Each of my 3 medical abortions was different
The first was in an NHS hospital
The first was done in an NHS hospital where the initial consultant was rude and unsympathetic to the point where I got very angry and told him I was going to a private clinic if his attitude did not change.
I was one day from 9 weeks gestation. I was given the first tablet in the ward 3 days later and bleeding (like a light period) began 24 hours later but hardly any pain at all, if anything. In fact, I felt much better.
I was then admitted to the ward 48 hours after the oral tablet where I was asked to insert 4 pessaries. I had to stay in a bed for quite some time until the nurses told me to start walking around. I waited and waited for almost 4 hours before I had a mild twinge in my lower abdomen, went to the loo on the commode and there it was staring back at me in the bowl!
The nurses came, checked it and I went home.
Bleeding that was very very heavy but not clotty. It lasted for about 5 hours and then I lost what appeared to be a placenta. Bleeding then slowed over a 4 week period.
The second was at BPAS
The second termination was done at a BPAS clinic [more about BPAS abortion] at 6 weeks gestation where the care was far better.
I was given a tablet on Tuesday, went home and 12 hours later began to pass large clots about the size of small plums with moderate to heavy bleeding which during the night soaked me and my bed.
By the Thursday, the bleeding was hardly anything and, after the pessaries, I had mild dull aches for about 3 hours. The bleeding lasted on and off for almost 2 months and a scan revealed no retained tissue.
The third was also at BPAS
I am now 2 weeks post 3rd medical abortion (7.5 weeks) and this time also at BPAS.
I did not bleed until 36 hours after the oral tablet but had some very painful cramps which needed painkillers and huge clots about the size of an orange but this only lasted for about 2 hours and then the bleeding stemmed to a light period/spotting within 3 days of the pessaries (after which I had no pain worth mentioning.
For one week I had only a yellowish discharge with the occasional brown spotting until 14 days (yesterday) when the bleeding began again with small clots.
Each of the 3 medical abortions has been different
Every experience for me has been different and with these 3 medical abortions. I had 2 STOP's (surgical terminations of pregnancy) 10 years ago but that's another story.
Don't let other's experiences put you off as, for you, it could be totally different.