The Medical Termination Pack (MTP) Kit is used by women to end an early pregnancy. It contains abortion pills such as Mifepristone 200mg (one pill) and Misoprostol 200mcg (four pills). Together, they stop the pregnancy’s progress and expel the conception products easily. The ideal time to use an MTP Kit is if the pregnancy is within the initial 10 weeks of conception. Some even utilize it until the pregnancy is up to 12 weeks. The success rate of the pills is greater when used in pregnancy as early as possible. So, if your pregnancy is between 8 to 10 weeks old, you can successfully obtain a medical abortion by administering the MTP Kit medications.
Here is more to know about the procedure, the outcomes, the precautions, and other details.
What is an MTP Kit and How Does It Work?
As understood, an MTP Kit contains a total of 5 pills – 4 Misoprostol pills and 1 Mifepristone pill. The anti-progesterone medicine, Mifepristone, is the primary pill that you take in the abortion process. Misoprostol pills are taken together after 24 to 48 hours of the progesterone blocker pill. With Mifepristone, you can expect the pregnancy to stop advancing. The tablet disintegrates the endometrial lining to which the fetus and other pregnancy tissues are attached. The fetus separates from the uterine wall and does not grow anymore. The conception sections are in the womb when Misoprostol pills cause uterine contractions.
These contractions help the pregnancy to exit the womb and the vagina. The pregnancy parts pass with heavy vaginal bleeding – a normal consequence of taking abortion pills. The bleeding is more than a heavy menstrual period. However, the bleeding reduces once the uterus empties, continuing mildly over the next few weeks (just like how women continue bleeding after childbirth). While Mifepristone may not give rise to noticeable side effects, Misoprostol widens the cervix to remove the pregnancy through bleeding. Abdominal cramps and pain are normal because of the uterine contractions.
What Are the MTP Kit Dosage Instructions?
You must take Mifepristone 200mg orally with water. Do not break, powder, or chew the medicine. After 24 to 48 hours, take Misoprostol pills buccally, sublingually, or vaginally. Since the pregnancy is between 8 and 10 weeks, you will require up to 3 MTP Kits. Take 2 to 3 Mifepristone pills, and then after 24 to 48 hours, first take 4 Misoprostol pills. Repeat the administration of 4 Misoprostol pills at an interval of 2 to 4 hours each to complete the dosage of 12 Misoprostol pills. The safest method at this stage is to use the medicine sublingually or buccally.
If the pregnancy would have been lower than 6 weeks, you could have inserted 4 pills in the vagina in the vaginal insertion type of using the pills. Since the pregnancy has progressed in the first trimester, put 4 pills in either of the cheek pouches (buccally) or under the tongue (sublingually). Let the medicines melt for over 30 minutes, and then consume the melted contents with a sip of water. You can expect the abdominal cramps to begin after a couple of hours of complete dosage because the uterine contractions may begin then. The bleeding can start 2 to 4 hours after the cramps.
How Much Time Does It Take for Pregnancy to End?
By taking the MTP Kit, after the dosage completion, it may consume up to 2 or more days for all the pregnancy products to exit the vagina. The final time taken depends on a person’s health, pregnancy age, how well the dosage instructions were followed, and other factors. To understand if the abortion pills worked, get a follow-up after a couple of weeks of the dosage and go in for a whole abdomen ultrasound scan. The diagnosis will reveal if the uterus emptied properly or if you need additional medical attention for the pregnancy to terminate. In case of a rare incomplete abortion, you must end the pregnancy via a surgical method. Trying to continue an incomplete termination may be life-threatening.
To Conclude
It is safe to take MTP Kit pills to end an early pregnancy. However, Mifepristone and Misoprostol pills only work well in the abortion procedure if the pregnancy is intrauterine and within the initial 12 weeks of conception. You must be sure of these factors, at the same time, understand if you have any allergies to the abortion pills, or do not use these medicines properly. Make a note of the list of interactions and avoid those when on the abortifacients. Maintain hygiene, use only large sanitary pads for the bleeding, and do not consume alcohol.
Do not insert anything in the vagina to facilitate the termination or manage the bleeding. Do not engage in vaginal intercourse until the bleeding stops. It may take 4 to 6 weeks or more for the menstrual cycle to regularize. However, the chance of getting pregnant again may happen as soon as 8 to 14 days after the pregnancy termination. Thus, use birth control methods to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.