Pregnancy after abortion: when is conception possible?

It all depends on the timing and type of abortion: what do the statistics say?

In Russia, almost 60% of women have had an abortion at least once in their lives, of which every 5th abortion is performed by minors. Moreover, in every 4th case, subsequent pregnancy occurs only after long and complex treatment.

The period at which the abortion was performed is of great importance. WHO data on complications after abortion are as follows:

• up to 8 weeks the consequences are felt in 1% of cases;
• from 8 to 12 weeks - up to 2%;
• over 12 weeks, complications of varying severity occur in half of the cases.

Complications occur in approximately 15% of abortions, and 6-8% of women remain infertile afterward. Moreover, if the termination of pregnancy passed without complications, and the woman’s cycle was restored and no infections occurred, within a year 10% of patients still go to the doctor due to disturbances in the reproductive system, and 5% of women face gynecological problems after 5 years.

In Russia, 15% of married couples suffer from infertility. Of them:

• Every 4th woman has hormonal disorders caused by termination of pregnancy;
• In more than half of the cases there are problems with the fallopian tubes;
• Almost 10% of couples are unable to have children due to infections.

How long after an abortion can you get pregnant again?

How long after an abortion can you get pregnant according to doctors? If a natural abortion occurs, that is, the patient has a miscarriage, experts advise not to try to conceive a baby for at least a year so that the body recovers and gains strength to carry a subsequent pregnancy. During this period of time, it is recommended that the woman undergo a series of examinations in order to find out the cause of the miscarriage.

Before you understand how long after an abortion you can get pregnant, you need to undergo a full examination.

Tests are prescribed to confirm the presence or absence of infections that could provoke fetal development failure. Such infections include herpes, rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis and chlamydia. In addition, before a future pregnancy, a woman will need to visit a geneticist to rule out genetic problems that affect the inability to carry a baby to term.

How many days after an abortion can you get pregnant?

There are certainly chances to get pregnant after an abortion. After an abortion, you can get pregnant within six months. This statement applies to induced abortion. This period of time is necessary for the normal recovery of the female body. A situation where a woman becomes pregnant a month after an abortion will be the exception rather than the rule. In this case, it should be noted that the functions of the reproductive system are not restored, which can lead to an early miscarriage or complications during pregnancy. The simplest ways to get pregnant as quickly as possible, you need to pay attention to: firstly, what kind of abortion the woman had . In general, abortion usually means the artificial termination of pregnancy for up to twelve weeks.

Is it possible to get pregnant after a medical abortion?

The most gentle type of abortion is considered to be medical abortion. It can be done immediately after a missed period, that is, at the initial stage of pregnancy. The principle of abortion is the intravenous administration of drugs that stimulate uterine contractions and lead to spontaneous miscarriage. The uterine wall and its cervix are not damaged during an abortion of this type, and that is why women do not experience any special problems with pregnancy after this intervention. The main disadvantage of such an abortion is that it can provoke uterine bleeding, which will inevitably lead to the need for standard cleaning through surgery.

Expert opinion However, in the vast majority of cases, abortions are still performed surgically using instruments. This operation is considered traumatic and getting pregnant after it can really become a problematic task.

Utisheva Ekaterina Valerievna Reproductologist, obstetrician-gynecologist Work experience 12 years

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Common causes of complications after abortion

The most common causes of infertility after abortion are diseases that arose during the termination of pregnancy.

Endometritis

Inflammation of the uterine mucosa - endometrium. The endometrium is very sensitive to hormones, depending on which it either matures in the first phase of the cycle or is rejected after ovulation. Abortion leads to disruption of the integrity of the endometrium, because, regardless of the method of termination of pregnancy, the fertilized egg is detached from the surface of the inner layer of the uterus.

A bleeding wound forms at this site, which becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and untreated infections. Surgical abortion is especially dangerous. After an abortion, in 10% of cases, inflammation has a chronic form, which leads to fibrosis (scar formation on the mucous surface of the uterus), atrophy of the endometrial glands, the formation of adhesions between the uterus and fallopian tubes, impaired sensitivity of receptors to sex hormones, decreased contractility of the uterus, etc. All this leads to infertility and is practically untreatable.

Endometriosis

Pathological growth of the mucous layer of the uterus with its penetration into the muscle layer. Abortion is not always the cause of the disease, but it contributes to the development of pathology; more precisely, the triggering factor is weakening of the immune system due to termination of pregnancy.

