First Trimester Abortion Care

First trimester surgical abortion procedures are offered from the 5th week of pregnancy up until 14 weeks. This is a safe and effective option that is completed in one single day. First, the doctor will conduct a pelvic examination to determine the size, shape, flexion and version of the uterus. Then, she will dilate the uterus using plastic dilators. Finally, the procedure is completed using vacuum aspiration to empty the uterus. The procedure takes between 5-10 minutes.

She will also give you an injection of local anesthesia that numbs the cervix before the procedure begins. We also offer a type of anesthesia known as "Twilight Sleep" (also known as "Conscious Sedation") in which you will be put into a sedated state in which you will hopefully not feel any pain, nor even remember anything about the procedure. The Twilight Sleep will not make you unconscious; however, it will alter your state of consciousness so that you are in a sedated, trance-like, "Twilight" state which has sometimes been called the "borderland between awake and asleep". Because Twilight Sleep is generally considered to be safer than General Anesthesia, many people feel that it offers the benefits of general anesthesia without the risks. Hopefully, you will not feel any pain or discomfort. Anesthesia affects everyone differently and not everyone responds the same, so we cannot guarantee how you will respond, but our patients are generally very satisfied with the outcome of the Twilight Sleep's effectiveness. In fact, because they usually do not remember the procedure, when patients return for their follow-up visit two weeks later, most of them report that they "fell asleep" the minute they were given the Twilight Sleep, and that the next thing that they remember is waking up in the Recovery Room.