Ultrasounds
What Does An Ultrasound Do?
Ultrasounds will bring tons of clarity to you in your pregnancy journey. It’s a must when determining your pregnancy options!
Ultrasound uses echoes from high-frequency sound waves to produce a picture of the inside of your uterus. A sonographer will first apply a gel-like substance to your abdomen and uses a wand-like instrument called a transducer through the gel.
An image will be put up on a computer screen from the echoes of the sound waves that bounce back. Depending on how far along you are and if you’d like to know, the sonographer may point out what you’re seeing and listen for a heartbeat.
Do I Need An Ultrasound?
Absolutely! An ultrasound is vital to understand where your pregnancy stands and if it’s healthy. An ultrasound will determine if you qualify for abortion or not. It could also alert you to any complications that may eliminate the option of abortion. An ultrasound reveals three important details about your pregnancy, including:
- The location of your pregnancy (that it’s not an ectopic pregnancy)
- How far along you are (the gestational age)
- If you have a viable pregnancy (you haven’t miscarried & it’s healthy/growing)
These details are necessary for you to get the clarity you need to make your next step. It can clear up any questions or concerns you already have.
Free Ultrasounds
Pathways Clinic offers free, limited ultrasounds to confirm that a pregnancy is located within the uterus, confirm a heartbeat, and determine gestational age (how many weeks pregnant you are). Some restrictions may apply.
Our ultrasounds are performed by trained registered nurses or a registered diagnostic medical sonographer, and reviewed by a medical doctor. A Pathways registered nurse will determine your medical eligibility for our ultrasound services.
We are unable to offer ultrasounds if you are already under the care of an OB-GYN Provider for this pregnancy. We do not perform diagnostic ultrasounds or use ultrasound to determine sex.