Pregnancy-Confirming Ultrasounds
New Day Women’s Clinic provides free and confidential ultrasounds to women who have had a positive pregnancy test in our facility. The ultrasounds that we provide are all administered by trained staff members who will answer your questions and ensure that you have the information that you need to understand your results. An ultrasound is usually required before an abortion procedure and we offer them at no cost to you.
When to have an Ultrasound
We suggest that you get an ultrasound shortly after a positive pregnancy test. We recommend this because a positive pregnancy test by itself is not enough to verify a pregnancy. For this reason, it is important to have an ultrasound. With an ultrasound, you can find out for certain that your pregnancy is viable to carry to term. In the state of Wisconsin, an ultrasound is almost always required prior to an abortion procedure.
How an Ultrasound Works
Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to project an image of the inside of a woman’s uterus onto the display screen. Having an ultrasound is important because it will tell you a number of important details about your pregnancy. First of all, an ultrasound will let you know for certain that you are pregnant by displaying an image of the fetus on the screen. Ultrasound will also detect a fetal heartbeat. If no fetal heartbeat can be detected, then it might still be too early, or it could mean that your pregnancy is not viable to carry to term. An ultrasound can also be used to determine how far along your pregnancy has progressed and to give you an estimation of your due date. Finally, an ultrasound will determine the location of the pregnancy. If the fetus is developing outside of the uterus, it is called an ectopic pregnancy.
Ectopic Pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy is a serious medical condition in which the fetus or embryo has begun developing outside of the uterus, typically in the fallopian tubes. Because the fallopian tubes do not have enough room for a fully developed fetus, this type of pregnancy can be extremely harmful. If we notice during your ultrasound that you have an ectopic pregnancy, we will recommend that you seek immediate medical help.
What to do Next
After we have confirmed your pregnancy via an ultrasound, your next step will be to think about pregnancy options. Our trained and knowledgeable staff will provide you with answers to your questions and give you accurate information. With our help, we hope you will feel educated and empowered enough to make your own pregnancy decision, one that you will feel comfortable with in the long term. If you have any questions about ultrasounds or would like to schedule one, contact us today.