If you recently found out you’re pregnant, you may still be processing the news—maybe you were in shock at first, and now you’re overwhelmed by your upcoming pregnancy decision.

Getting an ultrasound scan may be the last thing you want to do. You may not want to think about your pregnancy any more than you already are, but ultrasounds are intended to provide the information you need to protect your health.

Read on to learn more about how pregnancy ultrasounds work and why they’re essential before making a pregnancy decision.

How Does An Ultrasound Work?

Ultrasounds use sound waves to create a picture of the inside of your uterus. During an ultrasound, you will learn the following critical information:

Location

It is critical to determine the location of your pregnancy by ultrasound as soon as possible. After fertilization, a pregnancy should implant in the lining of the uterus, but pregnancies can improperly implant in the fallopian tube, ovary, abdomen, or cervix.

If a pregnancy implants outside the uterus, this is considered an ectopic pregnancy, and it’s a life-threatening situation that can cause internal bleeding. The sooner the ectopic pregnancy is identified and treated, the better.

Attempting to have an abortion before having an ultrasound may delay the detection and treatment of an ectopic pregnancy and lead to more significant risks to your health.

Viability

After determining the pregnancy is implanted in the uterus, the ultrasound technician assesses viability by determining if there is a detectable heartbeat. If there is no heartbeat, this means you have miscarried.

Detecting a miscarriage will allow you to receive additional medical advice on passing the pregnancy.

Gestational Age

Determining the gestational age of your pregnancy plays a key role in your pregnancy options.

While pregnancy age can be calculated based on your last menstrual period, this method can be inaccurate, so it is critical to confirm with an ultrasound.

Thinking about abortion? According to the FDA, medical abortions are not  FDA-approved after 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Get Help Today

New Beginnings Pregnancy Center wants to help you learn more about your pregnancy so that you can decide what is best for your health and future.

We offer free lab-quality pregnancy tests and ultrasound scans, and our trained staff can answer your questions and discuss your options.

Contact us today for your confidential appointment.