Nobody wants to feel pain, but pain is a part of life, and certainly a part of pregnancy.

Thanks to several medication options, we can help reduce the pain during the procedure. After your abortion, when you are home recovering, you may feel some cramping. Generally speaking, if you tend to have heavy cramps during your menstrual period, then the after abortion pain will be about the same. Below are some pain relief methods many women use during their periods and after an abortion.

We encourage our patients to explore the issue of pain more fully, both physical (body) pain and emotional (heart) pain, to distinguish the physical from emotional pain. For example, getting a tattoo is painful but it is more tolerated because it’s fun and it’s something we want. Wearing a pair of uncomfortable shoes is another example of pain that is tolerated because they look great with that special outfit.

Difficult emotions can make pain feel worse. If you feel that your pain – or sadness – is because of emotional reasons, ask someone to sit with you and talk about how you feel. Or contact our office and ask to speak to a counselor. Please understand, this is not unusual and we can help.

For physical pain symptoms, try these relief tools:
Lie down with a heating pad or hot water bottle.

Move around and stretch out.

Have someone give you a lower back rub or massage. The lower back and thighs are important to massage.

If you are bleeding and clotting a lot, try a uterine massage — locate the pelvic bone, just behind it, is the uterus. Try to rub or “knead” it, until it feels better. This works best after pain medication has been taken.

Some people deal with pain by distracting themselves with an activity or by talking.

Try deep breathing exercises
Many people use some version of deep breathing to relax and work through pain. We suggest you have someone read these instructions to you slowly in a quiet voice. Here is one way to do this:

Lie comfortably on your back with your neck supported.
Take a few deep breaths and let them out slowly.

Now, start at your feet and curl your toes, counting 1-2-3-4-5,then relax your toes to the count of five.

Breathe in when you are tensing your muscles and breathe out when relaxing your muscles.

Bend your ankles and tense your feet to the count of 5, then relax those same muscles to the count of 5.

Do the same thing with your thighs and buttocks.
Tighten for 5 counts, and then relax the muscles for 5 counts.

Remember, breathe in and then breathe out SLOWLY.

Feel your uterus and lower abdomen cramp or tense and try to feel it relax as you breathe out.

Next, do your arms and hands.
Now, tense your shoulders up around your ears and then relax for 5 counts and sigh as you let your breath out.

Squeeze your facial muscles and your eyes shut and then relax them.

Go back to your uterus and lower abdomen and repeat the tensing and relaxing of those muscles.

Be sure to breathe deeply and then let the breath out slowly as you relax.

Portions of this section adapted “Pregnant? Need Help? Pregnancy Options Workbook.”