Abortion is a serious medical decision. Before seeking one, you should gather critical health details about your pregnancy with an ultrasound scan.
Visit Care Net Pregnancy Centers of Albuquerque to receive a free and confidential ultrasound scan. You can schedule an appointment at one of our five locations.
Here are three reasons why you need an ultrasound before an abortion.
1. To Verify Your Pregnancy
A positive pregnancy test only indicates the presence of the pregnancy hormone hCG. An ultrasound, on the other hand, can show you a picture of the inside of your uterus to confirm your pregnancy.
The ultrasound technician will show you the screen during your scan, and you will see whether or not your pregnancy has an active heartbeat.
If the ultrasound does not find a heartbeat, it could mean that it’s too early to detect or you have miscarried. Instead of an abortion procedure, you would need to follow up with a healthcare provider to find out if any treatment is required.
2.To Locate Your Pregnancy
An ultrasound scan will show you whether the pregnancy is within your uterus. In a normal pregnancy, you can see an embryo or fetus inside your uterus during the scan.
If the pregnancy implants and grows outside the uterus, typically in a fallopian tube, it is known as an ectopic pregnancy. This type of pregnancy can be a life-threatening condition that an ultrasound can identify.
It’s dangerous to take the abortion pill when you unknowingly have an ectopic pregnancy. You may think you have had an abortion after taking the drugs, but the ectopic pregnancy would remain and continue to grow and pose risks to your health.
3. To Date Your Pregnancy
An ultrasound determines how far along you are in your pregnancy, known as the gestational age. The age is typically measured in weeks from the first day of your last period.
Usually, you can find out you’re pregnant four weeks after the first day of your last period. This means you can take a pregnancy test right after your missed period. If the test is positive, every week after is an additional week of pregnancy.
However, if you aren’t tracking closely or have irregular periods, your pregnancy timing could be different than what you thought. You could be twenty weeks along when you thought you could be eight or nine.
The FDA has only approved the abortion pill for use within the first ten weeks of pregnancy. After that timeframe, another type of abortion could be considered safer for you. Knowing your exact pregnancy age can prevent taking the abortion pill when you are too far along.
Schedule a Free and Confidential Appointment
Visit Care Net Pregnancy Centers of Albuquerque to receive a free and confidential ultrasound scan. We can verify that your pregnancy is located within the uterus and progressing and provide an estimated gestational age.
Our caring staff can also support you during pregnancy and provide information on every option. We’re here to help!