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You took the test. The result is positive. Now you’re facing questions, feelings, and decisions you weren’t expecting. If the pregnancy wasn’t planned, the urgent pressure to do something quickly can be overwhelming – but rushing isn’t your only option. Create the space you need to breathe and think after getting a positive pregnancy test – by first finding out how long you can wait to get an abortion.
Why wait? Well, because it’s a big decision. And a decision to wait to get an abortion – even for a few days, to process your pregnancy and get the medical services you need – is a decision that can protect you now and in the long run.
You can read Virginia abortion laws on legal timelines here.
If you’re considering the abortion pill, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), approves the abortion pill to be used “through ten weeks gestation (70 days or less since the first day of a patient’s last menstrual period).”
Also, the abortion pill is specifically for intrauterine pregnancies, meaning, pregnancies that are correctly located within the uterus. But all pregnancies aren’t intrauterine, some are ectopic. Ectopic pregnancies occur outside the uterus, most often in the fallopian tubes, and can be a life-threatening emergency for the pregnant woman.
That’s why it’s important to wait to get an abortion for these two critical reasons:
You’re waiting for an appointment that would provide you with an ultrasound. Not at an abortion clinic, but at a pregnancy clinic, like ours, Alcove Health Women’s Clinic. Why here? Because all our services are free and we can usually get you into our clinic pretty quickly.
An ultrasound will provide you with a reliable gestational age of the pregnancy by measuring the fetus. With the FDA’s 70-day limit for the abortion pill, these details matter – enough to wait to get an abortion until after you have an ultrasound.
We’ve seen dating surprises with our patients: some have come in expecting to be far along in their first trimester, only to find they are early. Others have expected to be early, only to have the ultrasound reveal they are well beyond the FDA’s 70 day limit. We know waiting is hard, but it is important because it leads to the services and information you need most right now.
An ultrasound will also reveal if the pregnancy is intrauterine. When our nurses perform an ultrasound, they get a view inside your uterus. If the ultrasound doesn’t confirm the pregnancy is inside the uterus, they will recommend emergency medical services from the Emergency Department (ED), not an abortion provider.
The abortion pill is not to be taken with an ectopic pregnancy. The abortion pill doesn’t work on a pregnancy that is outside the uterus, and it won’t treat an ectopic pregnancy, either. The ectopic tissue needs to be removed – by either medication or surgery. If you suspect you have an ectopic pregnancy, go to the ED immediately.
An undetected ectopic pregnancy is dangerous and can lead to life-threatening complications. That’s why confirming the pregnancy is intrauterine first isn’t just a good idea – it’s a way to protect your safety and health. Before any abortion procedure, an ultrasound is necessary to confirm that the pregnancy is intrauterine.
Even for the surgical type, you want to wait to get an abortion until after you’ve received an ultrasound. Like with the abortion pill, it’s important to make sure the pregnancy is intrauterine first. Surgical abortions remove fetal tissue from inside your uterus, but an ectopic pregnancy isn’t located inside your uterus, so a different treatment is needed.
An ultrasound will also reveal if the pregnancy is viable – by determining if there is a heartbeat.
This information is important to your health history – and to the way you think and feel about a procedure afterwards. If the ultrasound reveals that there is no heartbeat, our nurses will advise you on next steps to keep your body healthy through a miscarriage, not an abortion.
Finally, most of us agree we don’t make our best decisions – the ones we are pleased with in the long run – when we rush to quick solutions. The crazy thing about urgency is that it doesn’t consider your feelings – it becomes your main feeling!
A pregnancy is a big deal and your decision about how to move forward will become part of your story. The best way to ensure the decision is one that is good for you, is to also make sure you’ve processed your pregnancy and taken the time to work through all your options.
If urgency is driving you to “act now and think about it later,” I’m asking you to wait for yourself, rather than be ruled by urgency. We’re not talking about having to wait to get an abortion for weeks – just a few days while you wait for your appointment here at Alcove Health.
Our clinic is several things. First, it’s quick. We do our best to get women in as soon as possible – even offering same-day appointments when available. Second, our team is compassionate. We understand stress and urgency, and our goal is to provide peace-giving services while you consider your options. Finally, our clinic is free & confidential. That’s for every service and every woman.
You don’t have to make this decision under pressure. While you wait to get an abortion, use your time to get the services you need from a medical team you can trust. Alcove Health is here for you – to provide free, confidential, and compassionate care.
You’re not alone. Call or visit our appointment page today to schedule your appointment with us here at Alcove Health Women’s Clinic.
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