Submitted: March 2000

Name: Jenny
Weight: 5’6", 135 lbs
Age: 19
Pregnancy Test: None
Success: Yes (Probably Pregnant)

What was the date of the first day of your last menstrual period? January 20, 2000
Do you know the date of fertilizing intercourse? What was it? February 6
What was the date you were expecting menstruation? February 19/20/21
When were the herbs started? February 25
Please include a summary of dosage information. I started vitamin c at one 500mg an hour, ending at 1000mg an hour by February 28. On February 28 I switched to ½ mL of dong quai in hot tea every 4 hours, ending at 1 mL of dong quai by March 4.

How was the pregnancy ended? started bleeding 2:20 am on March 6
Were you successful in using the herbs? yes
Did you have a pregnancy test? no

Were you using birth control? yes
What kind/method of birth control/contraception were you using? Condom
Do you know how/why it failed? broke as he pulled out

Comments:

My boyfriend and I had a condom break on exactly the wrong weekend. I knew it too. The two of us worried about it for two weeks, and when I didn’t start bleeding on time (which never fails to happen) and I noticed my breasts were more prominent (the only thing I wish would stay) and were very tender, I looked up your site. Originally, I had been looking for prices on what clinical abortions cost. When this site popped up, I thought I’d give it a look. Then, after reading through it, I decided to give it a try.

On Friday the 25th, I started taking 500 mg of vitamin c every hour, starting at 5 PM. The next day, I upped it to 1000 mg every hour and a half. Then I upped it again to 1000 mg every hour. The first night, I was really good about getting up every hour to take it. But then I started having a really hard time hearing my alarm and not turning it off in my sleep. Add to that the factor that I had a queasy feeling that I had gotten the wrong kind of vitamin c. (It turns out I did. I had gotten the kind with rose hips in it. A big no-no!!) So at noon on Monday, I ended taking the vitamins and started taking ½ mL (15 drops) of dong quai in hot tea every four hours. This, too, I had trouble keeping it up at night. So I decided to start doubling it to 1 mL (30 drops) every 4 hours. To my dismay, I ran out of it at 8 PM on Saturday and would not be able to get more until at least Monday afternoon. I decided that I would call up the local Planned Parenthood on Monday to make an appointment. It seemed that it was possible that the symptoms were disappearing, but I wasn’t certain. I figured I had messed it all up by not being careful enough to take it on time and figured my best hope was that I had done enough damage to create a miscarriage.

On Monday morning at 2:20 am, sitting at the computer, I started bleeding. All it seems to be so far is just a little heavier than normal with large “chunks” of thick material. From the other testimonies, I expected to get at least a little cramping (when I usually have none), but I assumed wrong.

The decision to end the pregnancy was one I felt I had to make. Following through with it could have meant postponing my college and my boyfriend’s career. I do want children someday, but now is just not the time. I’m so glad that this route worked, but I hope I never have to visit it again. The only person I could ask support from was my boyfriend who is hours away right now. I really wish I could have shared what was going on with more people but it was not to be.

Is there anything you would have done differently? I would have bought the correct vitamin c and more of the dong quai. I should have also been more diligent in making sure I kept to my schedule and NOT GOTTEN PREGNANT IN THE FIRST PLACE!