Need an abortion?

It is important that you have been fasting in order to have an empty stomach on the day of the procedure. Please follow the specific fasting rules that you will be given when you receive your appointment details. Remove jewelry; most importantly rings and piercings in your tongue or genitals. Do not use alcohol or drugs (48 hours before treatment) and do not smoke (24 hours before treatment).

Bring with you:

• ID card
• EHIC or travel insurance
• Referral letter or ultrasound documents
• Comfortable clothing (bathrobe, pajamas, flip flops or warm socks, and comfortable underwear) + sanitary pads

Translation - People from all over the world visit Dutch abortion clinics. A lot of their information is available in different languages (English, German, French, Polish). If you speak no, or little English, the doctor or nurses can call a translator. Many of our clients report back after the procedure that all staff members were very friendly and that they did not experience problems with communication.

Check in - You will first check in at the reception where you will be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire. 

Examination and consultation with doctor - The doctor will perform an ultrasound to confirm the term of the pregnancy. Depending on the current COVID rules, you can or cannot bring your partner. In either case, you will always have a moment alone with the doctor to ensure your choice to have an abortion is not being forced by anyone. The doctor might ask why you want to end the pregnancy. Please note that there is no wrong answer to that question.

Preparation - A nurse will come and get you from the waiting room. You can ask any practical questions or express fear or needs to this person. The nurse will bring you to the ward, which you share with other clients. A shower is available in case you need one after long travels. You will be given a cannula and receive medication to prime your cervix. The priming medication (misoprostol) needs 1 hour (if the pregnancy is less than 18 weeks) or 2-3 hours (if the pregnancy is more than 18 weeks). 

Blood test - Your blood type (AB0 neg/pos) will be determined. In case your Rhesus factor is negative (AB0 neg) you will receive extra medication after the procedure. 

Procedure - The procedure takes place in a separate room and will be performed by the doctor you have seen during the consultation. Sedation (light anesthesia) will be used for any term of pregnancy less than 13 weeks, which means you will be asleep and not experience any pain. The procedure will take 25 mins maximum. 

Recovery room - In the recovery room you will receive antibiotics to prevent infections. In case your blood type is Rhesus negative, you will get an anti-D injection. You will stay in the recovery room until you are awake, there is a normal amount of blood loss and the pain is bearable. 

Returning home - Many clients return home the same day. Alternatively, you could spend a night in a nearby hotel. For up to 24 hours after the procedure, you are not allowed to drive a car, as there is still some sedation medication in your blood. 

Vaginal blood loss - It is normal to experience vaginal blood loss after the procedure. For the first few days it can be as much, or even more, than during your period. It usually decreases over each day and will turn into brownish discharge. It can occur for a total duration of up to 2 weeks.

Prevent infection - To prevent infections, do not use tampons, don’t take baths (showers are fine) and do not have penetrative sex after the procedure, while you still have bright red blood loss. When the blood loss has turned brownish, there are no restrictions.

Pain - You can experience pain after the procedure, similar to menstruation cramps. You can take painkillers to ease the pain; take paracetamol (up to 4x 1000mg per day, called APAP in Poland) and/or ibuprofen (up to 3x 400mg per day, called Ibuprom or Nurofen in Poland). 

Swollen breasts - With advanced terms of pregnancy (over 16 weeks), your breast might swell and produce milk after the procedure. To prevent painful swelling and infection in your breasts (mastitis), it is advised to wear a tight bra that puts pressure on your breasts. If this does not help and the painful swelling does not disappear, ask your local doctor to prescribe medication that stops milk production (Dostinex). 

Menstrual cycle and fertility - Only in very rare cases can the abortion procedures impact your future fertility and pregnancy (e.g. difficulty getting pregnant when many adhesions appear in the cavity of the womb or preterm birth when the carrying capacity of your cervix is diminished by multiple procedures). Your menstrual cycle will restart when the pregnancy hormone has entirely vanished from your body. You can expect your next period 4-6 weeks after the procedure. Note that you will be fertile even before this first period, so take contraceptive measures to prevent a next pregnancy if needed. If you have the wish to get pregnant again soon; please ask your local caregiver for advice on the pregnancy-to-pregnancy interval as this differs per individual.

When you must seek help - If you have had an abortion please go to your doctor if you experience any of the following: 

• Pain not responding to painkillers as described above
• Vaginal blood loss which is more than a period for over one week or when it takes longer than 2 weeks to stop
• Fever in combination with cramps and/or when the fever cannot be explained by flu/covid/cold etc

What to tell your doctor in your home country - It is completely legal to undergo an abortion abroad, so you can share your abortion story with your local doctor or anyone else. If in any case you do not want your doctor to know that you have had an abortion, you can tell them that you have had a spontaneous miscarriage; they cannot tell the difference from your symptoms or by physical examination.