Shared by: Allie
Did you have a pregnancy test? No
How was the pregnancy ended? Herbal & Cytotec
Is there anything that clued you in that the herbs might be working before bleeding started?
Is this your first pregnancy? No. I have had two abortions and one miscarriage. One abortion I was sure would miscarry anyway (felt it in my gut).
What was the date of the first day of your last menstrual period? June 22nd 05
What was the date when the herbs were started? I started on the first week of pregnancy – July 27th, 05
How many weeks pregnant were you when the herbs were started? 2 weeks
Were you using birth control? No. I am allergic to it and my doc and I are looking for solutions. We should have used condoms, but they are so expensive due to the fact that I am allergic to latex. Never again.
What kind/method of birth control/contraception were you using? See above
Did you experience any symptoms or signs of pregnancy? Swelling of breasts, morning sickness, fatigue, mood swings – crying for no reason etc… I just knew.
Please include a summary of dosage information.
I took 2000 mg of Vit C (500 mg pills) per hour in the first day plus 3000 at night and 3000 in morning. I did this for 4 days. On the 5th day, I lessened the dosage to 1000 mg per hour. I added Black Cohosh at night 1000 mg. I drank lots of ginger tea.
Side effects. I had lots of nausea, cramping, bloating, fatigue, mood swings and headaches.
How did the herbs affect you? I was extremely depressed and testy, although this could also be from stress of what I was going through. I felt fine in the first days, and then my body got so irritated, that I gagged at the thought of swallowing one more Vit C pill. My body didn't want it anymore.
Any positive effects? I wouldn't know where to start with this one……
Where there any negative effects? Not sure. I am fine now.
Do you have any health problems or issues? I have endometriosis, a uterine lining dysfunction. It is a terrible disease for women and is incurable, only treatable.
If yes, do you think it had any affect on the way the herbs affected you? Not at all.
How did the herbs make you feel physically? Ill, slow, drowsy, on the clock.
How did being pregnant make you feel physically? I HATE FEELING PREGNANT. My body is so unhappy. My stomach, head and back. My breasts REALLY hurt. They are already 34 DD. And pregnancy makes them look like beach balls and feels heavy and very painful. My nipples are painfully erect all the time and it is bothersome. I can’t hold ANY food down. My skin breaks out. I get a rash on my arms. This is EVERY time I have been pregnant. I don’t understand why I get so sick.
If the herbs caused miscarriage -- how did you feel just before bleeding began? And when bleeding started - How was the bleeding, cramping, etc? Many women would like to know more about this part. If you can describe what it was like for you it would be helpful.
I always spot. This is fleshy and it is runny all the time. I have to run to the washroom. Sometimes, I will be able to pass more. With the Vit C, it seemed to steady the tissue flow, but still no blood. I have to take Cytotec to complete the abortion. The last time I had a medical abortion the pain was insurmountable. It is the worst thing I have ever experienced. At least it doesn't last for long. I advise taking Tylenol or Advil a bit before taking Cytotec to kick in early. The cytotec takes from 6 to 12 hours to start the flow. If that doesn't work you have to use more. It is emotionally hard to watch the clock. Because I have endometriosis, my pain is much higher than normal. It all varies from woman to woman. Good luck out there ladies!!
Could you reflect on the process of an herbal abortion and write a paragraph about it. I would like to add something of this nature to my website, but would like other experiences to draw upon besides my own. Thanks.
I like the idea of herbal abortions. It puts the power back into women’s hands and gives us an alternative. But, I strongly agree that the effectiveness depends on how early you start it. The earlier the better. Next time I will get 1000 mg Vit c pills instead of 500 so I don’t have to take that many at a time. I wish they had a liquid form Vit C that you could put in juice. I also wish that the other listed herbs were more accessible in Canada.
I never want to experience a clinical abortion again. It was the most painful experience of my life; physical and emotional. My fiancé was there to hold my hand and I worry that the experience did more damage to him than it did to me. The nurses lacked compassion and care. They were really rough with me and made me feel looked down on, filthy and ethically bad. I hope that more women go into this line of work for women. We need to make it a safe, nonjudgmental and comfortable environment for women. I will NEVER go through that again if I cannot help it.
Your Story -
My name is Allie and I am a 23-year-old woman from Canada. My story goes far.
My parents split when I was young, and my mother took to drugs and prostitution and we were homeless for a long time.
When I was five, my mom's boyfriend raped me. This hurt me physically and emotionally. On top of that, I developed endometriosis, which I was told would make me infertile. I grew up many years thinking I could never have children.
No doctors helped. My family doctor lost my file. I experience heavy and painful periods, and now know I have had miscarriages I never knew before.
Because of my Endometriosis, I have problems with BCP and am allergic to Condoms. This is difficult for me. I also learned the hard way about trusting men, when at my physical I had Chlamidia (luckily curable), and this makes my trust for men even harder, and I am engaged!
Growing up on the streets hardened me. I also know what it is to be hard done by with money. It is a cruel world out there, and I am humbled and awed at the love and care I have found over the Internet.
Being pregnant is the hardest and scariest thing for me in the whole world. It is painful and now having to brake free of the past illusions given to me about my own body, I felt I had further lost control. This site has helped me realize, even outside of pregnancy, that I can gain my control back, with a little help, effort and good energy.
ALL MY LOVE TO THOSE WHO IS IN THIS SITUATION IN LIFE. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Is there anything you would have done differently? Aren't there always?
There are many lessons that can be learned from an experience such as this, do you feel you have learned something from this experience? If so what?
Thank you Sister Zeus.
Submitted: Aug 8, 2005
Age: 23
Weight: 120
Height: 5’4’
Do you smoke tobacco? NO
Where are you from? CANADA
If no pregnancy test was taken - do you think you were pregnant?
How strongly do you feel this way?: I know I am pregnant. I have been there before and know my body. I feel it.
Were you successful in using the herbs? Yes and No. I started with Vit C and Black Cohosh and I started to pass tissue, but had to finish with Cytotec to pass the rest.
Would you try herbs again, or recommend them to a friend in the same situation? Yes
I am already going to use herbs as a contraceptive because I am allergic to latex condoms (use goat skin when not with long term and tested partner), and I have problems will all birth control pills because I have endometriosis and have reactions to all of them. I am still trying to find something that works. Doctors are not helping me as much as I wish they would.
Do you know the date of fertilizing intercourse? What was it? July 17th 05
What was the date you were expecting menstruation? July 21st 05
How long do your cycles usually run? The whole cycle; 28 days, 30 days, more? less? does it vary? : varies
Do you cycle regularly or irregularly? irregularly
For how many days were the herbs used (total)? 10 days.
What was the date bleeding started if herbs were successful? I was already passing tissue before I started the Vit C. I am still passing through to the 3rd week.
Do you know how/why it failed? yes
If you were not using birth control, please share why not. See above
When did they start? First week of August 05.
Lots of lessons and lots of growing. I have said it all above.
