Frequently asked
questions
Being unplanned pregnant raises many questions. We are here to answer these questions for you.
Practicalities
It is important that you take the time to reach a decision that feels right for you and your situation. The choice to end or continue the pregnancy is always yours. Do you find it difficult to make a choice? Or do you need more information? You can come to us for a conversation. We guide you in finding the right support.
At Mildred Clinics we can treat women up to 18 weeks of pregnancy. In the Netherlands a termination of pregnancy is possible up to 22 weeks at Bloemenhove Kliniek in Amsterdam/Heemstede and the Vrelinghuis in Utrecht.
Your privacy is very important to us. A treatment in our clinic is completely anonymous. Without your consent we do not give any information about you to others. Not to your partner, parents or family. Nor to your general practitioner.
You do not receive any mail at home and we do not inform your health insurer. We use your personal data only for our own administration and to call you if there is a change in the schedule. We use a secure client portal. This contains, for example, preparation documents and aftercare instructions. For this we ask for your email address.
At the end of your treatment you receive a letter for your general practitioner in the client portal. You can forward this to your GP yourself.
After a suction treatment or instrumental treatment you receive a short course of antibiotics from us. We give you these tablets to take with you.
If you are younger than 16 years old, the law requires you to have permission from your parent(s) or guardian for a medical treatment. Do you not dare to tell them that you are pregnant? Or can you not get permission? You can still make an appointment at our clinic. If our doctor finds that you are well able to assess the consequences of your choices, permission from your parents or guardian is not needed.
Yes, that is certainly possible. We help all women who need our help. However, you will then have to pay for the abortion treatment yourself. Contact us for the costs and options.
When you make an appointment at our clinic for an intake interview and/or abortion treatment, you get an account in our client portal. You receive an email for this. Before your appointment, you get a questionnaire that you need to fill in here.
The client portal contains, for example, documents to prepare for your visit and aftercare instructions.
Do you live or work in the Netherlands? Then the treatment is almost always free. The costs are covered by a subsidy from the Dutch government. This is separate from health insurance. As a result, the care remains anonymous and nothing is deducted from your own risk (deductible).
Do you not have valid residence papers or are you in the Netherlands temporarily? For example as a labour migrant or foreign student. Then you usually have to pay for the treatment yourself. Contact us for the costs.
Our staff may ask for additional information to see whether you are eligible for reimbursement of the treatment.
In our clinics you can pay in cash, by IBAN bank card or with a Visa/Mastercard credit card.
When you call us for an appointment, we aim for you to be able to come to one of our clinics for an intake interview within 5 working days. In many cases the treatment can start immediately afterwards.
Yes, you can. It is not necessary to have a referral from your GP. You can simply contact us for an appointment.
Yes, you may bring 1 companion. That person may be present at the ultrasound and the intake interview if you wish. To be sure that you are making your choice in complete freedom, the doctor or nurse always wants to speak with you alone for a moment as well. The companion may not come with you into the treatment room and the recovery room.
Children are not allowed in the clinic.
Sometimes there are protesters outside the clinic. These demonstrations are usually announced to the municipality, but are often not yet known to us at the moment you call to make the appointment.
In Arnhem the protesters stand at a reasonable distance (150 metres) from the clinic. In Eindhoven on the other side of the street. If you come by car, you can park it in our car park. That way you avoid being approached by the protesters.
If you are approached and you find this unpleasant, you can always call the clinic. We will then come outside to collect you.
Also report it at the reception in the clinic if you feel you have been treated unpleasantly. We can then help you and, if necessary, call the community police officer.
We do our best to keep the inconvenience for you, and your companion, to a minimum.
When you come to the clinic, you must in any case bring the following:
- a valid form of identification (passport, driving licence or ID card)
- a card with your blood group (if you have one)
- a medication overview or the medicines you use
Do you have an appointment for a suction or instrumental treatment? Then you also bring the following:
- 1 nightgown or long shirt
- Something warm such as a cardigan, sweater or bathrobe
- 2 pairs of underwear
- 1 pair of socks and/or slippers
- sanitary pads
- Something to eat and drink for after the treatment.
How long a treatment takes depends on the treatment you choose:
- Abortion pill: on day 1 you start the treatment at the clinic, with an intake interview and the first tablet. After that you may go home. On day 3 you stay at home all day to complete the treatment.
- Suction (vacuum aspiration) treatment: the treatment usually takes place on the same day as the intake interview. You are at the clinic for about 3 hours in total. The treatment itself often takes a few minutes. After the treatment you rest for about 30 minutes. If all goes well, you may then go home.
- Instrumental treatment: the treatment usually takes place on the same day as the intake interview. You are at the clinic for about half a day. The treatment itself usually takes between 10 and 20 minutes. After the treatment you rest for about 30 minutes. If all goes well, you may then go home.
During the intake interview our doctor always makes an ultrasound to determine how far along your pregnancy is. This also allows us to confirm that it is a normal pregnancy in the right place in your womb. We then know which treatment options are available for you. You may choose for yourself whether you want to watch along during the ultrasound.
Sometimes the ultrasound image is unclear, for example because you are only very recently pregnant. The gestational sac is then so small that we cannot see it on the ultrasound. If we cannot see the pregnancy yet, it is not certain that you can be treated at this moment.
Usually we then make a new appointment with you at our clinic, in which we make another ultrasound. The treatment can then probably go ahead. On rare occasions we refer you to a gynaecologist.
