On demand abortion is done up to the twelfth week (3 months) that is from the last menstruation cycle. Any abortion after twelve months becomes complicated and it is performed due to a reason usually a medical reason.
Early abortion is the safest. It is less complicated. So if you plan to have an abortion it is advisable to do so without delay.
Sometimes, however, women have compelling reasons to obtain abortions in later weeks though it is a service we do not do at abortion clinics in Pretoria.
Before Termination
Visit your antenatal clinic and make sure that you have a normal pregnancy. Why? Because for a medical abortion to take place your pregnancy must be normal. This means that feotus must be in the womb. An abnormal pregnancy is when the feotus is growing in the fallopian tube. Although this type of pregnancy can be aborted it will need surgery. You will have to go to the theatre to under go an operation.
Because of the reasons above that is why you have to make up your decision early if you want to have an abortion and know what your options are. The more you delay the more complicated your problems become.
Undiagnosed Pregnancy
Some women do not recognize that they are pregnant until the pregnancy is well advanced. Examples might include:
- women who menstruate irregularly or not at all due to illness, medication, or strenuous athletic activity;
- women who believe their absent periods reflect the onset of menopause;
- women with normally light periods, who mistake spotting that occurs in early pregnancy for menstruation;
- women who believe they cannot become pregnant because they are nursing babies or undergoing medical treatment;
- women whose pregnancies are initially - sometimes repeatedly - misdiagnosed by physicians or other practitioners.