ComfortCare Women's Health

Are you considering abortion? This is a difficult decision. You must have some important questions, but before we tackle those, consider four things.

Do you know if you’re really pregnant?
Have you been tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s)?
Do you know about all of your pregnancy options?
Do you know what type of abortion you’re seeking?

Knowledge is power. At ComfortCare, our nurses and peer counselors can help you answer these tough questions. Make an Appointment Now.

Here is a list of the top questions our nurses are asked at ComfortCare answered by Nurse Manager, Wanda Crosby, R.N., C.C.E.

“I believe in women and their strength. Working at ComfortCare allows me to use my 30 years experience as an OB nurse (and mother) to meet women right where they are. I can share information, answer questions and offer support that empowers women to make their best pregnancy decision.”- Nurse Manager Wanda Crosby, R.N., C.C.E.

1. Do you do abortions or do you know where I can get one?

ComfortCare Women’s Health doesn’t perform or refer for abortions. This protects you, the patient. Clinics that do abortions make money on this procedure. In order to give you the most objective, non-biased support, we don’t perform abortions or make money from abortions.

2. How much does an abortion cost?

Abortion procedures can range from a couple of hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on the length of your pregnancy, your geographical area, your anesthesia choice, etc.

3. What’s the Morning After Pill (MAP)?

Before taking the Morning After Pill, you should understand what it is, what it could mean to your health and how it works.
The “morning after pill” is a large dose of oral contraceptive. Known as Plan B, the pill is actually 2 tablets, one taken within 72 hours of intercourse and the second 12 hours later. There is a new preparation of the same medication called Plan B One Step that is only 1 tablet. It has the same effect and same side effects. It is NOT the same as RU-486.
Plan B is believed to act as an emergency contraceptive principally by preventing ovulation or fertilization. In addition, it may inhibit implantation of a live embryo. This classifies Plan B as an abortifacient.

Points to Consider:

Emergency contraception is not effective if a woman is already pregnant.
Plan B does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The most common side effects in the Plan B clinical trial were nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, headache, and menstrual changes.
The manufacturer warns that Plan B is not recommended for routine use as a contraceptive.

4. I didn’t know there were different types of abortions. What are the different types?

The type of abortion is usually determined by the length of your pregnancy.
7 weeks after Last Menstrual Period
Manual Vacuum Aspiration
This surgical abortion is done early in the pregnancy up until 7 weeks after the woman's last menstrual period. A long, thin tube is inserted into the uterus. A large syringe is attached to the tube and the embryo is suctioned out.

Between 6 to 14 weeks after Last Menstrual Period -
Suction Curettage
This is the most common surgical abortion procedure. Because the baby is larger, the doctor must first stretch open the cervix using metal rods. Opening the cervix may be painful, so local or general anesthesia is typically needed. After the cervix is stretched open, the doctor inserts a hard plastic tube into the uterus, and then connects this tube to a suction machine. The suction pulls the fetus' body apart and out of the uterus. The doctor may also use a loop-shaped instrument called a curette to scrape the fetus and fetal parts out of the uterus. (The doctor may refer to the fetus and fetal parts as the “products of conception.”).

Between 13 to 24 weeks after Last Menstrual Period
Dilation and Evacuation (D&E)
This surgical abortion is done during the second trimester of pregnancy. At this point in pregnancy, the fetus is too large to be broken up by suction alone and will not pass through the suction tubing. In this procedure, the cervix must be opened wider than in a first trimester abortion. This is done by inserting numerous thin rods made of seaweed a day or two before the abortion. Once the cervix is stretched open the doctor pulls out the fetal parts with forceps. The fetus' skull may be crushed to ease removal. A sharp tool (called a curette) is also used to scrape out the contents of the uterus, removing any remaining tissue.

Between 20 weeks after Last Menstrual Period to full-term
Dilation and Extraction (D&X) (partial-birth abortion)
This procedure takes three days. During the first two days, the cervix is stretched open using thin rods made of seaweed, and medication is given for pain. On the third day, the abortion doctor uses ultrasound to locate the legs of the fetus. Grasping a leg with forceps, the doctor delivers the fetus up to the head. Next, scissors are inserted into the base of the skull to create an opening. A suction catheter is placed into the opening to remove the brain. The skull collapses and the fetus is removed.

