Dear Doctor, I was 5 weeks pregnant and had an abortion 4 days ago. Currently, I am experiencing severe lower back pain and abdominal pain. Could these symptoms indicate a retained placenta? Thank you.

For pregnancies under 9 weeks, two main abortion methods are available: medication abortion and suction abortion. However, medication abortion during breastfeeding can affect the quality of breast milk.

The retention of placental tissue after medical abortion can result in prolonged bleeding, leading to infection and anemia. Prompt treatment is necessary to prevent severe complications such as pelvic infection and sepsis.

A 4-month pregnancy corresponds to 16 weeks. According to experts, a 16-week pregnancy can still be terminated. However, at this stage, the fetus has developed comprehensively in almost every aspect. Therefore, doctors usually advise pregnant women to continue the pregnancy unless there are cases of fetal abnormalities or maternal health issues that warrant consideration.

As one of the safe medical abortion methods, emergency contraceptive pills interrupt the continuation of the natural pregnancy process without surgery.

Due to various reasons, the abortion rate in our country is currently high. One of the concerns many people have is how long it takes to get their period again after an abortion or taking abortion pills. The return of menstruation after an abortion also depends on various factors, so it can vary from person to person.