Health experts consider it safe to continue breastfeeding if a person has an abortion. This includes both medical abortions, which involve taking medications, and surgical abortions.
Doctors use a single dose of the drug mifepristone, followed by misoprostol, to perform medical abortions. This is the most common type of pregnancy termination.
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Mifepristone levels were at their highest in the 24 hours after the termination and declined over the next 7 days. There are no reports of any adverse effects from these drugs in nursing infants.
Some people may wish to take a break from nursing around the time of their procedure, but there is no evidence that this is necessary.
A potential exception to this is when someone has a surgical abortion under general anesthesia. This puts a person to sleep and can cause drowsiness for some time as they wake up.
Some organizations, such as the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory Service in the United Kingdom, recommend waiting 24 hours after general anesthesia to begin nursing again. Others, such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, say a person can continue as soon as they feel recovered.
If a person has concerns about breastfeeding and abortion, they can work with the doctor to come up with a plan they are comfortable with.
For medical abortions, doctors may use a lower dose of the medication if they know a person is nursing. The dose is usually
Abortions have no long-term effects on a person’s ability to breastfeed or nurse in the future. It also does not affect fertility or breast cancer risk.
Medical abortion drugs are very safe and have a lower risk than many other common drugs, such as penicillin or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
If a person has further questions about abortions and their safety, they can get free and accurate advice from Planned Parenthood or the National Abortion Hotline.
