When should I take a pregnancy test?

The best time to take a test is at least one week after your missed period. Maybe you’re wondering why you should wait so long. It takes time for your body to produce detectable amounts of the pregnancy hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). This hormone doubles every two to three days when you’re pregnant. If you take a test too early, the test may not be able to detect hCG, and could give you a false-negative result.

What are the common pregnancy symptoms?

In the meantime, here are some of the most common pregnancy symptoms women have in their first trimester, according to Mayo Clinic. Note that some women will experience many or all of these and some none at all. A missed period is a symptom that every woman will have when pregnant. Here are some other pregnancy symptoms: Nausea with or without vomiting Moodiness Fatigue Tender, swollen breasts Increased urination Bloating

What kind of pregnancy test should I take?

This step is often the most confusing part of the process, especially if it’s your first time taking a pregnancy test. If you haven’t already, an at-home test is your first step and is 99 percent accurate when used correctly. A lab-quality pregnancy test can confirm the result of your at-home test, as there is still a slight chance for user error with the at-home tests. These tests are similar to the at-home test, most of the time a simple urine test, but they are administered by a professional. Receive free and confidential pregnancy testing at our center today to be sure.

What if my test comes back positive?

If you receive a positive pregnancy test, don’t panic. You are not alone in your pregnancy journey. Our compassionate team at Pregnancy Help Center of South County is here to walk alongside you with free and confidential pregnancy services, support, and resources. We can share more information about your pregnancy options as well.

How Does Ultrasound Technology Work for Pregnancy?

When you hear the word “ultrasound,” pregnancy likely comes to mind. It is one of the most common uses of this imaging technology. During a fetal ultrasound, a sonographer will either place a transducer wand either on your belly or in your vagina (for very early pregnancy). The sonographer may apply a gel over your belly to help the sound waves move more easily. The transducer will then emit sound waves into your uterus. These will echo off of the fetus’ tissue, bones, and fluids and back to the transducer. Once received, the transducer will translate the echoes into images on the screen. You will see a black and white moving picture. This is a picture of the inside of your body!

What Does an Ultrasound Tell Me?

An ultrasound will tell you three things: Pregnancy Gestation – How far along is my pregnancy? Viability – Does my pregnancy have a heartbeat, and is it progressing? Pregnancy Location – Is the pregnancy ectopic? The answers to these questions will determine which pregnancy options are available to you. If you’re over ten weeks pregnant, you will no longer be eligible for the abortion pill. If you have a non-viable pregnancy, you will not need an abortion, but you might need medical attention. It’s critical to know these details before making any pregnancy decisions for your health and safety.

Medical Abortion: What Are the Risks?

Medical abortion, or the abortion pill, is a procedure performed at 10 weeks of pregnancy or less. It uses two powerful drugs to first end the pregnancy, and then expel it through the vagina with cramping and bleeding. Here are the main risks of medical abortion, according to Mayo Clinic: Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion An ongoing pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work Digestive discomfort Heavy and prolonged bleeding Infection Fever

Surgical Abortion: What Are the Risks?

There are two types of surgical abortion: Dilation & Curettage (D&C) and Dilation & Evacuation (D&E). In both procedures, the physician will dilate the cervix and use a combination of tools and suction to surgically remove the pregnancy. A D&E abortion typically takes more time and requires more tools. Here are the main risks of surgical abortion, according to Mayo Clinic: Perforation of the uterus Damage to the cervix Scar tissue on the uterine wall Infection Incomplete abortion can also happen after surgical abortion, but it’s much more rare.

What Raises the Risk of Abortion Complications?

If you begin an abortion procedure with an existing, untreated STD, you raise the risk of spreading the STD further up your reproductive system, leading to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Additionally, if you don’t have a preliminary ultrasound to determine how far along you are and take the abortion pill, you increase the chance of complications. This method is only FDA-approved for use up to ten weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion, in basic terms, is a procedure that works to terminate an existing pregnancy. There are two major types of abortion: medical and surgical. Each one comes with unique risks and side effects. Before making a decision about abortion, it’s imperative to verify your pregnancy details.

