Termination of Pregnancy
facts and information

After

Recovery time at the clinic will depend on the anaesthetic you have, and is usually 1-2 hours.

Qualified nursing staff will care for you and you will be offered light refreshments. Information will be given to you about post-operative care and choice of contraception.

You may feel tired and uncomfortable for a few hours. It is best if you can rest for the remainder of the day. By the next day you should be feeling well enough to go back to work or school.

Post-Operative And After Care Information

Activity- 
You can get back to most normal, daily activities from the day after your operation.
If you have had sedation or general anaesthetic, you should not drive a car, operate heavy or dangerous machinery, sign any important documents, drink alcohol or take recreational drugs within the next 24 hours.
Walking and low-impact exercise are okay from the day after your operation, but you should avoid strenuous exercise, sports and heavy lifting for about the next week.

Protection from infection- 
The normal protective barrier between the vagina and the womb is disturbed during your operation, and it needs time to settle down.
To reduce the risk of infection in the womb, you should not put anything in the vagina for the next 2 weeks.
This means:

Fever- 
In order to keep the risk of infection very low, antibiotics have been prescribed for you, and you should try to take these as instructed. If you start to feel unwell and your temperature goes above 37.5 degrees, then you should see your doctor or contact us.

Bleeding- 
Bleeding after the operation varies quite a bit. For most women, bleeding should settle within 2 weeks after the operation and should not be heavier than you would expect with a heavy period.
Some women start to bleed more heavily a few days after the operation- this heavier bleeding will usually settle within 2-3 days.
When bleeding is very light, there may only be some brownish discharge.
If you have very heavy bleeding and are soaking through a regular pad in less than an hour, or if you pass large clots, please contact us for advice or see your doctor as soon as possible.
Your next menstrual period will usually start about 4 to 6 weeks after the operation. If you have begun taking the contraceptive pill, then you will have bleeding again when you reach the sugar-pill section of the packet.

Pain- 
You may get some cramping pains, which are like normal period pain, over the first few days after the operation. Having a rest, a hot-water bottle and simple pain-killers like Panadol (Paracetamol), Naprogesic (Naproxen) or Nurofen (Ibuprofen) will usually settle these pains.
If you have asthma, you should usually avoid taking Naprogesic and Nurofen, unless you have used them in the past and not had any problems.

Passing urine- 
Some women will experience difficulty with passing urine after their operation. If this happens, be patient, try to relax and not to strain to pass urine. If this does not work, you should contact us, but you may need to go to your nearest hospital for some help.
                                                                       
Emotions-
Most women are relieved once their operation is over, but some will experience sadness or depression afterwards. This can often start a few days after the operation and is triggered by changes in the hormones in your body. This emotional reaction will usually settle over a few days or a couple of weeks, but, if it persists, please talk to us, or your own doctor.

Pregnancy symptoms-
Nausea usually settles within a day or two. Breast tenderness and bloating may take a couple of weeks to go away.

Contraception-
It is important to remember that your body will return to normal very quickly after your operation, and this means that you will be fertile and able to get pregnant again within a few weeks. So think carefully about your contraception and what will work best for you.

Post-operative check-
We strongly recommend that you have a check about 2 weeks after the operation. This can be done through your regular doctor, a family planning clinic or a review visit can be arranged at Preterm.

If you have any concerns or problems, please call (02) 9217 8700, or 1800 659 124 if you are outside Sydney, on Monday to Friday in normal business hours.

If you feel that you have an urgent problem outside normal hours, please contact your Local Doctor's after-hours service, a 24 hour Medical Centre or the nearest Emergency Department.

Preterm aims to provide the very highest standard of care for all its patients, but, if you are not happy about any aspect of your treatment, then please let us know.  You can phone to make a complaint or write to us at  PO Box 768, Surry Hills, NSW 2010.