I found out I was pregnant at 20 years old a few months after being told I was infertile. I was very surprised to see the 3 positive pregnancy tests because I thought this wouldn’t be able to happen to me without intervention. I knew as soon as I took the test that I was not ready to be a mom. I’ve been so excited my entire life to be a mom, but I didn’t feel close to being ready. I’m in my 2nd year of college in a nursing program and have 2 years left. The guy who’s sperm met with my egg was also very supportive of my decision and he was also not ready to be a father.

Once I planned my abortion and went to my consultation at Planned Parenthood I found out I was only 6 weeks (so very early), and I was nervous about the procedure. I decided to get a surgical abortion because I live a very active lifestyle and thought it sounded better for me. There were many emotions leading up to the day. I read many testimonials where people said they were screaming in pain, so I was a little scared. I decided to take the Valium and the 800 mg of ibuprofen and they also gave me a 1x dose of antibiotics. I didn’t want to take the Vicodin because I didn’t like how it made me feel after I got my wisdom teeth removed. The Valium didn’t really kick in until after my procedure I think, despite them giving me 30-35 minuted for it to kick in.

First the nurse walked me through the procedure and then the provider talked me through what I might feel at each stage. During the actual procedure I talked to the nurse and provider the entire time. I barely felt the the numbing shot. Then I felt a brief, sharp pinch in my uterus area that lasted for 2 seconds and wasn’t too bad. Then for the actual suction is just felt like bad period cramps and lasted maybe 1 minute. They were so kind and cheery the entire time, which was comforting. I stayed in the recovery room for about 15 minutes reclined with a heating bad. I felt slightly dizzy, but not bad. I’ve had very mild mild cramping after and some pain in my cervix, but it’s been about 2 hrs since the procedure and that pain is pretty much gone. The whole procedure took maybe 3-5 minutes. If you’re planning on getting an abortion, don’t let everyone’s story freak you out. You will be okay and will be supported by the healthcare professionals wherever you are.