I had my termination at 10w, appointment was at 11AM, I chose no sedation due to my financial situation.

Walking into the building, there were no protesters because of the day (be prepared and don’t let them bother you). My boyfriend and i had our ID’s checked, we got wanded, and they placed tape over our phone cameras. We met with a woman at the window, who scanned our licenses, handed me an H&P to fill out, and handed me a cup for a urine specimen. They do the specimens to actually make sure you’re pregnant and to test for any illness (usually UTI’s). After the paperwork was filled out and I gave them my specimen, I made the out of pocket payment necessary and waited. I was then taken back for counseling, where I spoke with a professional about how I answered questions from the previously completed paperwork. Because my S/O was at the appointment, he filled out similar paperwork and met with the counselor as well. We then went back to the waiting room where we waited for HOURS.

I was finally called back again for vitals and simple lab work. They did a finger prick to test my RH factor (to see if i would need RhoGam... see end of post) , iron, and RBC levels (for bleeding purposes). Then was sent back to the waiting room to wait AGAIN. In that time, I connected with the other women. We talked about fears, bodily changes, reasons for our visit, and other stories. This was my first and everyone else was there for their 2nd or 3rd. Among that, we joked and laughed to try to keep our minds distracted, my boyfriend even ordered us all food. It felt a little insensitive at first but I realized that these people are the people you need for support, they know what you’re going through and understand the ins and outs. I recommend this if appropriate.

I was finally called back, leaving my support in the waiting area. I was taken to a room similar to a OBGYN room where I was told to undress from the waist down. The physician came in and explained the procedure again and asked if I had questions. She performed a vaginal ultrasound. Then, she injected my cervix with a local anesthetic. The needle was uncomfortable. Then she told me she was going to start the termination. From what I understood, it was going to be vacuum assisted; meaning the products would be sucked out. When in reality, she used forceps and yanked to get the products removed. This was about 5 minutes. The pain is horribly unpleasant to the point where I was going to puke from the pain. My body reverted to a shock-like state where my legs tensed up and my whole body began to shake. Then it was over. A nurse helped me clean up and helped me dress before taking me to recovery where I sat for a half hour. They gave me ibuprofen for pain, a heating pad for cramps, and gingerale for nausea. I checked my pad for bleeding and they sent me on my way.

If you’re considering a surgical abortion, I suggest sedation. Surgical abortion was my choice because I couldnt bare to take a pill and do it alone at home. I didn’t want to see the remnants. I didn’t leave the clinic until 7PM.

If anyone decides to read this book, i just want to say you aren’t alone. You dont have to justify your choice to anyone. It’s not always an easy choice but sometimes it’s the only route. I’m still struggling with the whole situation. If anyone wants to talk about their situation privately, feel free to comment. I’m a registered nurse so no judgement will ever be passed.

RhoGam is an injection that is given to mothers that have a different RH factor than their baby to prevent cross contamination. RH is whether your blood type is positive or negative. If RH factors mix, it’s fatal. For example, if a mother’s blood type is B- and her baby’s is B+, a mother would need RhoGam as a precautionary measure after birth or termination because if the baby’s blood got into the mothers, the mother could have fatal complications. RhoGam destroys non-dominant blood factors to prevent the cross contamination.