Does Abortion Bleeding Differ from Menstrual Bleeding?

Abortion bleeding is not the same as menstrual bleeding. In a medical procedure, you take a combination of Mifepristone and Misoprostol to stop early pregnancy. The abortion pills empty the uterus of all the products of conception by breaking the endometrial lining. The action is caused by anti-progesterone action. And then induced labor cause uterine contractions. This dispels the pregnancy portions out from the womb through heavy vaginal bleeding.

Whereas in menstruation, your body goes through a 28-day cycle to form the endometrial lining, which is capable of implantation after a fertilized egg attaches to it. Lack of thereof and hormonal changes then shed this lining and that of the mature egg, leading to menstrual bleeding. Thus, the primary difference between abortion bleeding and menstrual bleeding is the existence of pregnancy and the absence of pregnancy, respectively.

Yet many may confuse the two. So, in the below post, we will discuss more bleeding from pregnancy termination and menstruation.

How Much is the Blood Flow?

Menstrual bleeding if following the right pattern, should occur once every month for every female who has hit puberty, and does not suffer from gynecological or other health issues that could interfere with the natural function of ovulation. Typically, the blood flow is mild to moderate. And you can wear regular sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups, etc., available to prevent the blood from seeping or soaking the clothes or your external body parts.

In a medical abortion, the blood flow is heavy and more than that from regular menstrual bleeding. It usually continues until the uterus is emptied of all the pregnancy sections such as the tissues, sac, shed implantation lining, and the fetus. Most women bleed moderately to heavily during pregnancy termination. And same is induced through prostaglandin E1 analog medicines that are also used otherwise to ripen the cervix in childbirth.

What Does the Bleeding Contain?

An abortion bleeding will contain large blood clots. They can be as big as a lemon size. You may visibly find pregnancy tissues, the sac, and the embryo, like a rice-grain size. The clots and bleeding will consist of pregnancy portions and the broken endometrial lining. The bleeding helps to disperse the products of conception completely out of the uterus and vagina. However, menstrual bleeding only contains the shed endometrial lining and the mature egg remains. It does not have any components of a pregnancy.

How to Manage the Bleeding and Other Effects?

As you bleed heavily during an abortion, you will require large sanitary pads that are well-absorbent. It is inadvisable to insert anything in the vagina at the moment, unlike the time of menstrual bleeding. So, you must depend on maxi pads alone, not tampons or menstrual cups. But for menstrual bleeding, you can choose from any period bleeding products that suit your health and needs.

During the abortion, the cramps from uterine contractions are moderate to severe. So, you may want to take a painkiller. But the cramps are not that severe in case of bleeding during menstruation. However, muscle relaxants, and pain relief medicines can help besides a hot water bag or heating pad application.

How Long the Bleeding Will Continue?

Abortion bleeding duration depends on how further you were into gestational age when you took the abortion pills. So, the bleeding though reduces after the uterus is vacant of all the pregnancy portions, and continues for 4 to 8 weeks. After this period, the menses start to regularize. But menstrual bleeding lasts for 3 to 5 days, or the length varies from one person to another. If any bleeding duration, be it for pregnancy termination or menstruation, exceeds normal expectations, then it is necessary to get in touch with your healthcare provider.

Final Words

Abortion bleeding and menstrual bleeding are different from each other. You must follow certain precautions to remain fit in both events. Eat nutritious food, avoid physical and mental stress, rest well, and take care of mood swings to have better health at this time.

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