Ultrasound

A pregnancy test tells you happened. 
Ultrasound tells you what is happening now.

A pregnancy test tells you what happened. 
Ultrasound tells you what is happening now.

When you have a positive pregnancy test and have been offered STI/STD testing, the next step is confirming the pregnancy with an ultrasound. An ultrasound provides real-time information when making a pregnancy decision. Having a pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound can also help you get medical care started.

What Does Ultrasound Do?

An ultrasound provides an image of what is happening inside your body. This image provides information to you that is unavailable otherwise. Our sonographer (a trained technician in obstetrical scanning) will apply gel to your abdomen. She will then use a hand-held device called a transducer against the area being studied. The transducer sends soundwaves into your body to capture the images.
 
Our sonographer will explain to you what she is seeing and what she expects to see. You should wear loose-fitting clothing. It is not recommended to wear one-piece outfits like jumpsuits or leotards.  The nurse will let you know how much water you will need to drink.

Why do I need an Ultrasound?

A positive pregnancy test can tell what happened in the recent past.  You got pregnant.  However, because up to 20% of known pregnancies and as many as 40% of total pregnancies end on their own, you may still have hCG in your urine but no longer have a live pregnancy.  An ultrasound is the only way to confirm if your pregnancy is still viable (developing), a critical piece of information if you are making a pregnancy decision.
 
An ultrasound will answer three important questions:
  • Is your pregnancy viable? Is there a detectable fetal heartbeat that indicates that the pregnancy is developing.
  • How far along are you? Ultrasound in the first trimester can closely determine how many days or weeks pregnant you are by dating the pregnancy.
  • Is your pregnancy located in your uterus? Sometimes, a pregnancy can begin to grow in the wrong area, typically the fallopian tube. This is called an ectopic pregnancy and is life-threatening. 
Determining viability is important because up to 20% of pregnancies end on their own in miscarriage.  Only an ultrasound can determine if you have miscarried TODAY.  Additionally, if you are considering abortion, it is crucial that you know how far along you are. This will determine the type of procedure available to you and how much it would cost.
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“NorthStar offers up-to-date, accurate information about all of your options regardless of age, race, nationality, religion, disability, etc. We are a non-profit that provides all services at no cost to you. NorthStar provides information and services for educational purposes and does not make money from a woman’s decision, so we do not provide or refer for abortion services.”