Abortion
Day 10 after abortion: swimming in the sea
Day 10 · Recovery after abortion
Day ten is the earliest date the clinic gives for the sea. If you are on holiday or live by the sea, you may have been waiting for today. The clinic ties this permission to a few clear conditions.
You go into the sea with a tampon, and how long the tampon stays in is limited. The calendar for the pool works differently. Below you will find the conditions for the sea, point by point, together with the difference from the pool.
Short answer
When can I swim in the sea after an abortion?
Under SoftCare Clinic's rule, you can swim in the sea from day 10 after an abortion at the earliest. You go into the sea with a vaginal tampon; the tampon stays in for no more than 30 minutes, and after three changes you take a one-hour break. The rule for the pool is separate: pools are avoided for 15 days, so no pool on day 10.
Today's topic on the calendar
The sea is allowed with a tampon from day ten; the pool waits for 15 days.
On the recovery calendar, the sea permission starting on day ten and the bath and pool restriction lasting until day 15 are highlighted.Can you swim in the sea on day 10 after an abortion?
The clinic's rule says 'day ten at the earliest'; today is that day. 'At the earliest' is not an obligation but a lower limit: if you do not feel ready, you can choose a later day.
If your doctor gave you another date, that date applies. The clinic's written rule does not say until which day the tampon condition lasts; ask your doctor about this too.
How is a tampon used when swimming in the sea?
- A vaginal tampon is inserted before getting into the water.
- A tampon stays in for no more than 30 minutes; then it is changed.
- After three changes, a one-hour break is taken.
- The rule describes the tampon for the sea; ask your doctor about using tampons on days other than at the sea.
Can I go into the pool too?
No, not yet. The clinic sets a separate 15-day period for the pool and the bath, and day ten is within this period. If there is both a sea and a pool where you are staying, the only option allowed today is the sea, with the tampon rule.
The difference sometimes confuses people: the sea permission starts on day ten, while the pool permission comes only after fifteen days have passed.
Can I swim in the sea if my spotting continues?
The clinic notes that there may be spotting in the first 5–10 days; so your spotting may still be continuing on day ten.
Whether you can swim in the sea while spotting continues is not covered separately in the clinic's written rule. In that case, consult your doctor before going into the sea; the doctor decides. When you call the clinic, giving the date of the procedure and how much spotting there is makes the assessment easier.
Do today
- Insert the tampon before going into the sea.
- Watch the time; change the tampon when 30 minutes are up.
- Take a one-hour break after the third change.
- Carry enough tampons with you.
Don't do today
- Do not swim in the sea without a tampon.
- Do not stay in with the same tampon for more than half an hour.
- Do not go into a pool or a jacuzzi.
- If your doctor gave you a later date, do not go by today.
Special note
If you are planning a holiday
When planning a holiday, keep two dates apart: day ten at the earliest for the sea, fifteen days for the pool. According to the clinic, you can fly or make a long road journey as a passenger even on the day of the procedure; travel does not change these two dates.
Special note
If you are not used to tampons
The clinic's sea permission depends on the tampon condition. If you have never used a tampon before or cannot use one, postpone swimming in the sea and ask your doctor what is right for you.
When should you call?
Call 112 first (if you are abroad, that country's emergency number)
- Fainting: If you faint, call 112 first; if you are abroad, call the emergency number of the country you are in.
Call the clinic straight away
- Heavy bleeding: Soaking 2–3 pads within one hour. A total of 2–3 pads over the whole day is normal.
- Fever: A temperature of 38 °C or higher, or fever together with weakness.
- Severe pain: Severe abdominal or back pain that does not ease with painkillers.
- Foul-smelling discharge: Unusual, foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
- Large clot: Passing a clot the size of a golf ball.
Call the clinic
- If your discharge or bleeding changes noticeably after the sea, let the clinic know.
- If you could not remove the tampon or think it has been left inside, call the clinic.
- Dizziness or shivering: Dizziness, chills and shivering that do not pass.
- Hard abdomen: The abdomen becoming hard, or clear tenderness when touched.
- Burning on urination: Burning or stinging when passing urine.
SoftCare Clinic patients can reach the doctor's assistant or a nurse 24 hours a day; when needed, they contact the doctor. Call whenever you are unsure; what your own doctor tells you always comes first.
Frequently asked questions
How many days after an abortion can you swim in the sea?
In SoftCare Clinic's rule, the earliest date for the sea is the tenth day after an abortion. From that date you go into the sea with a vaginal tampon. You do not swim in the sea before day ten; if your doctor told you a later date at the examination, you wait for the date they gave.
How many minutes does a tampon stay in at the sea after an abortion?
Under the clinic's rule, a vaginal tampon used in the sea stays in for no more than 30 minutes and is then changed. After three tampon changes, a one-hour break is taken. So the sea is used not for hours on end, but in half-hour sessions with breaks.
Can you go into a pool 10 days after an abortion?
No. SoftCare Clinic treats the sea and the pool separately: the sea is allowed with a tampon from day ten, while the pool and the bath are avoided for 15 days. On day ten the pool restriction is still in place; if you want to go into a pool before the period is over, consult your doctor first.
Sources
SoftCare Clinic for your questions
Our patients can reach a nurse and the doctor's assistant 24 hours a day.
This page is for general information; it does not replace an examination or your doctor's advice. Every woman recovers differently. The times and rules your doctor gives you always take priority over those on this page.
Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Şükrü Sanus, Obstetrician & Gynecologist · Last medical review: