Manual Vacuum Aspiration: within 7 weeks after last menstrual period
Dilators (metal rods) are used to stretch the cervical muscle until the opening is wide enough for abortion instruments to pass through the uterus. A hand-held syringe is attached to tubing, which is inserted into the uterus. The child is suctioned out.
Suction Curettage: after 14 weeks from the last menstrual period
The abortionist uses a dilator or laminaria to open the cervix. Laminaria are thin sticks from a kelp species that are inserted hours before the procedure and allowed to slowly absorb water and expand, thereby dilating the cervix. Once the cervix is dilated, the abortionist inserts tubing into the uterus and attaches the tubing to a suction machine. Suction pulls apart the baby’s body and removes it from the uterus. After suction, the doctor and nurses must reassemble the baby’s dismembered parts to ensure they have all the pieces.
D&C (Dilation and Curettage): within first 12 weeks
The cervix is dilated. A suction device is placed in the uterine cavity to remove the baby and placenta. Then the abortionist inserts a curette (a loop-shaped knife) into the uterus. The abortionist uses the curette to scrape any remaining baby parts and the placenta out of the uterus.
D&E (Dilation and Evacuation): within 13-24 weeks after last menstrual period
The child literally doubles in size between the 11th and 12th weeks of pregnancy. Soft cartilage hardens into bone at 16 weeks, making the baby too large and strong to pass through a suction tube. The D&E procedure begins by inserting laminaria a day or two before the abortion, opening the cervix wide to accommodate the child’s larger size. The abortionist then both tears and cuts the baby and uses the vacuum machine to extract its remains. Because their skull is too large to be suctioned through the tube, it must be crushed by forceps for removal. Pieces must be extracted very carefully because the jagged, sharp pieces of the broken skull could easily cut the cervix.
Saline: after 15 weeks of pregnancy
This procedure is conducted in the same manner as amniocentesis (a prenatal test used to diagnose a baby’s potential chromosomal abnormalities). A long needle is inserted into the mother’s abdomen, directly into the amniotic sac. It is at this point that a saline abortion and amniocentesis differ. In a saline abortion, amniotic fluid is removed from the mother and replaced by a strong saline (salt) solution. As the baby’s lungs absorb the salt solution, they begin to suffocate. They may struggle and may even have convulsions. The saline also burns off the baby’s outer layer of skin. Saline abortion can take one to six hours before the child is no longer viable. The mother begins labor after approximately 12 hours, and she may take up to 24 hours to deliver. Because the procedure is often quite long, many times the mother is left to labor alone.
Prostaglandin: after 15 weeks of pregnancy
This procedure is conducted in the same manner as a saline abortion, except prostaglandin (a hormone that causes the mother to start labor) replaces saline. Prostaglandin activates contractions. It can cause overly painful or intense labor; there have been cases in which the violence of the contractions ruptured the mother’s uterus. This type of abortion is not preferred by abortionists because there is a 40% higher chance of a live birth.
Hysterotomy: after 18 weeks
This procedure is the same as a cesarean section (in which the doctor cuts through the abdomen and uterus to deliver the baby), except that in a hysterotomy, no medical attention is given to the baby upon delivery to help it survive. Most often, a wet towel is placed over the baby’s face so it can’t breathe. Sometimes the baby is placed in a bucket of water. The goal is to have a baby that won’t survive.
D&X (Dilation and Extraction): from 20 weeks after last menstrual period to full term. Also called “partial birth abortion.
This procedure takes three days. During the first two days, the mother’s cervix is dilated. She is given medication for cramping. On the third day, she receives medication to induce labor. As she labors, the abortionist uses an ultrasound to locate the baby’s legs. The abortionist then grasps a leg with forceps and delivers the baby up to its head. Next, using a scissors, the abortionist creates an opening in the base of the baby’s skull. A suction catheter is inserted into the skull opening, and the baby’s brains are suctioned out. The skull collapses, and the rest of the baby’s body is delivered through the birth canal.
Post Abortion:
- Depression and Thoughts of Suicide
- Sad Mood
- Sudden and Uncontrollable Crying
- Deterioration of Self-Esteem
- Disruption in Interpersonal Relationships
- Sleep, Appetite, and Sexual Disturbances
- Reduced Motivation
- Thoughts of Suicide
- “Anniversary Syndrome” (An increase of symptoms around the time of the anniversary of the abortion and/or the due date of the aborted child.)
- Re-experiencing the Abortion
- Preoccupation with Becoming Pregnant Again
- Anxiety over Fertility and Childbearing Issues
- Disruption of the Bonding Process with Present or Future Children
- Survival Guilt: the decision boiled down to a sorrowful conclusion: “It’s me or you, and I choose me.”
- Development of Eating Disorders
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Types of Abortion and Post Abortion Fallout
