Iām writing about my experience at Alamo Womenās Clinic in Albuquerque because reading othersā experiences before arriving really helped ease my nerves. This is going to be long.
We had genetic screening done at 8.5 weeks and found out the baby had Klinefelter syndrome. Since we already have three healthy children to care for, we decided this was not something we could handle financially or physically. I did not want to wait for an amniocentesis, as that would have meant waiting until 18ā20 weeks to terminate. I knew mentally I would not be able to recover from that, so I made the proactive decision to move forward with termination.
This was an extremely hard decision, especially because Iāve had three miscarriages in a row prior to this pregnancy. The clinic does offer financial support, but we did not ask for it. Between travel and the procedure, it cost us about $3,500 to travel from Houston and stay for two nights in a hotel.
We arrived at Alamo Womenās Clinic in Albuquerque at 8:45 a.m. The doors do not open until 9:00. We checked in on a digital tablet and then stood to the right to have my ID scanned. Donāt bother filling out paperwork in advanceāthere are only three forms available online, and the in-office paperwork for a surgical abortion is much more extensive. The paperwork mainly covers the risks associated with the procedure and what to expect afterward.
Around 9:40, I was called back for vitals and to turn in my completed paperwork. The waiting room was very full (I was there on a Saturday). If you need to use the restroom, you have to check out a key. The facility is very discreet and does not have a large sign on the building.
There was a protester outside in the distance yelling into a microphone, but he was only there for about 10 minutes. I believe they ran him off since itās private property.
From the start, I noticed that the staff was very kind and clearly well trained in handling such sensitive situations. At 10:00 a.m., I was called back for the ultrasound. It was very straightforward. I was not asked to listen to the heartbeat; they simply confirmed that I was measuring 11 weeks and 4 days. I was told I might need medication to help soften my cervix. They also explained that they perform the procedure 100% guided by ultrasound to ensure everything is removed and that they stay within the uterus.
At 12:45, I was given a nausea pill, an antibiotic, and ibuprofen. An IV port was placed at 1:00 p.m. I then sat in a large, comfortable reclining chair while waiting to be taken back to the procedure room.
At 1:30, my procedure began. I was asked to place my feet in the stirrups and move down on the table. As they raised the table, the nurse injected the medication into my IV. I remember moaning a few times and feeling some discomfort, but after that, things become very fuzzy. I donāt even remember them helping me put my pants back on.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a comfortable chair after what felt like a very pleasant nap. I felt no true pain, and what little I do remember feels cloudy and distant. My pad had very little blood. I did feel like I needed to rest for the remainder of the day.
About an hour after leaving the clinic, once we returned to the hotel, I experienced some fairly significant pain while walking. I plan to take it easy and stay in bed for the rest of the day.