Name: Missy
What was the date of the first day of your last menstrual period? 01/31/01
What was the date when the herbs were started? 28th day of cycle
What was the date the pregnancy was terminated? 03/17/01
Were you using birth control? No
Did you experience any symptoms or signs of pregnancy?
Please include a summary of dosage information.
I gave up on the herbs. They were not working. No bleeding only mild cramps. Tried the tea. I couldn't stomach the taste. I threw in feverfew every few days to try to dull the headaches it didn't work and I took Tylenol.
How did the herbs affect you? Third day of vitamin c black cohosh and Dong Quai I got a headache so bad I had to stay in bed all day.
Your Story -
I am lucky to be married and a second child would not have been unwanted, just inconvenient having miscarried a month prior. I was concerned about the stress on my body. I knew that by adding all the other herbs to the mix I needed to end it by abortion if it didn't work. I read that and was quite committed. I ended up going to planned parenthood in my 6th week of pregnancy (4 by date of conception) and ending it with an abortion. The staff there were professional and up front about the process. The clinic was discrete and clean. I only got a Torodol shot and the shot into the cervix. I drove myself so they would not give me anything stronger. It was a painful when they opened my cervix, but the assistant talked to me and distracted me. I luckily didn't get nauseous from the medicine. Some girls did. I cannot stress enough the importance of contraception and being committed with following through with a clinical abortion if herbal does not work. I did not wish to have a child with special needs. After seeing the large number of girls of all ages at the clinic in the same situation I am pro choice. You don't think about it until you are in the same situation. I almost did the RU 486 (also $375-500 depending on the dosage to expensive) pill but it took 3 visits and was supposed to have a lot of cramping and bleeding. I am glad I went ahead with the normal abortion, and I thank the board for the opportunity to find information to try to end the pregnancy with herbs before I had a clinical abortion. It was expensive, (less expensive $275) though not a totally unpleasant experience as I thought it would be. I will say the herbs were easy to find at a Wal-Mart except for Blue Cohosh. It is real hard. I thought about Tansy and Pennyroyal but refused to dabble in the more dangerous herbs. Good luck to anyone in the same situation.
I forgot to include I tried the Evening primrose oil vaginally 3 times to try to soften the cervix. and I also took the pills for 2 days 5th and 6th days. I stopped because they made me have bad reflux.
Submitted: March 26, 2001
Age: 29
Weight: 150
Height: 5'2 ½
Pregnancy Test: Positive
Resolution: Surgical Abortion
Do you know the date of fertilizing intercourse? What was it? 02/09/01
What was the date you were expecting menstruation? 02/28/01
How long do your cycles usually run? 28-29 days
Do you cycle regularly or irregularly? Regularly
How many weeks pregnant were you when the herbs were started? 2 from conception 4 from date last menstrual cycle.
For how many days were the herbs used (total)? 14
Do you know how/why it failed? Irresponsibility.
If you were not using birth control, please share why not.
I had just miscarried and thought my cycle was not regular yet. I thought I would be safe to have intercourse. Wrong....
When did they start? 26th day, Nausea, 29th on sore breasts, heart burn.
Black Cohosh Capsules 10 days 1000 MG every 4 hours each except nights. Gives you a whopper of a head ache. I alternated 500, 1000 Mg after a few days. And woke at least once in night to take pills.
Vitamin C Pills 500 mg every hour 8 days evenings I woke once to take 1000 mg Vitamin C makes gums sore.
Dong Quai (Angelica) 1000 mg Capsules every 4 hours started 3rd day took 8 days
Blue Cohosh Tincture 14-15 drops every 4 hours last five days I took medicines.
How did being pregnant make you feel physically? The usual, heartburn, nausea, sore breasts, miserable.
I went into the herbal abortion with my eyes wide open. I would have shared that I was pregnant with my spouse earlier if I would do it again. Support from someone is important if you have a good friend or partner. If I could do it again, I would have started with the vitamin C and nothing else.