What is An Ectopic Pregnancy?

The definition of the word ectopic is “an abnormal place or position.” An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus. More than 90% of ectopic pregnancies occur within a fallopian tube. The danger of the fertilized egg implanting in a fallopian tube is that the tube cannot expand like the uterus to accommodate the growing embryo, so it is in danger of bursting. Ectopic pregnancies are more common than you’d think. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, they occur in about 1 out of every 50 pregnancies (20 out of 1,000).

What Are the Symptoms of an Ectopic Pregnancy?

Symptoms usually occur within the first few weeks of pregnancy, although some women never show any symptoms. The earliest warning signs of ectopic pregnancy are: Light vaginal bleeding Pelvic pain Abdominal pain Shoulder pain Heavy bleeding Extreme Lightheadedness The unusual shoulder pain is associated with ectopic pregnancies because the blood leaking from the fallopian tube into the abdomen is thought to irritate the phrenic nerve, which is found in your diaphragm.

Will Missouri Medicaid Pay for Abortion?

Did you recently have unprotected (or maybe even protected) sex and now your period is late? Did you take an over-the-counter pregnancy test and it came back positive? If you weren’t planning on becoming pregnant right now, you may be in shock. An unexpected pregnancy is never easy news.

Women often think about abortion first when discovering an unplanned pregnancy. But abortions can be expensive. You may be wondering if Missouri Medicaid will pay for abortion. What are Missouri’s abortion laws?

Missouri’s Abortion Laws

Just like other states in the nation, Missouri has been revisiting its abortion laws. In 1973, the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide but gave states broad-ranging authority to regulate abortion procedures as they saw fit. As a result, abortion laws are drastically different from state to state.

Requirements for Abortion in Missouri:

Missouri law requires every woman to obtain informed consent about her procedure at least 72 hours before the procedure.
The use of telemedicine to administer medication abortion is prohibited.
The parent of a minor must consent before an abortion is provided.
The state requires abortion clinics to meet certain standards related to their physical location, equipment, and staffing. Abortion providers are also required to have admitting privileges at a local hospital.

Will Missouri Medicaid Pay for Abortion?

In Missouri, public funding such as Medicaid is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape, or incest. Health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act can only cover abortion in cases of life endangerment.

Are You Considering the Abortion Pill?

The abortion pill method is a form of medical abortion. You are only eligible for a medical abortion if you’ve been pregnant less than 10 weeks and 0 days. After 10 weeks, you are required to have an in-clinic surgical abortion.

The abortion pill isn’t just one pill and you’re done. It’s a combination of two very powerful drugs taken over a 24-48 hour period. The first drug blocks the hormone progesterone. This hormone is needed for the pregnancy to stay attached to the uterine wall and grow. The second drug causes your uterus to have contractions to expel the pregnancy. The abortion pill method in Missouri can cost anywhere from $200 to $700.

There are several different methods for surgical abortions. They range from vacuum aspiration to dilation and evacuation (D&E). All of these use some form of suction, possible scraping of the uterine wall, and even forceps, if necessary, to remove larger tissue.

How We Can Help

Do you feel confident about how many weeks you’ve been pregnant? How long you’ve been pregnant determines which method of abortion you qualify for. At the Pregnancy Help Center of South County, we offer no-cost pregnancy testing and ultrasounds. Ultrasound is the most accurate way to determine the length of your pregnancy.

When you come in for free pregnancy services, a member of our medical team will review your results with you. In addition, we can talk about the various abortion procedures and your other options. We’re here for you. If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy, we invite you to visit us. Schedule a free and confidential appointment today.

Will Missouri Medicaid Pay for Abortion?

Missouri’s Abortion Laws

Requirements for Abortion in Missouri:

Will Missouri Medicaid Pay for Abortion?

Are You Considering the Abortion Pill?

How We Can Help

Contact Us Today