24 Hour Pager for Abortion Patients: 866-701-0174. You can also call the clinic during office hours. Please call before going to an emergency room. Often speaking with the doctor can save you a trip to the ER.

• To Prevent Infection: Nothing should enter the vagina for two weeks; no sexual intercourse, no tampons (use sanitary napkins), no douching and no baths or swimming. Take all the antibiotic until it is gone. Call the clinic if you throw-up your antibiotic (it helps to have food on your stomach when you take it).

• Activities: For one week, avoid strenuous exercise (no jogging, hiking, dancing, weight lifting or aerobic ides).

• Work: Do not work full-time for two days, especially if you must be on your feet all day. Patients who do so may have increased bleeding and cramping which could lead to hospitalization. We will be happy to provide a doctor's note if you wish.

• Fever: A fever is a sign that you may be developing an infection. Take your temperature every morning for 7 days. If your temperature is above 100 f, call the clinic. You should also immediately take two of your antibiotics and two Tylenol.

• Bleeding: Your bleeding may be very heavy to light brown spotting to none at all. If you bleed through more than two sanitary napkins in less than two hours, take 800 mg of Ibuprofen immediately and call the clinic. If you pass clots larger than a plum, call the clinic. Your bleeding may stop and restart for two to three weeks. This is not your period. Your first period will usually return in 4-8 weeks.

• Cramping: Cramping may occur for several days. This may also stop and restart. Start with taking Ibuprofen for pain and use a heating pad or hot water bottle on your abdomen for first 24 hours. You can take 600-800 mg of Ibuprofen products Advil, Motrin, or Aleve) every 8 hours with food for up to 7 days. If this does not relieve the pain or you experience severe pain or dizziness, call the clinic. If ibuprofen makes the cramping go away, this means that it is working and you should continue taking it 3 times a day for a few days.

• Sadness or Depression: You may feel unusually emotional after the abortion. This is normal and may be affected by the dropping progesterone levels in your body. Feel free to call us if you wish to talk.

• Contraception:  It is possible to become pregnant immediately after the abortion, and therefore you need to use some form of contraception. If you plan to take birth control pills, start them the Sunday after your abortion. If you plan on using Depo-Provera, we can provide this at your follow-up appointment.  If you prefer to use an IUD, we will first see you for your follow-up appointment, and then we will schedule you to return for your IUD insertion.

• Pregnancy Symptoms: Nausea and fatigue are usually the first two symptoms experienced when first becoming newly pregnant.  Breast tenderness and bloating are also common.  The nausea and fatigue should be completely gone 4 days after your abortion.  If these symptoms are still present after 4 days, please call the clinic.  Bloating and breast tenderness can take up to one month to go away.

• Post-Abortion Examination: Have this important checkup 3 weeks after the abortion. Make an appointment with us at the time of your abortion appointment or give us a call afterward. Be aware that a pregnancy test may register positive for up to eight weeks after your abortion.