What Is An Ultrasound?
An ultrasound is a simple and painless imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce an image of the inside of your uterus. For the ultrasound, our medical technician applies a gel-like substance to your abdomen. The gel helps transmit sound waves. A hand-held device called a transducer is rubbed over the gel to record the echoes of the sound waves it picks up. It’s those echoes that create the image you’ll see on a monitor.
Our limited obstetrical ultrasounds are performed to evaluate the presence, size and location of the pregnancy, determine the number of fetuses and estimate how long you’ve been pregnant (gestational age).
What You Will Learn From An Ultrasound
If you’re considering different options for your pregnancy, you’ll need to know valuable information that is discovered during an ultrasound. Regardless of whether or not you’re sure of your last known menstrual cycle or date of conception, an ultrasound uses measurements to help date your pregnancy and estimated due date. An ultrasound can also be used to assess fetal cardiac activity and measure the heartbeat.
The Mayo Clinic claims that up to 20% of known pregnancies end in a natural miscarriage and an ultrasound can be used in some cases to determine if a pregnancy has ended or will end in a miscarriage. Some fetuses develop outside of the uterus in the fallopian tubes, which is known as an ectopic pregnancy. There are also chromosomal abnormalities that could lead to a pregnancy that is not viable such as in the case of a blighted ovum or molar pregnancy.
We do not provide ultrasounds for the purpose of determining gender or diagnosing any medical conditions or abnormalities.
What We Provide
At Alpha Center, the need for a free, limited ultrasound is determined by our staff member during the pregnancy test consultation and cannot be offered in all circumstances. Our staff are trained to review your health history and provide resources to assist you in your current situation. Your health information and all of our discussions will be kept confidential.