5. What about the abortion pill?

RU-486, also known as “the abortion pill,” is actually a combination of two drugs -- mifepristone and misoprostol -- that cause early abortion. It should not be used if it has been more than 7 weeks since your last period. It is NOT the same as the “morning after pill.”

This process works in two steps. The first pill, mifepristone, is taken orally and blocks the hormone progesterone needed to maintain the pregnancy. The second pill, misoprostol, is inserted into the vagina 24 to 72 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel the placenta and embryo.

Points to Consider:

An RU-486 abortion requires 3 visits to a health care provider.
Most medical abortions using mifepristone are completed within 2 weeks, but some can take up to 3 or even 4 weeks.
Side effects include heavy bleeding, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and cramping.
If this method fails, a surgical abortion will be required.

6. What are the risks of abortion?

Abortion is a serious medical procedure and some women can have physical, emotional and spiritual consequences.

Reported Physical Complications:

Heavy bleeding
Infection
incomplete abortion
anesthesia complications
damage to the cervix
scarring of the uterine lining
perforation of the uterus
damage to internal organs
Death
Inability to become pregnant or maintain the pregnancy to term
Contracting PID if aborting with an active STD
Increased risk of breast cancer

Reported Emotional Consequences:

Sadness
Long-Term Grief
Anger
Sexual Dysfunction
Flashbacks
Guilt
Memory Repression
Hallucinations
Anniversary Reactions
Suicidal Thoughts
Increased Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Difficulty maintaining relationships

Spiritual Dimension to Abortion: People have different views of God. Whatever you believe, many agree that there is a spiritual side to an abortion decision. Many women report that they feel more distant and separated from God after an abortion.

Initially, this situation drew us closer as we struggled to accept how drastically things were going to change. But as the days and weeks drug on, things only got worse. Todd fell into despair and eventually saw only two options- the pregnancy must be terminated or he must be. He told me he would commit suicide if I did not abort our baby. He said he couldn’t go on living knowing that he had a child out there if we were to go our separate ways.

How do you choose something like that? If he were to kill himself, I would have that guilt to live with for the rest of my life. I would know that there was something I could’ve done to stop him. I tried to think about the option he wanted- abortion. I panicked just thinking about it. The finality of it all. I could never un-do that choice.

My mind raced as I tried to think of who I could turn to, where I could go. I knew my friends would try to give me advice, and that wasn’t what I needed at that point, plus I didn’t want everyone to know the situation. I thought about my minister, but I wasn’t sure I could tell everything to someone I knew.

One day, I left my job and drove to ComfortCare. I wasn’t even sure what services they offered…maybe just maybe they had someone I could talk to, someone who didn’t know him or me, someone I would never have to face again.

I knocked, unsure if they were even open. The good Lord sent a loving counselor to me that day. She gave me the brochures, describing the fetal life cycle, describing the procedure of abortion in each stage, informing me of the risks of the procedures. I talked. And she listened. It was all I needed. After that first visit, we set up an appointment for an ultrasound and more counseling.

I had the ultrasound the following week and fell even deeper in love as I saw my child’s arms and legs, the shape of his head and his tiny hands and toes. At no time was any judgment passed, or any pressure put on me to make a decision one way or another as far as the pregnancy was concerned. My counselor and I continued to meet for many more sessions to explore my options. She helped me to see, in one of my darkest hours, that there were other options other than the two Todd was giving me. Todd could live and so could my baby. We talked about some drastic interventions to get Todd the help he needed. I could suddenly see a ladder up and out of a pit when I had only been staring at two doors.

ComfortCare and my counselor helped me to make the decision I knew was right. By this point, Todd realized I was not going to have an abortion. To make a long story short, Todd did not kill himself. Shortly after, he moved out of our apartment and into an apartment with his ex-girlfriend.As for me, I didn’t make the biggest mistake of my life thanks in large part to the love and support of my counselor and the others at ComfortCare. They listened. They cared. They loved.

Well, I gave birth to an absolutely amazing blonde, blue-eyed little boy. Everyday, since his birth, I live the “what-if”. What if I had chosen abortion? I would’ve wondered what my child would have been like, what he would have looked like, how he would’ve grown. Haven chosen this path, I know the answers to these questions and I am so blessed. I believe God put ComfortCare in my path that day and I thank Him and praise Him that He did. This pregnancy center is such an amazing resource for the community and made such a dramatic difference in my life. It was the difference between hope or despair, life or death. Please support them any way you can so that they will continue to be there for those just like me.

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