3 Reasons To Have An Ultrasound

If you’ve taken a home pregnancy test and have a positive result, chances are your mind is racing with decisions that need to be made. If this is an unplanned pregnancy, you may be confused and worried about how this will impact your future. But, before you make any crucial decisions, you should schedule an appointment for an ultrasound, and there are three important reasons why. 

1. An ultrasound will confirm if your pregnancy is viable. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) estimates that as many as 26% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. [1][2] [3] Moreover, 80% of early pregnancy loss occurs in the first trimester. [1][2] The risk of miscarriage decreases after 12 weeks gestation.  So even if you received a positive pregnancy test result, there is a chance your pregnancy may not be viable. 

1. An ultrasound can confirm how far along you are. Even if you think you know the date of your last menstrual period, an ultrasound can tell you exactly how far along the pregnancy is.  Sometimes women have implantation bleeding that they think is their period or they may have irregular periods leading to a miscalculation of how far along they actually are.   This is important as the number of weeks along you can impact the options available to you. 

1. An ultrasound helps to determine if you are at risk of having an ectopic pregnancy.  While ectopic pregnancies are still considered rare, estimates are usually 2% of all pregnancies are ectopic, it is a condition that requires emergency intervention. [4 ]  It is important to make sure you do not have an ectopic pregnancy  even if you are considering an abortion.  Using the abortion pill will not resolve the ectopic pregnancy and may lead to dangerous consequences if not treated.   

Options for Women Pregnancy Help Clinic offers ultrasounds free of charge. We know that facing an unplanned pregnancy can be an already difficult time, and finances can add to a troubling situation. All of the services we provide are completely free of charge. 

An ultrasound should be an important component used to guide your decision making. It will confirm your pregnancy, and tell you exactly how far along you are so you can have the most accurate information about the options available to you for the stage of pregnancy you are in. 

References

1.

Wilcox AJ, Weinberg CR, O’Connor JF, Baird DD, Schlatterer JP, Canfield RE, Armstrong EG, Nisula BC. Incidence of early loss of pregnancy. N Engl J Med. 1988 Jul 28;319(4):189-94. [PubMed]

2.

Zinaman MJ, Clegg ED, Brown CC, O’Connor J, Selevan SG. Estimates of human fertility and pregnancy loss. Fertil Steril. 1996 Mar;65(3):503-9. [PubMed]

3.

Kanmaz AG, İnan AH, Beyan E, Budak A. The effects of threatened abortions on pregnancy outcomes. Ginekol Pol. 2019;90(4):195-200. [PubMed]

1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2801057  Ectopic pregnancy and medical abortion