At our clinics in Arnhem and Eindhoven you can have an abortion treatment up to 18 weeks of pregnancy. After 18 weeks we refer you to Bloemenhove Kliniek in Amsterdam/Heemstede or the Vrelinghuis in Utrecht. If you are more than 22 weeks pregnant, an abortion at an abortion clinic is no longer possible. In that case, consult a general practitioner, midwife or gynaecologist about whether you can get a referral to the hospital.
The abortion pill, a suction treatment and an instrumental treatment are all safe. In our clinic we work only with experienced and qualified abortion doctors. Do you choose sedation? An anaesthesiologist connected to our clinic ensures that this goes well and safely.
Very occasionally complications occur. In a very rare case some of the pregnancy remains behind, with possible blood loss or infection as a result. This can often be resolved with medication. In rare cases an additional treatment is needed. If serious complications occur, we receive immediate support from the hospital.
Before the start of a treatment we always discuss with you what the possible risks and complications are and what you should do in the event of a complication.
Pain always differs from person to person. Sometimes it is much milder than expected, sometimes worse. The pain also depends on the treatment you choose:
- With the abortion pill you get abdominal cramps and blood loss. Especially on the third day. We then advise you to take painkillers.
- With the suction treatment under local anaesthetic we give painkillers and you get an injection at your cervix, so that you feel less pain. We do not anaesthetise the inside of your womb, which means this treatment is not completely without pain. You get brief, intense abdominal cramps, like during your period, or stronger. During the procedure you are conscious and can talk to a nurse. She supports you during the treatment.
- With the suction treatment under sedation you are asleep and notice nothing of the treatment.
- With the instrumental treatment you are asleep and feel and notice nothing of the treatment.
Do you not want to feel any pain? Our advice is then to choose treatment with sedation. But as always: it is your choice.
It is not always easy to find good and reliable information about abortion and pregnancy on the internet. Fiom shares on their website a realistic picture of a pregnancy up to 9 weeks.
Do you have a question about this? Please contact us.
If you choose a suction treatment, you can have it under sedation. An instrumental treatment is always carried out with sedation. The sedation ensures that you notice nothing of the procedure. The sedation is administered by an anaesthesiologist. They administer medication through an IV in your hand or arm, which makes you fall asleep briefly. After the treatment you wake up again quickly.
You may eat, drink and smoke up to 6 hours before the treatment. After that, up to 2 hours before the appointment, you may only drink water.
The medical advice is to have someone accompany you home after sedation. Do you have no one who can come with you? You can then request an abortion buddy via Samen naar de kliniek. This is completely free and anonymous.
Which treatment suits your situation? Every way of ending a pregnancy has advantages and disadvantages. The choice of treatment depends on how far along your pregnancy is and on your medical history. Of course we guide you in your decision, with our knowledge and care. So that you always feel safe and at ease.
Treatment
After treatment
An abortion has no effect on later pregnancies. You are fertile again immediately after an abortion.
That depends on the treatment. The medical advice is to have someone accompany you home after sedation.
After a suction treatment under local anaesthetic you may travel home alone. But even then it can be nice to have someone with you, because the procedure may leave you feeling unwell.
After the treatment with the abortion pill you can drive home yourself.
Do not use a tampon, do not have vaginal sex, and do not swim or take a bath in the first week after the treatment. Do you still have heavy and bright red blood loss after this week? Then follow our advice for an extra week. This way you prevent getting an infection. You may shower. Also, in the first week it is better not to do heavy physical exertion or heavy lifting.
Watch our video about ‘after the treatment’ for more information.
You receive information about what you can expect after the treatment. You also get a pregnancy test to take home, which you carry out at home 4 weeks later. You can always contact us if you have questions. And if necessary we make an appointment at our clinic for a follow-up check.
If you notice that you are struggling with your feelings or emotions, you can also come to us. We then help you find the right support. At Mildred Clinics we give all our attention to you.
Our most important advice: listen to your own body and above all do what feels good for you. Some people experience more discomfort after an abortion treatment than others. If you feel well enough, you can simply go back to work. If you feel that you need to take it a bit easier, listen carefully to your feelings.
Usually your period returns on its own 4 to 6 weeks after an abortion.
Are you using the contraceptive pill? Then we advise you to start it immediately after the treatment. The first bleeding then often comes during the first stop week.
After the abortion pill, suction treatment or instrumental treatment you may lose blood for some time. Sometimes this blood loss lasts a few days, but it can also last until your next period. Sometimes you also pass some clots, small or large. That is completely normal and is different for everyone.
Are you losing a lot of blood, feeling unwell, developing a fever or severe abdominal pain? Then call our clinic. Do you need urgent help? Then contact your general practitioner if necessary, or the out-of-hours GP service at the weekend.
Watch our video about ‘after the treatment’ for more information.
At our clinic you can usually have an IUD placed after an abortion treatment. This is possible after a suction or instrumental treatment, often immediately after the treatment. After an abortion pill treatment we can do this at the follow-up check.
Read more here about contraception at the clinic.
We understand that you may also experience many emotions and feelings after a treatment. Everything you feel is allowed to be there. Would you like to talk to someone about this? Contact us, and we will help you find the right support. There are also organisations that can support you well with this, such as FIOM.
Is your question not listed?
Then contact us in a way that suits you. You can call us from
Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Prefer to email? Contact us via the contact form
or send an email to : info@mildredclinics.nl