Know the facts about simultaneous breastfeeding and ingestion of the abortion pill

At times, a woman may find herself pregnant while still nursing a small baby and is thoroughly confused as to what to do. She may not have the support or the strength to carry a second pregnancy to term while the first child is still nursing. In such a case, she may wish to terminate the pregnancy either by opting for a surgical abortion or by choosing the abortion pill.

The main query which worries most nursing mothers is whether they could continue breastfeeding their infant even while terminating their accidental pregnancy. Before attempting to know this answer satisfactorily, however, it is first important to know the basic facts about both types of abortions so as to be armed with proper information.

A surgical abortion requires hospitalization as it has to be done under anesthesia. It is an invasive procedure requiring the usage of surgical instruments. Surgical abortion may mean aspiration abortion or a D& C.

The abortion pill is advocated as a safe and effective procedure for terminating a pregnancy and it involves the oral ingestion of two drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol which are FDA approved. It is a non-invasive procedure requiring no hospitalization or surgical assistance, except in very rare cases. The abortion pill is only given if the pregnancy is confirmed to be less than 9 weeks and the woman meets all the necessary health and logistics criteria.

The logistics criteria would include accessible and reliable communication and transportation facilities to the clinic, distance of hospital should not be more than 2 hours away from residence, maintaining follow-up clinical appointments and consent to aspiration abortion in case of incomplete abortion(some remnants of pregnancy tissue is left behind).

Due to the serious health risks which an abortion pill does carry, women with blood clotting or heart problems, severe anemia, diarrhea, adrenal failure, allergies to prostaglandin medications, suspected ecoptic pregnancy are not advised to undergo this type of abortion. Side-effects also include heavy bleeding, nausea, headache, vomiting and incomplete abortion.

Medical abortion normally takes place within 24-72 hours of administration of the combined drugs. Several women prefer the abortion pill to surgical abortion as it is less invasive and can be done within the privacy of one’s home as it requires no hospitalization. This factor may also become important for women with small children and no help.

However, a nursing mother cannot continue to breastfeed her infant while taking the abortion pill. She has to discontinue the breastfeeding for a few days because the drug misoprostol ends up in the breast milk and can cause diarrhea to the baby.

Surgical abortion, on the other hand, allows breastfeeding to continue except for the period when the mother is undergoing surgery.

Abortion pills have certainly made terminating pregnancies simpler, safer and more effective than in the past but a nursing mother has to stop breastfeeding for a few days if she has chosen to take the abortion pill for the sake of her baby’s health.