Pregnancy Ultrasounds
After receiving a positive pregnancy test, a pregnancy ultrasound is the next step to verify the viability and health of your pregnancy. A pregnancy ultrasound is also the most accurate way to determine how far along you are in your pregnancy and to calculate your due date.
JMJ Pregnancy Center offers Limited Diagnostic OB Ultrasounds at no cost during our pregnancy confirmation appointments. If you suspect you may be pregnancy, schedule an appointment today for a free pregnancy confirmation.
Considering Abortion?
If you have already confirmed your pregnancy and are considering having an abortion, some abortion clinics will ask for you to have an ultrasound before scheduling the abortion procedure.
Why an Ultrasound Is Needed Before Scheduling an Abortion
If you’re not intending to keep your pregnancy, you may be wondering why an ultrasound is necessary. An ultrasound shows viability of your pregnancy, verifies the location of your pregnancy in order to rule out an ectopic pregnancy, and also reveals gestational age.
Pregnancy Viability
A viable pregnancy is a pregnancy that is growing and has the likelihood of continuing. A pregnancy ultrasound is able to detect the fetus’ size and heartbeat in order to determine if it is growing at a healthy and expected rate. If the ultrasound shows that a pregnancy is not viable, the pregnancy will likely end in a miscarriage on its own.
100% Confidential Support at No Cost
At JMJ, you and your health are our top priority. Whether you are in need of emotional support and counseling or pregnancy testing and resources, we are here for you.
Ectopic Pregnancy
During a normal, healthy pregnancy, the woman’s egg gets fertilized and attaches to the lining inside of her uterus, where it will spend the next 9 months developing and growing. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the egg is fertilized and implants somewhere outside of the uterus.
In most of these cases, the egg implants within the fallopian tube, which is the part of the body that carries the egg from the ovaries to the uterus. Less commonly, the egg can also become implanted in other areas such as the abdomen, ovary or cervix.
Once a pregnancy begins outside of the uterus, it is not possible for the pregnancy to get relocated to the uterus, therefore the pregnancy cannot safely be carried to full term. Ectopic pregnancies are extremely dangerous if left untreated, so once diagnosed, immediate treatment is required to stop any continued growth of the fertilized egg and to end the pregnancy.
Gestational Age
Gestational age is a common term used to describe how far along a pregnancy is. Especially in cases where you may not be sure when the pregnancy may have started, an ultrasound can help to determine how far along you are based on the size of the fetus.
If considering an abortion, gestational age is very important as the various abortion methods available (medical abortion or surgical abortion) is dependent on how far the pregnancy has progressed.
