Pregnancy Help for Teens in East Liverpool, Ohio

I think I’m Pregnant. Now What?

Unexpected pregnancy comes with a rush of thoughts and feelings. You’re not alone.

Though you’re the only one who can decide what to do, there are people who can give you info and support as you consider your pregnancy decision.

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy, Ava can help you by providing a free pregnancy test, free pregnancy confirmation ultrasound, and answers to your questions about abortion, parenting, and adoption. All our services are free and confidential. Call Ava at 844-371-4282 today.

How Do I Know if I’m Pregnant?

If you’ve had sexual intercourse since your last period and are experiencing symptoms of pregnancy, you could be pregnant.

Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of pregnancy:

1. Late or Missed Period

2. Nausea and/or Vomiting

3. Frequent Urination

4. Spotting or Cramping

5. Unexplained Fatigue

6. Feeling lightheaded or dizzy

7. Food Cravings or Aversions

8. Increased Sense of Smell

9. Darkening of Nipples

10. Sore, Swollen, or Itchy Breasts

If you think you could be pregnant, the first thing you should do is take a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests detect the presence of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone which is only produced by your body when you are pregnant.

Sometimes it can be hard to get a pregnancy test yourself, or the results are hard to determine. We offer free, confidential pregnancy testing at our clinic in East Liverpool, Ohio. Our tests can detect pregnancy as early as seven days after conception or 21-24 days after your last menstrual period. Call 844-371-4282 to schedule a free and confidential appointment. You won’t be required to give any personal information like your social security number, insurance provider, or proof of financial status.

What Do I Do if I’m Pregnant?

If you are pregnant, you have three options to consider.

1. Parenting - giving birth and raising the child

We offer free parenting education, baby items and referrals to state programs like WIC and health care to help you prepare for parenthood. We can also refer you to mentoring and other assistance programs, when available. We can also provide you with the pregnancy confirmation form that you will need to enroll in state programs.

2. Abortion - ending the pregnancy

Our medical staff will perform a free ultrasound to confirm a viable pregnancy and estimate how far along you are. Finding out how far along your pregnancy is will determine the type of of abortion you can have.

3. Adoption - giving birth and placing your child with someone else to raise

If you are not ready to parent, adoption is a loving option. This gives your child a chance at life with a family who has been praying for them. In most cases you can get financial assistance for medical and living expenses, along with many other benefits.

If you are a minor, we are here to discuss your options and educate you on what you can do with and without parental consent. We are also here to give you support on how to tell your parents and even your partner.

It’s important to know that Ava never financially benefits from your pregnancy decision. We are here to give you judgement-free support, resources and encouragement as you weigh your options. Call 844-371-4282 to schedule a free and confidential appointment.

How to Cope With an Unexpected Pregnancy

Every pregnancy comes with a rush of emotions - surprise, nervousness, excitement. But when you weren’t expecting to get pregnant, you might also add “fear” or “helplessness” to that list. If you find out you’re pregnant unexpectedly, you need to know what to do next and how to find help. Keep reading for our tips.

If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and you live near East Liverpool, Ohio, call Ava Women’s Center at 844-371-4282 to learn more about your options.

Don’t Panic

The most important thing to remember when you find out you’re pregnant is also the simplest - don’t panic. It’s easy to start imagining terrible outcomes, but just take some deep breaths and do your best to stay calm. Remember that women and couples deal with pregnancy and parenting every day. You’re certainly not alone, and there will always be ways to get help.

Make Sure You’re Really Pregnant

You would be surprised to find out how many women start worrying about being pregnant before they’ve even taken a test. While a late or missed period is a common sign of being pregnant, it’s not foolproof. You need to take an accurate pregnancy test to ensure you’re really pregnant. At Ava Women’s Center, we offer free and confidential pregnancy tests to any woman who needs one. Schedule an appointment today for yours.

See if the Pregnancy is Healthy

Once you know you’re really pregnant, you also need to make sure the pregnancy is healthy and viable. An ultrasound examination can tell you whether your pregnancy is healthy and if it is growing safely in your uterus. It can also tell you the estimated gestational age of your baby and the estimated due date. This information helps you plan ahead and tells you what options are available to you.

Learn About & Consider Options

Not sure whether you’re ready to be a parent? You have a few different pregnancy options you should consider. Each one has its own upsides and downsides, but you will only be able to choose one for your pregnancy.

• Parenting - Parenting is the most obvious choice, but if you aren’t in a stable life situation, it can be difficult.

• Adoption Placement - Many agencies work with birth mothers to provide care and living expenses during your pregnancy. You can also control how much contact you get with your baby after the adoption is complete.

• Abortion - Many women rush to consider abortion. However, you should be aware of the mental and physical side effects that abortion methods involve.

