An ultrasound has a way of making the reality of pregnancy even clearer. You may be wondering when and why you need an ultrasound. An ultrasound is one step of the pregnancy confirmation process and reveals vital details of your pregnancy. After confirming your pregnancy with lab-quality pregnancy testing, an ultrasound is your next best step.
The Ultrasound Process
In order to know what your pregnancy options are – first, you will need an ultrasound. Make sure not to move past this important step. An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to look at the contents of the uterus to confirm different details of your pregnancy. An ultrasound confirms three things:
1. Viability (detects the heartbeat and if you have a growing pregnancy)
2. Location of pregnancy (whether it’s growing within your uterus or not)
3. How far along you are (gestational age)
Why Do I Need An Ultrasound?
It’s important to identify any complications of your pregnancy as soon as possible. That’s exactly what an ultrasound does. Some women experience ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages early in pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is where the pregnancy grows outside the uterus and could be life-threatening, so it’s important to identify this risk right away.
Seek medical help right away if you have any symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, including:
- Severe abdominal or pelvic pain accompanied by vaginal bleeding
- Extreme lightheadedness or fainting
- Shoulder pain
Free & Confidential Ultrasounds
At The Pregnancy Resource Center, we provide free and confidential limited obstetrical ultrasounds. Get clarity today in order to take the next step in your pregnancy journey. We know how scary this whole pregnancy journey can seem, but you are not alone.
Talk to our team today to learn about what’s next and how we can support you. We hope to bring clarity to your unique situation and offer resources that can give you strength for what’s to come.
