Free ultrasounds are offered after receiving a positive pregnancy test result at PLL and may be part of your pregnancy evaluation. All exams are performed by a licensed nurse and overseen by a medical doctor who has local hospital admitting privileges.
Your pregnancy test was positive – now what?
A pregnancy test gives you one kind of information about what’s going on inside your body – it shows whether your body is producing hCG, a hormone produced during pregnancy.
An ultrasound will show a lot more about what is happening inside you – it’s the logical next step if you have a positive pregnancy test. At PLL we can provide free first trimester ultrasounds.
- It's important to KNOW if you are pregnant
and whether it is a "viable" pregnancy.
- 10% to 15% of pregnancies end naturally through miscarriage. No one wants to go through the pain, cost and risk of abortion if it's not necessary.
- An ultrasound is the fastest way to find out if your pregnancy is viable.
My pregnancy test was positive – doesn’t that mean I’m pregnant?
A pregnancy test will be positive even if you have an early pregnancy loss that occurs shortly after implantation or an ectopic pregnancy. Neither of these are viable pregnancies, and an ectopic pregnancy can be a life-threatening situation.
An ultrasound will help you to know just what is going on inside your body. At PLL our licensed nurses perform FREE first trimester ultrasounds, and they are reviewed by a medical doctor who has local hospital admitting privileges.
A first trimester ultrasound takes a look inside the uterus to determine:
- if there is a viable pregnancy, including a fetal heartbeat
- roughly how far along you are in the pregnancy
- the location of the pregnancy (pregnancies developing outside the uterus can be life threatening)
What is an ultrasound?
An ultrasound is a type of technology that uses sound waves to create images. During pregnancy, a transducer (or wand) is placed on top of your belly. It emits sound waves that bounce off your baby’s tissues, fluids and bones. As the sound waves bounce off the internal organs, fluids and tissues, the sensitive microphone in the transducer records tiny changes in the sound’s pitch and direction. These signature waves are constantly measured and displayed by a computer, which in turn creates a real-time picture on the monitor.
Most ultrasound examinations are painless, fast and easy. After you are positioned on the exam table, the sonographer will apply some warm gel on your skin, then place the transducer firmly against your belly, moving it back and forth to get pictures of your uterus. After an ultrasound you should be able to resume your normal activities right away!
What's the Difference Between Sonogram and Ultrasound?
Though the words sonogram and ultrasound are often used interchangeably, there is a distinction:
- Ultrasound is the term for an imaging test that uses sound to produce pictures.
- Sonogram is the actual picture produced by the ultrasound technology.
Call us at 417-272-5210 or schedule an appointment online to find out more.