Consider What’s Holding You Back

Many women are scared when they find out they’re pregnant because they don’t think they’re ready to parent or to support a child. It can help to consider what you think is keeping you from being a good parent. That way you can put effort into changing those things. For instance,

• If you’re worried about supporting a child financially, try planning out a monthly budget and seeing where you can save on your current expenses.

• If you feel like you can’t become a parent because of your school or work schedule, try looking into free or reduced-cost parenting help near you. There are a number of organizations and resources that can help you manage your schedule.

• Think you’re not ready to become a parent just because it’s scary or you don’t have any experience? Remember that everyone feels that way at one time or another. You can always get support and learn about parenting skills from classes, groups, and online.

Get Support and Help

It’s natural to look for support and guidance when it comes to pregnancy. At Ava Women’s Center, you can get assistance with every part of your pregnancy, including free pregnancy testing, free limited obstetric ultrasounds, and other options for advice and help. Call 844-371-4282 now to learn more or schedule your appointment.

Is It Possible to Get a False Positive on a Pregnancy Test?

When you get a positive pregnancy test result when you’re not expecting one, it can come as a huge shock. In this situation it’s natural to wish that the results aren’t real. Many women who come to our center ask us if it’s possible they got a “false positive” on their home pregnancy test or the free test from our clinic. But this often isn’t the case.

How Pregnancy Tests Work

Before talking about how a false positive can happen, it’s important to understand how a pregnancy test actually works.

When you become pregnant, your body starts going through a huge number of rapid changes to prepare for the pregnancy. Most of these changes are triggered by hormones that affect different parts of your body. Hormonal changes are also the reason many women experience side effects during early pregnancy such as nausea, lightheadedness, cramping, and body aches.

A pregnancy test works by detecting these hormone levels in your urine - specifically, the hormone hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is only produced by your body when you are pregnant, from cells produced in the placenta. When a pregnancy test detects its presence in your urine, it almost always means you are pregnant.

However, it takes time for hCG levels to build up in your body. hCG levels roughly double in your bloodstream every three days, but they are too low to detect until about 12 days after conception. If you take a pregnancy test before this, you could still get a negative result, even if you are actually pregnant. These “false negatives” are very common in early pregnancy.

The Trouble with False Positives

While false negatives are very common, a false positive - where a pregnancy test tells you you’re pregnant when you aren’t - is extremely rare. That’s because there are very few circumstances when your body would produce hCG without being pregnant.

Chemical Pregnancy

The most common cause of false positives is when you experience a “chemical pregnancy.” This term is slightly misleading, as a chemical pregnancy is actually a pregnancy, but it ends in very early miscarriage. Most chemical pregnancies spontaneously miscarry by about the fifth week. This is late enough that pregnancy tests can detect hCG in your body but too early for an ultrasound or other procedure.

Ectopic Pregnancy

You can also get a positive pregnancy test result from an ectopic pregnancy, which is a pregnancy that implants outside the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies are relatively rare, but they are also extremely dangerous for the mother. If an ectopic pregnancy isn’t caught early, it could cause your fallopian tubes to rupture, causing massive internal injuries. A doctor or clinic can diagnose an ectopic pregnancy through an ultrasound examination.

Medical Conditions & Medications

There are also some medical conditions that can cause false pregnancy positives. These conditions can vary, but some of the more common ones include urinary tract infections, ovarian cysts, and kidney diseases. Additionally, you can get a false pregnancy positive after taking certain medications, including anxiety medications like Xanax or Valium, medications containing promethazine, and certain antipsychotic and anticonvulsant medications.

Mistakes When Taking the Test

Finally, the most common cause of a false positive is simply not following instructions when taking a pregnancy test. You should always check to make sure the pregnancy test you are using isn’t expired, and you should carefully time how long the test is in your urine stream to get an accurate result.

How to Get an Accurate Pregnancy Test

The best way to make sure you get an accurate pregnancy diagnosis is to visit a doctor, clinic, or pregnancy center. These places all have trained and helpful staff who can ensure you take the test correctly and get an accurate result. If you do get a positive test, you can also follow up with an ultrasound to ensure your pregnancy is healthy and viable.

At Ava Women’s Center, we offer free pregnancy testing and free ultrasound examinations to make your pregnancy results simple, safe, and convenient. Call us today at 844-371-4282 to schedule an appointment at our center or to ask questions.

How Much Does an Abortion Cost?

If you’re considering an abortion and wondering how much it costs, you've come to the right place. We want you to have all the information you need to make a healthy decision for yourself. Read on to learn about costs associated with different abortion procedures, then call us to schedule your free abortion consultation and get answers to your questions and more.

How Much Does an Abortion Cost?

