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Abortion

Is Plan B the Same Thing as a Medical Abortion?

Maybe you’ve heard of Plan B, the emergency contraceptive or morning after pill, and the term medical abortion or abortion pill, but you aren’t really sure what they are or how they work. Are they the same thing? Are they different? Where do you get it? When do you take it? How does it work after sex? 

It’s important to know that they are two different options. Let’s look at some of the most common questions and differences regarding Plan B and a medical abortion.

Is Plan B the Same Thing as a Medical Abortion?

What Is Plan B?

Plan B is an emergency progestin-only contraceptive intended to reduce the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex or after contraception failure, such as a condom breaking. This single-dose pill contains higher levels of the same hormones found in daily contraceptive pills and works in much the same way – by preventing ovulation.

When Would You Consider Taking The Morning After Pill?

  • You had sex and the condom broke.
  • You normally use protection, but things got carried away and you didn’t.
  • You were drinking too much and didn’t use protection.
  • You are on the pill, but you missed a couple of doses or haven’t been taking it regularly.
  • You were sexually assaulted.

When Is It Taken?

The Plan B pill is taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex. It must be taken within 72 hours.

Will Plan B Prevent A Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)?

No. Emergency contraception only lowers the risk of becoming pregnant. If you are having unprotected sex, we can offer information and referrals to help you make informed decisions about your sexual health and lower your risk for an STI.

If you think you may have been exposed to an STI, then give us a call at 530.272.6800 immediately. We provide free STI & STD testing and sexual behavior risk assessment and education.

Are There Side Effects?

Some women report side effects similar to those of regular oral birth-control pills: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, headache, dizziness, and breast tenderness.

Does The Morning After Pill Work If You’re Already Pregnant?

No. Plan B works to prevent pregnancy. If you are already pregnant, emergency contraception will not end a pregnancy. If you think you are pregnant, we invite you to come in for a free pregnancy test.

Is Plan B The Same Thing As The Abortion Pill?

No. The abortion pill which is also known as a medical abortion, is given after a pregnancy has begun and a fertilized embryo has attached to the uterus wall. It works by causing the uterus to force out the egg, ending the pregnancy. Emergency contraception is designed to work before pregnancy begins, while a medical abortion terminates an early pregnancy up to 10 weeks gestational age. We invite you to come in for a free ultrasound scan to confirm your pregnancy is 10 weeks or less gestational age. Give us a call today at 530.272.6800 to schedule a free and confidential appointment.

What is a Medical Abortion?

A medical abortion uses a combination of pills to end an early pregnancy, so it is considered to a nonsurgical abortion. This procedure is often started at a medical clinic and then finished at home. Typically a doctor will evaluate your medical history and run some lab work before starting the procedure.

The first pill blocks the hormone progesterone, which causes the embryo to stop growing. The second pill causes your uterus to contract, which creates bleeding and cramping. If the procedure is successful, it will cause the embryo to be dispelled from the uterus.

Potential Side Effects with a Medical Abortion

The pills used for a medical abortion have also been known to create symptoms (besides bleeding and cramping) that may require you to take additional medications because of pain, such as:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fever chills
  • Diarrhea

Sometimes antibiotics are needed if an infection occurs.

There are also physical and emotional side effects that can occur from having a medical abortion. It is important to be aware of the possible symptoms and to make sure you are able to receive medical attention quickly if you experience any.

Some possible physical side effects of the procedure are:

  • Having a fever for more than 24 hours
  • Heavy bleeding for a long time
  • Foul-smelling discharge from your vagina
  • Digestive issues
  • Extreme back and/or abdominal pain.

Some possible emotional side effects are:

There is also a possibility that the abortion is considered to be incomplete, which means you will still have an on-going pregnancy. If this happens, a surgical abortion may have to be done if you still wish to end the pregnancy.

How We Can Help

Our team at LivingWell Medical Clinic is dedicated to helping you. While we don’t recommend the morning after pill or abortion pill to our clients, we do want you to have all the information to make the best decision for you. If you have other questions about Plan B or medical abortion, please call us at 530.272.6800 and you can text us at 530.802.0858. We’d love to talk through all of your options with you and answer any questions you may have.

Neva Monigatti-Lake

Neva Monigatti-Lake

Medical Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Medical Director.

LivingWell, Pregnancy, Services, Ultrasounds

Why Do I Need an Ultrasound?

Why Do I Need An Ultrasound?

Finding out you are pregnant can bring about a range of emotions– especially if it was unexpected and unplanned. It is not uncommon to feel scared, panicked and unsure of what to do if you are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Before you make any decisions about your pregnancy, it is important to confirm that it is viable and how far along you are.

