If you think you may be pregnant, usually the first thing you want to do is know for sure. When the stakes are this high, you want to be confident that your results are accurate. A lab-quality pregnancy test and an ultrasound are the best ways to know if you are pregnant. Continue reading to learn more about each of these steps, why they are important, and how to make an appointment for a pregnancy test and ultrasound.
Step One: Lab-Quality Pregnancy Testing
When you are trying to figure out if you’re pregnant, a lab-quality pregnancy test administered by trained personnel is the best place to start. Home pregnancy tests have improved over the years, but there are a lot of factors that can affect the accuracy of your results.
Taking the Test too Early
Pregnancy tests work by detecting hCG, the hormone associated with pregnancy, in a urine sample. If you take the test too early, then there will not be a detectable concentration of hCG and could result in a false-negative result. When you take a test in a clinic, the staff will ask you questions and will be able to tell you if it is too early to get an accurate result and can provide you with information about when the best time will be.
Improperly Administering the Test
When you think you might be pregnant, you have so many things on your mind that it is easy to make a mistake that could influence your results. Getting a pregnancy test done by someone who knows what they are doing is the best way to avoid an error.
Step Two: Ultrasound
An ultrasound is an imaging procedure that uses sound waves to project an image of your uterus onto a screen. After a positive pregnancy test, you should have an ultrasound to confirm the viability of your pregnancy. A nurse at our clinic will determine if an ultrasound can be performed on the day of your pregnancy test appointment or at a future appointment.
An ultrasound will also provide you with other valuable information that you will need going forward in your pregnancy and your decision-making process. An ultrasound will be able to confirm your pregnancy, ensure that your pregnancy is viable and located inside the uterus, and determine how far along your pregnancy is.
When you think you might be pregnant, you want to be sure that your results are accurate. First Care Clinic offers confidential pregnancy testing and ultrasounds at no-cost. Make an appointment today to know for sure.