Having an ultrasound may feel far from necessary if you are facing an unwanted, unexpected pregnancy, but a free ultrasound can determine several helpful things:

• Accurate gestational age (how far along you are).
• What abortion procedures you are eligible for at this stage of pregnancy.
• If there is a measurable heartbeat, which determines if the pregnancy may miscarry
• Whether the pregnancy is in the uterus (not an ectopic/tubal pregnancy).

Once you find out that you are pregnant, one of the first questions is, “how far along am I?”. This question can be answered in different ways, some more accurate than others.

For starters, you can ask google for a pregnancy calculator. By entering the first day of your last period, the calculator will indicate your baby’s due date. This is an estimated date of course, but it is a starting place. And for some of us, this might be difficult if your period is irregular or you didn’t record it somewhere to keep track! An ultrasound can help give a more reliable date.

The most accurate way to determine gestational age is an ultrasound.

This is important for a few reasons.  If you are considering abortion options, knowing the exact gestational age will determine what type of abortion procedure you are eligible for at this stage of pregnancy, how much money you will need for the procedure as well as your options for taking the pills that terminate pregnancy.

We know that there feels to be an added pressure with the current abortion limits in place, making timing more crucial. An ultrasound will also confirm if your pregnancy is viable with a measurable heartbeat – important to know to avoid an unnecessary procedure if considering abortion. It is not uncommon for a pregnancy to end due to natural causes on its own resulting in a miscarriage.

Gateway Women’s Care can provide you the information you need to make an informed decision about your pregnancy. Following a positive pregnancy test, a nurse may approve a limited ultrasound. This free service will help you answer some important questions by determining whether the pregnancy is viable (detect fetal heartbeat) and is in the uterus, as well as how far along you are and your expected due date. Answers to these questions will allow you to make the best decision for your pregnancy.

Call Raleigh 919.833.0096, Durham 919.251.9444 and Chapel Hill 919.537.8220 to schedule a free, confidential appointment today.