Why Early Medical Services Are Critical For Pregnant Women

WHY EARLY MEDICAL SERVICES ARE CRITICAL FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

When a woman is facing an unplanned pregnancy and needs to talk through her options, she typically has three choices: the abortion pill online, an abortion clinic, or Care Net Peninsula’s free medical clinic —Alcove Health.

At Alcove Health we provide women with medical support and also spiritual, emotional, and holistic care —something that can be lacking in medical facilities due to time constraints.

As the Medical Director for Alcove Health, I oversee the medical aspects of the clinic and review each ultrasound. I’m not personally in the room with each patient, but I serve alongside Alcove’s team of licensed Registered Nurses who have received specialized sonography and abortion education training.

On top of their medical skills and knowledge, this team of Nurses is passionate about their work and genuinely wants to help each woman they meet, even when that means going above and beyond to care for their clients.

Our Registered Nurses:

Kinta, RN, BSN

Nurse Manager

Meg, RN, BSN

Nurse

Denise, RN, BSN

Nurse

Patty, RN

Nurse

Karla, RN, BSN

Nurse

We provide medically accurate information detailing the fetal development of their baby. We also clarify the different types of abortion and what occurs in each procedure. We never encourage abortion, but we do explain the reality and risks of these procedures so women can make an informed decision. Our prayer is for each client to choose life for her baby.

The most critical component of our medical consultation is the ultrasound. The world around us tells women that an ultrasound isn’t essential —that it is easier not knowing details, and that it’s too invasive. But the truth is, ultrasounds can not only be life-saving for the baby, but life-changing for the moms by providing necessary medical information they need before taking their next step. Simply put, an ultrasound provides answers.

With each ultrasound, our nurses look for the following three things that are vital to a woman’s decision:

1. Location of the Pregnancy

This year alone, I have reviewed the scans of three women experiencing an ectopic pregnancy outside the uterus. If left undetected, they can rupture, leading to internal bleeding and even death. Because of early medical intervention, these clients received the treatment they needed in time.

2. Fetal Heart Rate

It is essential to know if the pregnancy is viable, regardless of whether a client is planning on carrying the baby to term or planning to have an abortion.

3. Gestational Age

Pregnant women can get a rough idea of how far along they are by calculating the time from the first day of their menstrual period (LMP). However, our nurses obtain measurements from the ultrasounds for a more accurate determination.

For women considering abortion, this determines what options for termination are available and how our nurses consult with her. It also reveals the humanity of the baby developing in her womb.

Too often, our nurses hear clients say things like, “Why didn’t anyone tell me it would look like a baby?”, “There is already a heartbeat?”, or “It’s moving!”. The ultrasound is a window into the womb for our clients, revealing life forming right in front of their eyes and debunking the narrative that the baby is not yet a person.

I stand firmly behind Care Net Peninsula and the work we do to provide help and hope to women facing unplanned pregnancies. I know across the organization, this is a team of passionate Christ followers ready to support life, and I especially know that my team of nurses is prepared to meet every obstacle thrown their way to be able to minister and help the woman sitting in their ultrasound room.

When you support Care Net Peninsula, you are supporting the only local pregnancy center providing life-affirming medical services.