If you’re looking into abortion, you’ve probably encountered information about pills, procedures, costs, and appointment requirements. None of those details can tell you something very basic, though: What is going on with your particular pregnancy?
That’s just one reason why an ultrasound is so important. It provides crucial information needed to protect your health and make a decision with the facts in hand.
Bright Hope Centers offers medically verified pregnancy testing and early ultrasounds performed by medical professionals. Ultrasounds are available both onsite and through our Medical Mobile Unit, which travels throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn more.
An Ultrasound Can Check the Location
A positive pregnancy test cannot distinguish a pregnancy in the uterus from an ectopic pregnancy.
With an ectopic pregnancy, implantation occurs outside the uterus. Most develop in a fallopian tube. The pregnancy cannot continue normally, and the condition can become dangerous, even life-threatening, without prompt treatment.
Treatment for an ectopic pregnancy varies depending on the situation, but it is not the same as an elective abortion procedure.
An ultrasound can help determine whether the pregnancy is located inside the uterus. If you have symptoms of a possible ectopic pregnancy, such as severe pelvic or abdominal pain, fainting, shoulder pain, or heavy bleeding, seek immediate medical attention.
The Calendar Doesn’t Always Give an Exact Date
You may have calculated how far along you are using the date of your last period.
That estimate can be useful, but ovulation doesn’t necessarily occur on the same day of every cycle. Irregular cycles can make the calculation even less certain.
Early ultrasound measurements can provide additional information about gestational age. This is relevant when considering abortion because the procedure used depends partly on how far the pregnancy has progressed. For example, mifepristone, the first drug used in the abortion pill regimen, is FDA-approved only through 10 weeks of gestation. Taking the drug past this timeframe is not advised due to the additional risks posed to your health, including an incomplete abortion.
It Tells You if the Pregnancy Is Progressing
An early ultrasound also provides information about whether the pregnancy is developing.
This matters because a miscarriage can occur before you even realize you’re pregnant. hCG takes time to leave the body, so a pregnancy test may continue to show a positive result for weeks.
If you have had a miscarriage, you may require follow-up care to prevent complications and ensure your body has passed the pregnancy tissue.
Remember, ultrasound findings depend on how early the pregnancy is. If there isn’t enough information yet, a medical professional may recommend additional evaluation rather than drawing a conclusion from a single scan.
Ultrasound Access in the Lehigh Valley
Bright Hope Centers provides early ultrasounds with medical professionals at our center and aboard the Medical Mobile Unit as it travels in the Lehigh Valley.
Begin with medically verified pregnancy testing, then find out whether an ultrasound is appropriate for you.
Contact us today to make an appointment.
Bright Hope Centers does not provide or refer for abortions.
All abortion information in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.
