When will you start bleeding and how long will it last?

Mifepristone alone usually does not cause any side effects before taking Misoprostol, although some women may experience light bleeding or nausea.
After using Misoprostol you should expect bleeding and cramps. Bleeding usually starts within four hours of using the pills, but it sometimes starts later.
For some women, the bleeding and cramping and also other side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, and hot flashes or fever may occur shortly after taking Misoprostol.
Bleeding is often the first sign that the abortion has begun. If the abortion continues, bleeding and cramps become more severe. Bleeding is often heavier than a normal menstruation, and there can be clots. The longer the pregnancy has developed, the heavier the cramps and the bleeding will be. If the abortion is complete, the bleeding and the cramps diminish. The moment of abortion can be noticed with a peak of heavier blood loss and more pain and cramps.
Normally the bleeding will continue lightly for one to three weeks after the abortion, but times may vary. The normal menstrual period usually returns after four to six weeks.

Do you need an abortion?

This online medical abortion service helps women around the world gain access to a safe medical abortion (with the pills mifepristone and misoprostol) in order to reduce the number of deaths due to unsafe abortions.

Questions and Answers

Whether you are a woman in need of an abortion, a journalist or are just curious about this service, here we try to answer all possible questions you might have.

Reference List

These are the sources for the information found in the Question and Answer section. By exploring these sources, you can find the scientific studies and articles that further explain the information and services we provide.

About Women on Web

Women on Web is a digital community of women who have had abortions and individuals and organizations that support abortion rights.

Terms of use

General conditions for the use of the Women on Web website and service.

Pregnancy Calculator

The tool below will help you to estimate how far along you are in your pregnancy.

Enter the date of your last normal Menstrual Period below – the first day that you had bleeding. This will give you the number of days that you are pregnant.


Today you are pregnant … days (… weeks and … days).

A medical abortion works best if the medicines are taken as early as possible in pregnancy and are most effective up to 63 days (9 weeks) of pregnancy.