Women who change their mind within 72 hours of taking the first dose of the abortion pill can still reverse the process and save their baby.

That’s according to Obstetrician, Dr William Lile, who spoke at a medical conference in Dublin at the weekend hosted by Doctors for Life Ireland.

The abortion pill, which causes a chemical abortion, consists of two separate pills; the first, mifepristone, blocks the effects of progesterone, the natural hormone in a pregnant mother’s body necessary for her pregnancy to thrive. The drug then causes the uterine lining to break down and the placenta to fail, thus starving the growing baby of oxygen and nutrients.

The second pill, misoprostol, normally taken one to two days later, completes the abortion, by causing contractions and the expulsion of the deceased baby.

The Abortion Pill Reversal protocol works by giving the mother extra progesterone up to 72 hours after she takes the first chemical abortion drug, mifepristone. The treatment has the best chance for success when begun within 24 hours, according to practitioners.

One Irish doctor at the conference reported having already successfully used the medication with one of his patients.

Niamh ui Bhriain of the Life Institute welcomed the availability of this treatment in Ireland and said it gives hope to Irish women who immediately regret taking the abortion pill.