The mechanism of endometriosis is as follows: during menstruation, endometrial particles leave the uterus through the cervix and partly through the fallopian tubes. Immune cells destroy remaining foreign bodies, in particular endometrial particles. But a weakened immune system cannot cope with this, so the particles remain and begin to proliferate—dividing and increasing in volume.

The disease affects conception in the future, because particles of the “stray” endometrium penetrate the fallopian tubes and clog them. Once on the ovaries, endometrial cells interfere with the normal functioning of the corpus luteum, causing hormonal imbalance. Endometriosis affects ovulation, the egg does not mature and becomes non-functional.

Cervical endometriosis can degenerate into a dangerous pathology - hyperplasia (changes in cell structure), which is a precursor to cervical cancer.

Pregnancy with endometriosis is prevented by a violation of the homogeneity of the surface of the uterine mucosa. Growing into the muscle layer, endometrial cells make the surface heterogeneous and unsuitable for embryo implantation.

Endometriosis is genetic in nature, so it is not 100% a consequence of abortion. However, termination of pregnancy creates the preconditions for the occurrence of pathology, in particular, it reduces immunity and hormonal disorders.

Ovarian dysfunction

This is the most common consequence of abortion. During an abortion, regardless of the type of procedure, a bleeding wound is formed at the site of attachment of the fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus. For the body, this is the same stress as a wound on the leg or in the stomach.

Because of this, a large amount of stress hormones adrenaline and norepinephrine immediately enters the bloodstream. To reduce inflammation, the adrenal glands begin to secrete anabolic glucocorticosteroids. As a result, the interaction between the pituitary gland, ovaries and adrenal glands is disrupted, and hormonal disruption occurs.

Stress hormones suppress the production of pituitary hormones, in particular luteinizing hormone (LH), which is responsible for menstruation and preparing the uterus for ovulation. After an abortion, even under favorable circumstances, hormonal imbalance is observed for at least a month, and on average 3 months.

A decrease in the production of LH leads to a failure in the production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and as a result, a hormone imbalance develops, which leads to infertility and the development of such a dangerous disease as polycystic ovary syndrome.

Breast cancer

When the first pregnancy is terminated by abortion, the risk of developing breast cancer increases by 2 times, since changes in the mammary glands also occur from the moment of conception. Hormones responsible for milk production activate the milk ducts and promote enlargement of the glands. Cells become especially sensitive to degeneration.

Also, the lobules of the mammary glands begin to produce substances that, at a later stage, under the influence of oxytocin, would turn into milk. After an abortion, these substances remain in the ducts. They become inflamed and begin to release carcinogenic substances. My breasts hurt a lot after an abortion.

Carcinogenic substances provoke tissue changes, resulting in mastopathy or a malignant tumor. Tissue cells prone to degeneration mutate under the influence of carcinogenic substances and turn into cancer cells. To avoid this, after an abortion it is necessary to undergo hormonal therapy to remove the contents of the mammary glands. If this is not done, benign and malignant tumors begin to form in the breast.

Endometrial polyps

Pathological growths from uterine tissue. The reason for their appearance is destructive changes in the endometrium that occur due to inflammation. Every abortion leaves behind a wound that takes time to heal. It scars and polyps form from the connective tissue.

The growths are fibrous and glandular. They cause infertility at any age. Polyps cause severe bleeding, ovulation disorders, and anemia due to large blood loss. In addition, polyps indicate that the endometrium is prone to hyperplasia and degeneration.

Such tumors need to be removed, because in the event of new hormonal changes they tend to degenerate into a malignant tumor. In addition, changes in the structure of the endometrium prevent the fertilized egg from attaching to the wall of the uterus, causing infertility.

Adnexit

Inflammation of the fallopian tubes. This disease consists of inflammation of the appendages connecting the uterus and ovaries. The main cause of inflammation is infection, which is transmitted from neighboring organs. Typically, after an abortion, endometritis occurs - inflammation of the mucous surface.

Normally, it goes away within 10-14 days. But if an infection occurs, the inflammation is intense and lasts much longer. In acute form of endometritis, inflammation spreads to neighboring organs. Endometrial particles infect the fallopian tubes and then travel to the ovaries.

Inflammation of the appendages does not go away without leaving a trace. The inner walls of the fallopian tube are covered with movable villi, which propel the fertilized egg towards the uterus. Thanks to peristalsis and elasticity of the walls, the egg and sperm rush towards each other. Inflammation causes the villi to lose mobility and stick together.

