Think you may be pregnant? If you have a positive at-home pregnancy test, your next step should be scheduling an appointment for a confirmation pregnancy test and ultrasound.

 

Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of your uterus, conveying important information on your pregnancy status.

 

Even if you have taken a pregnancy test at home, an ultrasound is the best way to determine if you are really pregnant. Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of your uterus.

 

There are three main reasons a first-trimester ultrasound is essential. A first-trimester ultrasound provides valuable information about your pregnancy that physical exams cannot provide.

 

• An ultrasound can confirm an intrauterine pregnancy. This means that a pregnant woman will know if the developing fetus is within the uterus or outside the uterus. A pregnancy outside the uterus is called an ectopic pregnancy. If a tubal ectopic pregnancy is undiagnosed, it may rupture the woman’s fallopian tube and may lead to life-threatening conditions. Urine pregnancy tests cannot determine if you have an ectopic pregnancy.

 

• An ultrasound can determine whether or not your pregnancy is viable. It can determine if the fetus’s heart is beating and that its rate is normal. This is important for a woman who is considering abortion. If there is no heartbeat or the pregnancy is not in the right location, the woman will be spared having to face that very tough decision of abortion.

 

• An ultrasound can determine the gestational age of her baby. Oftentimes, the pregnant woman will discover she is not as far along in the pregnancy as she thought. Or, if her periods are irregular, her pregnancy gestation dating may be different than what she expects. With an ultrasound, however, she can find out how far along she really is. This is important information for any doctor that will be providing her medical care.

 

Options Health offers free limited obstetric ultrasound scans that are used to date and confirm the viability of a pregnancy. These factors can have a direct impact on your health and can determine the options that may be available to you. Contact us today to find out if you are eligible for an ultrasound appointment.