The cost of an abortion is based on many factors, including:

• What kind of procedure you undergo
• How far along you are in pregnancy
• What insurance you have
• Where you get the procedure done
• Whether there are any complications or problems

The numbers and data below are based on typical cases, but your costs could be very different based on the above factors.

Costs for Different Types of Abortion

Abortion Pill

Medicated abortions, also known as abortion via medication, generally cost between $300 and $800 dollars. Most women pay around $500 out of pocket for the abortion pill and related services.

Aspiration Abortion

Aspiration abortion is the simplest type of surgical abortion procedure. It can only be performed on pregnancies in the first trimester. The average cost for an aspiration abortion is between $300 and $950.

Surgical Abortion (Dilation & Evacuation)

Depending on how far along your pregnancy is, the costs of a surgical abortion can vary widely. During the first trimester, surgical abortions cost about $1,500 on average. In the second trimester, the procedure can cost $3,000 or more.

Your exact costs will be based on how far along you are, where in the United States you get the procedure done, and what insurance you have. You may also pay more at certain clinics or in a hospital than at other providers.

Does Insurance Cover Abortion Costs?

Some insurance companies, but not all, will cover some costs related to an elective abortion. The chances of getting insurance coverage are better if you use a physician in your insurance network.

However, in 21 states, there are restrictions on private insurance companies covering abortion procedures. In addition, if you have a plan through the Health Insurance Exchange, you cannot get insurance coverage for an elective abortion procedure except in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening conditions in 23 states, including Ohio.

Does Medicaid Cover Abortion Costs?

If you have insurance through Medicaid, you can only get insurance coverage for abortion procedures in cases of incest, rape, or life endangerment. In addition, you may have difficulty finding an abortion provider near you that works with Medicaid. Doctors and clinics are not obligated to accept Medicaid for insurance, meaning you may have to travel or visit a new doctor.

Get Help and Information Today

If you need more help with your pregnancy decisions or have questions about what your next steps should be, contact us today at Ava Women’s Center. Our compassionate volunteers can help you understand your options and find out what choices are available to you. Call 844-371-4282 today to schedule a free, confidential appointment and learn more.

Early Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms

If you think you might be pregnant, one of the most natural things to do is to start looking for signs of pregnancy. Unfortunately, every person has different pregnancy symptoms. How do you know if your body is trying to tell you you’re pregnant?

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the most common early pregnancy signs and symptoms. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to call us today and schedule your free pregnancy test at our center. You can also schedule a free ultrasound, which is the most accurate way to determine gestational age and see what options are available to you.

Pregnancy Symptom 1: Bloating

In the early weeks of a pregnancy, many women feel bloated due to increased levels of the hormone progesterone. This hormone causes increased fluid retention and can lead to a feeling of bloating or “fullness.”

Pregnancy Symptom 2: Sore or Tender Breasts

For many women, their breasts start feeling tender, sensitive, or sore as early as a few days after conception. The sensations are often most noticeable down the sides of the breasts. Soreness is a result of the increased production of the estrogen and progesterone hormones. Breasts are often especially achy during a woman’s first pregnancy.

Pregnancy Symptom 3: Nausea and Vomiting

Many women experience nausea during early pregnancy, and “morning sickness” is still one of the most common indicators of being pregnant. The biological reason for nausea during early pregnancy is not completely clear, but it is likely to be linked to increased hormone production.

Pregnancy Symptom 4: Fatigue, Tiredness, or Soreness

Most women experience increased tiredness and fatigue during early pregnancy as the body increases hormone production and starts directing resources to the growing baby. Fatigue and tiredness can also lead to moodiness and stress along with the physical effects.

Pregnancy Symptom 5: Cramping

Cramps are one of the most common early pregnancy symptoms, but they can be hard to detect because they are very similar to normal menstrual cramps. Cramping typically occurs when the uterus expands, causing supporting ligaments and muscles to stretch. Some women may even have light spotting - known as “implantation bleeding” - that fools them into thinking they’re having a menstrual period.

Pregnancy Symptom 6: Frequent Urination

Hormonal changes during early pregnancy have the effect of increasing urine production. Additionally, as your uterus expands to accommodate your baby, it presses on your bladder. This all leads to the need to “go” more frequently.

Pregnancy Symptom 7: Positive Pregnancy Test

The most reliable method of determining if you are pregnant is to take a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests detect the presence of HCG hormone in your body. This hormone is only produced when you are pregnant, so if you get a positive test it is almost sure to be accurate.

However, it’s important to make sure you take the test correctly to prevent false negatives. At Ava Women’s Center, we can provide you with a free pregnancy test at our clinic and help make sure your results are accurate. Simply call 844-371-4282 today to schedule your free appointment.