and vaginal bleeding after a medical abortion. A home pregnancy test can read positive during this stretch, because hCG is still leaving your system. As your hormones settle, these symptoms usually ease rather than stopping all at once.
When Symptoms Are Telling You Something Is Wrong
Symptoms that grow stronger, or that continue well past two weeks, can point to an incomplete abortion, infection, or an ongoing pregnancy.
Symptoms of a complication include:
- Soaking through two or more pads an hour for two hours in a row
- Bleeding that keeps getting heavier
- A fever of 100.4°F or higher, or any fever after a surgical abortion
- Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Severe or worsening abdominal, pelvic, or back pain
The presence of any of these symptoms can indicate a serious risk to your health, so contact a medical provider right away.
If pregnancy symptoms remain at the same level of intensity for several weeks after an abortion, or you still get a positive pregnancy test after 4 weeks, it could be an indicator that you are still pregnant. Contacting your healthcare provider for an evaluation can provide the answers you need to protect your health.
The Only Way to Know for Sure
If you are experiencing any symptoms that indicate an incomplete abortion or infection, contact your medical provider right away.
If you suspect that you might still be pregnant after an abortion, or are still pregnant and considering an abortion, New Beginnings Pregnancy Center is here to help.
We offer free, lab-quality pregnancy tests to provide an initial result and a limited ultrasound scan to help you learn important details about your pregnancy.
If you have already had an abortion and are struggling with processing your emotions, our post-abortion support can meet you in individual or group settings, whichever feels most comfortable.
Contact us today to schedule your free, confidential appointment.
New Beginnings Pregnancy Center does not provide or refer for abortions.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.