What Does an Ultrasound Do?
An ultrasound is an essential step to pregnancy confirmation and safeguarding your health. An ultrasound will confirm three pregnancy details, including:
- The viability (whether your pregnancy has a heartbeat and is progressing)
- The location (whether your pregnancy is growing within your uterus)
- How far along you are (gestational age)
Knowing how far along you are is crucial, as the FDA only approved abortion procedure is for women through 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Ultrasounds can alert you to potential complications such as miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy—the latter requires emergency treatment to prevent complications.
When Should I Take a Pregnancy Test?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the best time to take a pregnancy test is after the first day of your missed period. This timing gives the hormone hCG enough time to rise to detectable levels. Pregnancy tests work by looking for the presence of the hCG hormone. Testing too early could lead to a false negative.
Try testing first thing in the morning for the best results. At this time of day, urine is most concentrated, and hCG levels are highest. However, you can take a pregnancy test at any time of the day; just be sure not to dilute your urine by drinking a large amount of liquids ahead of time.
Are There Abortion Risks?
There are two types of abortion procedures: medical abortion and surgical abortion. Medical abortion comes with the following risks:
- Incomplete abortion, which may require a follow-up surgical procedure
- An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn't work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
- Digestive symptoms such as upset stomach
There is more than one type of surgical abortion procedure, but they come with similar risks, including:
- Uterine perforation (a tear in the uterine lining)
- Infection
- Damage to the cervix
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall (Asherman's syndrome)
Learn more about abortion risks and procedures on our abortion page.
Are Your Services Free?
Yes, we provide our pregnancy services at no cost to you. We know this time can be difficult financially, and we're here to help alleviate some of that pressure.
Can I Bring My Partner?
Yes, absolutely. Feel free to bring your partner, family member, or friend to your first pregnancy appointment. We want you to feel the most comfortable when visiting us.