Knowing these two pieces of information will help you know for sure if you are pregnant and help you make the most informed decisions. In this blog, we will discuss how getting an ultrasound is a very important step in confirming if you are pregnant or not.

Is an at Home Pregnancy Test Enough?

Most at home pregnancy tests claim to be 99% accurate when taken properly. Although this is a way a majority of women find out if they are pregnant or not, it is important to still see a doctor to confirm pregnancy.

As the Mayo Clinic states:

“Although rare, it’s possible to get a positive result from a home pregnancy test when you’re not actually pregnant. This is known as a false-positive. A false-positive might happen if you had a pregnancy loss soon after the fertilized egg attached to your uterine lining (biochemical pregnancy) or you take a pregnancy test too soon after taking a fertility drug that contains HCG. An ectopic pregnancy, menopause or problems with your ovaries also might contribute to misleading test results.”

If you want to be sure your results are accurate, it is important to go to a medical clinic or doctor to confirm with a lab quality urine test and an ultrasound to determine if you are pregnant or not.

Is My Pregnancy Viable?

In addition to confirming you are actually pregnant, seeing a medical professional will help you to find out if your pregnancy is viable or not. The definition of viable is: “capable of living or growing.” Although you may have gotten a positive result at home, that doesn’t mean your pregnancy is actually growing properly.

Viability can be determined as early as six weeks gestational age, and is based on where the pregnancy is actually located. This is found out by getting a first trimester ultrasound, and cannot be determined by a urine test alone. There are typically a few factors a medical professional is looking for when confirming a pregnancy through ultrasound:

  • Confirming the pregnancy location.

If a fetus is developing outside of the uterus, it is known as an ectopic pregnancy. This means the fertilized egg has attached itself to a fallopian tube, abdominal cavity, or cervix. An ultrasound is vital in determining the location of the pregnancy, because the fertilized egg can only grow properly in the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy cannot be determined by a urine test or a physical exam– an ultrasound must be done.

It is important to determine pregnancy location because an ectopic pregnancy requires immediate medical attention.

As Healthline states:

“Ectopic pregnancies aren’t safe for the mother. Also, the embryo won’t be able to develop to term. It’s necessary to remove the embryo as soon as possible for the mother’s immediate health and long-term fertility.”

  • Confirming Cardiac Activity

If the baby is developing inside of the uterus, an ultrasound will then allow you to know if the baby has a heartbeat or not. If the baby does not have a heartbeat, then the pregnancy is not viable as the baby is no longer alive.

  • Determining your baby’s gestational age.

An ultrasound will be able to tell you how far along you actually are, based on the baby’s size, and a more accurate estimated due date.

  • Confirming the number of babies present in the uterus.

How We Can Help

If you have only taken a home pregnancy test, your next step should be to get tested by a third party professional and to schedule an ultrasound for verification. At LivingWell Medical Clinic, we provide free pregnancy testing and free limited obstetrical ultrasounds with one of our medical personnel to confirm if your pregnancy is viable or not and how far along you are. After receiving a lab quality pregnancy test at our clinic our limited obstetrical ultrasound will help determine if your pregnancy is viable or not by confirming its location and then baby cardiac activity. We will also be able to help you determine your due date, but we do not determine gender. These are the first two steps you can take in making an informed decision for your health.

To schedule your free and confidential appointment, give us a call today at 530.272.6800 or text us at 530.802.0858 . We are here to help you confirm your pregnancy and answer any questions you may have during this time. We would love to meet you.

 

Neva Monigatti-Lake

Neva Monigatti-Lake

Medical Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Medical Director.

Medical, Pregnancy

Pregnancy and the COVID-19 Vaccine

Pregnancy and the COVID-19 Vaccine

If you or someone you know is currently pregnant, there is a chance you have thought about how the COVID-19 vaccine impacts a pregnant woman. In this blog, you will find information from the CDC and other medical experts to learn more about this new topic. Keep in mind, this is meant to be solely informational. It is best to ask questions and discuss if you should get a vaccine or not with your OBGYN before making any medical decisions.

Current Information for Pregnant Women Considering the COVID-19 Vaccination

Currently, both the CDC and the Independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have released available information to help pregnant women with their decision to either get or deny the COVID-19 vaccine.

Right now, the ACIP suggests that healthcare personnel, other frontline essential workers, and the elderly are a part of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the vaccine, and should be offered the option to receive it first, as they are considered the most vulnerable groups.

EUA is put in place by the CDC when there are limited amounts of a certain vaccine available. “While CDC makes recommendations for who should be offered COVID-19 vaccine first, each state has its own plan for deciding who will be vaccinated first and how they can receive vaccines. Please contact California Department of Public Health for more information on COVID-19 vaccination.”