If no action is taken at the acute stage of adnexitis, it is almost impossible to cure villi immobility in the chronic form. This leads to the fact that the fertilized egg becomes unable to move into the uterus. The risk of ectopic pregnancy increases significantly.

Scars on the fallopian tube left after inflammation and adhesions (fusion of the walls) also interfere with the advancement of the fertilized egg, which gets stuck in the appendage and begins to develop there. The result is an ectopic pregnancy, which requires new surgical intervention.

Risk of infertility

Abortion is a gynecological process that does not pass without leaving a trace. The main danger of the procedure is considered to be the emergence of difficulties in the implementation of reproductive function. Medical termination of pregnancy is detrimental to a woman’s health.

Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine glands occur, and during curettage, the uterus and its cervix suffer. These microtraumas become scarred and in such places it is difficult for the fertilized egg to attach to the reproductive organ. Menstrual irregularities may occur, which can lead to problems with conception.

Severe uterine bleeding begins. This complication of abortion has consequences such as blood diseases (anemia, poor clotting), which leads to death. After termination of pregnancy, the vaginal microflora is destroyed, and dysbiosis occurs. Anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed after the procedure immobilize sperm. Therefore, a woman cannot conceive a baby for a long time.

If the abortion was performed outside the hospital or the patient simply ignored the gynecologist’s instructions and did not take anti-inflammatory therapy, dire consequences are possible. Certain diseases occur (endocervicitis, adnexitosis) that are incompatible with planning and bearing a child.

Getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy affects reproductive function. Before you decide to do this, you need to think it through carefully. Sometimes one mistake of youth does not make it possible to give birth after an abortion.

conclusions

• The consequences of an abortion do not always appear immediately. Sometimes they become known about them several years later, when the long-awaited pregnancy does not occur. A gynecologist can assess the state of the reproductive system, so women who have had multiple abortions should consult a specialist before a planned pregnancy to avoid undesirable consequences.
• You can avoid complications by carefully preparing for an abortion: you need to be tested for infections and undergo an ultrasound of the uterus to determine the exact timing of pregnancy. After an abortion, you need to check with an ultrasound to see if inflammation has started. And the main condition: abortion must be done at a very early stage using medication. Surgical abortion always causes injury to the uterus and a high risk of complications.

When can you get pregnant?

There is an opinion that after an abortion you cannot get pregnant for some time. In fact, a woman can become pregnant within a few weeks after the operation. After the operation, the body prepares a new egg for ovulation and pregnancy can occur in about 2 weeks. However, this does not mean that a woman will be able to carry a child conceived during this period.

In most cases, such pregnancies end in miscarriages. This is very simple to explain - the endometrium cannot recover in such a short time. Planning a pregnancy after an abortion is possible only after the body has fully recovered and the necessary tests have been completed. A woman should lead a healthy lifestyle, eat well and take oral contraceptives, which will help restore hormonal levels and prevent the risk of pregnancy.

Only after six months can you think about conceiving a child. In case of complications and the presence of any pathologies, the period can last up to one year. Planning a pregnancy earlier than 6 months is a risk for the woman and child. Complications cannot be avoided and pregnancy can cause complications.

Oksana Igorevna

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Before having an abortion, a woman must make an appointment with a gynecologist.

An initial consultation is necessary to confirm the fact of pregnancy, accurately determine the period, size and place of attachment of the fetus.

Based on the results of the consultation, a decision is made regarding the possibility of terminating the pregnancy and the optimal method of abortion is determined.

THE COST OF AN ABORTION IN OUR CLINIC FROM 4500 rubles. THE PRICE INCLUDES PILLS, APPOINTMENT WITH A GYNECOLOGIST EXAMINATION, AN ULTRASOUND TO DETERMINE THE DATE OF PREGNANCY!

What is abortion and why there may be problems with a new pregnancy

Medical (classical) abortion refers to the removal of the fertilized egg with curettage of the walls of the uterus. Despite its apparent simplicity, this procedure is considered one of the most complex gynecological operations.

Since abortion is positioned as a full-fledged surgical intervention, women often have problems with a new pregnancy. This happens due to:

• cervical injuries;
• changes in hormonal regulation;
• thinning of the inner layer of the uterus.

As a result , the following problems may appear: threat of miscarriage, incorrect attachment of the fertilized egg, uterine rupture, fetal growth retardation, Rh sensitization, etc.

As for vacuum aspiration and medical abortion, they are considered relatively safe procedures. At the same time, after they are performed, other complications may arise that are not typical for a classic abortion.

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