Unwanted Pregnancy knocked your door and now you are thinking about getting an abortion? There’s nothing wrong with it. A woman has a complete right to take reproductive decisions with her body involved. If you want to keep the baby, keep it, but if you are not ready or have some complications, you can also choose to terminate the pregnancy.
For medical abortion, you can now buy abortion pill online. With the online availability of abortion pills it’s easier and convenient to women for medical abortion, as surgical abortion takes time and can sometimes affect the body.
Studies show that around 630,000 people opt for medical abortion every year in the US. So, you are not the only one, so don’t be afraid of voices that only make noise when there’s silence.
Once you make the decision of getting an abortion, make sure you are well aware about it, and ready for it, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Here are the 15 ways you can be mentally and physically prepared for abortion.
15 Ways to be Mentally and Physically Prepared for Abortion
1. Educate Yourself
According to the CDC, in 2019, about 42% of women opted to go for medical abortion, that is abortion through pills instead of surgical abortion. Medical abortion is only for people who are 10 or less weeks pregnant. If you are pregnant for more than 10 weeks, you will eventually have to go for the surgical method. Do a thorough research before choosing the right one for yourself.
2. Don’t Be Anxious
It’s normal to feel anxious during your abortion. Abortion is safer with medical procedures in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. It has fewer health risks than pregnancy. During or after pregnancy your health risks can increase drastically.
A study in 2012, on Obstetrics and Gynecology, explains that dangerous conditions like preeclampsia, that is high Blood pressure during pregnancy or after pregnancy can occur. So, if you think about abortion, there’s nothing major to worry about.
3. Be Informed About Your States Laws
Different States have Different laws for abortion. While some states have fully banned abortion, some still allow it with quite a few restrictions. Restrictions like waiting for 18 to 72 hours after your counseling session to begin your abortion. Before you go for an abortion, you must be aware of these laws, so no problems occur while performing abortion.
4. Keep No Expectations
There’s no right way for how you feel about your abortion. Every person has different experiences after their abortion. Some women feel relieved after getting an abortion, while some feel the need to mourn the loss. What you feel leads you to how you feel.
5. Figure Out Your Finances
You should be clear about your finances if you are going for an abortion. Abortion is costly, especially after your first trimester. If you are 10 weeks along it will cost you $550 for an abortion, if it’s more than 10 weeks it will cost you more. States where abortion is completely legal, find out if your personal insurance can cover for the expenses. In some states personal insurance can’t cover you abortion expenses
6. Involve People Who You Trust
Remember, involve only those people whom you trust. You can’t endure it all yourself, you need your loved ones. You don’t need to stand on the rooftops and shout about it, but your confidants should be aware of it. During this period you will need emotional support.
7. Stock Things You’ll Need After Abortion
Keep a stock of things you will require after the completion of abortion. Basic needs like, food, water, painkillers, and pads for the aftercare. Take a leave even if you're having a medical abortion. Though the process of medical abortion is simple, even a surgical abortion takes around 20 minutes, your body still needs some time to recover from this state.
8. Create Distractions
With medical abortions, you don’t need much of a distraction, but if you are opting for the surgical method, you must take things with you to distract yourself before and after the abortion procedure. As the procedure can take time, your mind needs to be in a positive state, so take things that entertain and calm you at the same time.
9. Supportive Companion
Abortion is not an exception for the supportive companion. Everyone needs a companion in their happy and sad times. Before your abortion, your mind goes in different directions, causing a negative impact. At this time you’ll need your supportive companion to just be there with you, talk with you, and distract your mind. The companion could be anyone, parent, friend, lover.
10. Be Truthful to Your Companion
Say what you feel, don’t feel uncomfortable with your companion. You may feel the need to just lie down, or Netflix and chill, because you will feel low after your abortion, just tell it to your companion, it will feel good if you have someone to do all these things with. Do not bottle up your feelings, say it out loud.
11. Prepare Yourself Mentally
It would help if you were mentally prepared for your abortion. You must be constantly thinking about your abortion, whether you made the right decision to abort, how you will feel after the abortion, about the complications, keep them aside and trust yourself. You might feel bad about it but wouldn’t have taken the decision if you weren’t sure in the first place.
12. Talk to a Mental Health Counselor
Some women go through traumatic experiences post abortion, during this time it’s better to talk to a mental health counselor. They might help you to come out of this phase. Women go through trauma and depression even after the pregnancy, so it is advised to consult a health counselor.
13. This is Your Body, Your Decision
When you visit your health center, you will find many protestors outside the center. They are the anti-abortion protestors, who will try to educate you about the abortion and show you disturbing images of a terminated child to change your decision. But always remember this is your body, so the decision also has to be yours. They are not gonna raise your baby, you will. So make the right choice.
14. Birth Control
After the completion of your abortion process, ask your doctor about the right birth control method for you, so you don’t land up in the same situation again. Be very careful while selecting the birth control method.
15. Be Kind to Yourself
Don’t let your emotions get ahead of yourself. You might feel bad about the abortion and that’s fine, but also remember you did it for the good. Try talking to a friend, write a journal, or go to a health counselor.