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations.html

If you are currently pregnant and not in one of the following recommended groups, the CDC suggests that you have the CHOICE of whether or not they want to receive the vaccination and should speak with your healthcare provider to help you make that choice.

“People who are pregnant and part of a group recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine may choose to be vaccinated. If they have questions about getting vaccinated, a discussion with a healthcare provider might help them make an informed decision… A conversation between pregnant patients and their clinicians may help them decide whether to get vaccinated with a vaccine that has been authorized for use under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).”

(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html)

Since the COVID-19 vaccine is so new, there is limited data about the safety of the current COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women. As more clinical trials and studies are done, more information will be readily available. Both the CDC and Food and Drug Administration have set up safety monitoring systems to collect information regarding pregnancy and the vaccination. Currently, both of the vaccine manufacturers are monitoring women in the clinical trials who have become pregnant.

Experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine believe that although there is little information available regarding the current vaccine and pregnancy, it should be made available for pregnant women to receive if they choose to.

“While there are many unanswered questions about the vaccines in this population, Johns Hopkins Medicine agrees with and supports the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM).

  • Pregnant and lactating women who otherwise meet criteria for vaccination should be offered access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • This should be a shared decision among a woman, her care partner(s), and medical provider(s), based on individual risk factors and recognizing a current lack of data about the vaccines’ safety and efficacy during pregnancy and long-term maternal and fetal outcomes.” (John Hopkins Medicine)

From what they have seen so far, the CDC has stated that the side effects that may occur from the COVID-19 vaccine are the same in both non-pregnant and pregnant women. 

“Side effects can occur after receiving either of the two available COVID-19 vaccines, especially after the second dose. These side effects are not expected to be any different for pregnant people than for non-pregnant people. Pregnant people who experience fever following vaccination may be counseled to take acetaminophen because fever has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Acetaminophen may be offered as an option for pregnant women experiencing other post-vaccination symptoms as well.

Some people have experienced allergic reactions after receipt of the vaccine. CDC recommends that all vaccine recipients, including pregnant people, should talk with their healthcare provider if they have a history of severe allergic reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any other vaccine or injectable therapy (e.g., intramuscular, intravenous, or subcutaneous). Key considerations to inform these discussions include the unknown risks of developing a severe allergic reaction and the benefits of vaccination.” — CDC, Vaccine Side Effects 

Another important factor about the current vaccine is that it does not contain a live virus. Experts from Johns Hopkins state:

“The first vaccines to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) are mRNA vaccines. The mRNA vaccines are not live virus vaccines, nor do they use an adjuvant (something that improves the immune response of a vaccine) to enhance vaccine efficacy. These vaccines do not enter the nucleus and do not alter human DNA in vaccine recipients. As a result, mRNA vaccines cannot cause any genetic changes.” (The COVID-19 Virus and Pregnancy)

Since the two available vaccines do not contain the live virus that causes COVID-19, it cannot give someone COVID-19 after they receive it, which is good to know in your decision-making process. The CDC has also shared that so far, experts believe the mRNA vaccines will not be dangerous to women who are pregnant, based only upon their general knowledge of how these particular vaccines work.

“Based on how mRNA vaccines work, experts believe they are unlikely to pose a specific risk for people who are pregnant. However, the actual risks of mRNA vaccines to the pregnant person and her fetus are unknown because these vaccines have not been studied in pregnant women.”

(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html)

Speak With Your OB-GYN

Experts all agree that the best thing you can do is sit down and talk with your OB-GYN to ask questions about the safety of and your concerns regarding pregnancy and the COVID-19 vaccination. As doctors from Johns Hopkins state:

“The Food and Drug Administration’s EUA for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine states: “If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss your options with your healthcare provider.” (The COVID-19 Virus and Pregnancy)

It’s their job to help you, so don’t feel bad asking them about all of your questions and concerns. They want to help you make the best choice for you and your baby regarding the vaccination; don’t hesitate to reach out for help!

Below are some examples of questions you can discuss with your OBGYN. (It is important to ask any other questions you may have regarding vaccination):

  • What current information is known about the vaccine and pregnancy?
  • What side effects are possible, both to me and my unborn baby?
  • How well will it protect me and my unborn baby?
  • How likely am I to be exposed to COVID-19?

How We Can Help

It’s important to make the most informed choices during your pregnancy for you and your baby. That’s why our team at LivingWell Medical Clinic is dedicated to helping you during this process. Whether you need help finding a good OB-GYN or just need someone to talk to about your pregnancy, we can help. If you have any questions or need support, call us at 530.272.6800. We would love to meet you!

Neva Monigatti-Lake

Neva Monigatti-Lake

Medical Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Medical Director.