Here are some of the questions you will be asked when booking an appointment at our clinic. Please be sure to have this information ready when you call:

We will ask you to provide the date of the first day of your last normal menstrual period. If you are unsure of that date, you will speak with an intake counselor who will help you assess what may be required to find out your last normal menstrual period date.

Have you had any previous pregnancies?

Were they normal vaginal deliveries or caesarian sections?

Do you have any allergies?

Any reactions to medications, anesthetic or latex?

Do you have any health or medical problems?

Are you on any medications?

How much do you weigh?

We will also need basic personal information such as name, date of birth and a contact number for you.

How to Prepare for your Appointment:

Our patients are not permitted to drive after the procedure. If you do not have a drive home, you will be rebooked for another appointment. There are NO exceptions to this rule as it is for your own health and safety that we must enforce the no driving policy.

You must bring picture I.D. and your provincial health card (if applicable).

Please bring a loose-fitting t-shirt, a bathrobe, and a pair of socks.

No food, this includes gum or candy, 4 hours before your appointment. You should drink plenty of water prior to your appointment and arrive with a full bladder for the ultrasound.

What to expect on the day of your visit:

On arrival you will be asked to complete intake paperwork. Shortly thereafter, you will be called by a nurse to have an ultrasound examination to confirm the length of your pregnancy and a routine finger-prick blood test to determine the RH factor of your blood. 15% of the population have an RH negative blood type. We will perform a simple finger prick test to determine if you belong in the RH negative or RH positive blood group.

If you are RH negative you will be given an injection of WinRho SD (Anti-D Globulin) to safeguard any future pregnancies. Please speak to the counsellor, nurse or doctor if you have any questions about the RH factor.

 

You will then see a counsellor with whom you can discuss any questions or concerns that you may have about your decision or about the abortion procedure. She will review your medical history and advise you of what form of birth control will be most appropriate for you. Please discuss any concerns you may have with the counsellor. At the end of the talk with the counsellor, she may give you medication to relieve anxiety and to diminish pain.

Your counsellor will provide you with an Informed Consent Form. This document is to inform you of all complications that are possible as a result of a surgical abortion and must be signed by you before an abortion can be performed. While reading the list of complications may scare you, know that to list them all is a legal requirement. In practice very few complications actually occur. Surgical abortion has one of the lowest surgical complication rates.

A nurse will then show you where to change and give you a locker where you may safely leave your personal possessions, before accompanying you to the operating room to meet the clinic doctor.

The abortion procedure:

The operation involves a safe and simple procedure during which the doctor gently opens the cervix (dilation) and empties the uterus by aspiration. The entire procedure only takes between 5 and 10 minutes. To ensure maximum comfort, conscious sedation is offered.

Recovery:

When the abortion is over the nurse will take you to the recovery area where you can rest. Medications are available for women who experience uncomfortable cramping following the procedure. Recovery is rapid and most patients feel ready to leave in approximately 30 minutes.

When you are ready to leave the recovery room, the nurse will explain how to take care of yourself after the abortion. She will provide you with some post-operative information to take home. This important information includes after-care advice and our 24 hour help number.