What to Eat and Drink After the Abortion Pill

Fluids come first. Heavy bleeding can leave you tired or lightheaded, so water, clear broth, electrolyte drinks, or watered down juice all help you stay hydrated while the cramping peaks.

Sip steadily through the day you take misoprostol instead of drinking one large bottle at once. If your stomach feels unsettled, room temperature drinks are often easier to keep down than ice cold ones.

Skip alcohol for at least 24 hours after misoprostol. Anything else you normally drink is usually fine once the nausea eases.

If you are throwing up over and over and cannot keep water or clear fluids down, call the clinic at (708) 450-4545 instead of waiting it out.

Nausea is common around the time you take misoprostol. Keep food plain and small until it passes. These are easy on the stomach:

• Crackers or dry toast
• Bananas
• Plain rice
• Applesauce
• Clear broth, with a little soft food if you want it

Eat when you can rather than on a set schedule. Small bites every so often tend to work better than a full meal while the cramps are strong.

Once the nausea settles, which is often later the same day or the next day, go back to eating what you normally eat. There is no special healing plate you have to follow after a medication abortion.

There is no strict list of banned foods after the abortion pill for most patients. You do not need to cut out dairy, spicy food, or rich meals unless those already upset your stomach.

Some common sense still helps on misoprostol day. If a food usually makes you queasy, skip it that day. Greasy or very rich meals can feel worse when you are already nauseated, so light food is about comfort rather than a rule. There are no miracle foods and no supplement plan you need to buy for recovery, so put your energy into fluids and rest.

If the provider gave you diet instructions for another health condition, follow those instead of a general list from the internet.

Wait at least 24 hours after you take misoprostol. Alcohol can increase bleeding and it mixes poorly with pain medicine.

After that first day, most patients can go back to their usual habits if they feel well. If you are still bleeding heavily, feeling dizzy, or taking stronger pain medicine, wait longer and ask the provider.

Do not use alcohol to get through the cramps. Ibuprofen, heat, and rest are the tools for that day, and alcohol works against them.

Coffee and soda are not off limits after the abortion pill. If caffeine normally sits fine with you, a normal amount is usually okay once you can keep fluids down.

During the heavy cramping hours, some patients find that coffee makes queasiness or jitters worse. If that happens, switch to water, broth, or a drink without caffeine until you feel steadier. Sugary soda is fine in small amounts if it helps you keep liquid down, but it does not replace water or an electrolyte drink.

This is about comfort, not a medical rule, unless the provider told you otherwise.

For many patients, appetite returns as soon as the worst nausea and cramping ease, often the same evening or the next day. Some feel hungry again quickly, and others want light food for another day. Both are common.

You do not need to force yourself to eat on a schedule. Eat when you are hungry, and keep sipping fluids when you are not. Call the clinic if your appetite is still gone after a couple of days, or if you cannot keep food or fluids down.

For the rest of recovery, including pain, work, and activity, see recovery tips after the abortion pill.

Call (708) 450-4545 if you cannot keep fluids down because you keep throwing up, if you feel very dizzy, faint, or unusually weak and are not drinking, or if you are not sure whether your nausea is normal.

For bleeding and pain warning signs, follow the thresholds on our recovery tips page. Go to the nearest emergency room if you soak through two or more thick pads in one hour for two or more hours in a row, or if you have pain that ibuprofen and heat do not relieve.

Same-day, evening, and weekend appointments are available upon request. The clinic is at 10215 W. Roosevelt Rd. #101, Westchester, IL 60154, and care is $380 with a credit or debit card or $340 with cash, which covers the visit, ultrasound, both medications, and follow-up.