"We all wish it were formless, but its not...and its painful. There is a lot of emotional pain."

--abortion clinic worker
Quoted in "The Ex Abortionists: They Have Confronted Reality" Washington Post April 1, 1988 pg 21

Fact: Studies show that 84-90% of clients stated they would have kept their babies under better circumstances. - Care Net - Serving with Care & Integrity

First Trimester Abortions:
Suction Curettage is the most common abortion procedure. It is usually performed between 6 and 14 weeks after the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP). In this procedure the abortionist dilates (opens) the cervix with metal dilator rods or laminaria (thin sticks derived from plants and inserted hours before the procedure.) The abortionist then inserts tubing into the uterus and connects the tubing to a suction system that removes the fetus' body, the placenta, and the membranes from the woman's body. A variation of this method is called the Dilation and Curettage (D&C). In this method a curette, a loop-shaped knife is used to scrape the fetal parts out of the uterus. A follow up appointment should be made to make sure that all of the fetal parts have been removed.

Possible complications include:
Incomplete abortion
Pelvic infection
Heavy bleeding
Torn cervix
Perforated uterus
Blood clots in uterus

Second Trimester - Common Abortion Procedures:
Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)

This surgical procedure is done during the second trimester of pregnancy. The body of the baby has grown too large at this point to be removed by suction alone. Therefore, the abortionist must do this procedure in two stages.

First the cervix must dilated (opened) wider than in a first trimester procedure. This is done by inserting laminaria (sterile seaweed sticks) into the cervix a day or two before the abortion. The material slowly absorbs moisture and opens the cervix. A second or third application of the material may be necessary.

In the second stage of the procedure, anesthetic is given to numb the placenta. The abortionist then inserts forceps (an instrument used for grasping tissue) and suction curettage (a powerful vacuum tube connected to a looped shaped knife) into the uterus to remove the baby, placenta, and amniotic sac. The process may need to be repeated several times to ensure that all fetal parts have been removed. In some cases it may be necessary for the abortionist to dismember the fetus and or crush it’s skull for ease of removal.

Possible physical complications include:
Blood clots in the uterus
Heavy bleeding
Cut or torn cervix
Perforation of the wall of the uterus
Pelvic infection
Incomplete abortion
Anesthesia-related complications

Third Trimester Abortion Procedures:
The Dilation and Extraction (D&X) abortion is often referred to as “Partial Birth Abortion.” This procedure is performed from 20 weeks after the first day of a woman's last menstrual period (LMP) until full term. This procedure usually takes place over three days. During the first two days the cervix is dilated (opened) using sponge-like tapered pieces of absorbent material inserted into the woman's cervix by the abortionist. As the material absorbs body fluids, the cervix is stretched. A second or third application of the material may be necessary.

On the day of the abortion, a local or general anesthetic is administered to the mother followed by medication to start labor. After labor has begun, the abortionist uses ultrasound to located the baby's legs. Using forceps, the abortionist grabs hold of a leg and delivers the baby up to the head. A scissors is then inserted into the base of the baby's skull to create an opening. A suction catheter is inserted into the opening in the skull to remove the skull contents. The skull collapses, then the baby is removed. Because the baby has grown to around 7 ˝ inches in length and one pound in weight by 20 weeks it may be necessary for the abortionist to dismember the baby to remove it. Following the abortion, the abortionist reassembles the body parts to ensure that the fetal tissue has been completely removed from the mother's uterus.

Fetal Pain: Some experts have concluded that the unborn child feels physical pain as early as nine weeks gestation, while others suggest 20 weeks. Others feel pain is felt later in gestational development. There is federal legislation pending requiring abortionists to administer anesthetic to the unborn child prior to the abortion if the mother so requests.

Possible complications:
Risks are similar to childbirth
Uterine infection
Heavy bleeding
High blood pressure
Rare events such as stroke, blood clot, or anesthesia-related death

Sources: Minnesota Department of Health booklet, “If you are Pregnant: Information on fetal development, Abortion and Alternatives.”
“Before you Decide, An Abortion Education Resource.” Published by Care Net 2003

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