Ultrasound is an essential tool that helps providers view your body’s internal structures, diagnose and treat conditions, and more. Within the context of pregnancy, an obstetric ultrasound provides vital information about your pregnancy and health.
Pregnancy Resources of Delaware County provides free and confidential limited obstetrical ultrasounds that offer key details about your pregnancy. You deserve to have the facts before moving forward.
Request a pregnancy testing appointment to receive an initial answer. If the test is positive, we’ll provide an ultrasound. In the meantime, keep reading to learn how this scan works.
Understanding Obstetrical Ultrasounds
An obstetrical ultrasound uses sound waves emitted from a transducer to create images on a screen. These images show the developing pregnancy and your reproductive organs.
There are two main types of ultrasound during pregnancy. A transvaginal ultrasound is considered invasive because the transducer is gently inserted into your vagina. This scan is used during the earliest stages of pregnancy because it offers the clearest images.
An abdominal ultrasound involves a gel being applied to the abdomen. The transducer is guided over the abdomen to send sound waves.
What Does an Ultrasound Detect?
During pregnancy, an ultrasound views your reproductive organs (i.e., uterus, fallopian tubes). It also verifies vital details of your pregnancy.
An initial ultrasound will determine the following:
- Viability: Is the pregnancy progressing, and is there a heartbeat? As many as 26% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, which may need monitoring or medical treatment.
- Gestational age: How far along are you? The answer can determine your pregnancy options. For example, medical abortion is FDA-approved only through 10 weeks gestation. Currently, abortion in Ohio is legal through fetal viability (which is determined on a case-by-case basis).
- Location: Pregnancies should be located in the uterus. However, some women experience an ectopic pregnancy, which is when the fertilized egg implants in another location (i.e., a fallopian tube). This condition is life-threatening and needs emergency treatment.
Free and Confidential Ultrasounds
A positive pregnancy test alone isn’t enough to confirm a pregnancy. Following a positive result at our center, we’ll provide a limited obstetrical ultrasound.
With this scan, we’ll help you answer critical questions about your pregnancy. Help is within reach.
Request a free and confidential appointment today.
Pregnancy Resources of Delaware County does not provide or refer for abortions.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.
