How Far Along Can I Be to Take the Abortion Pill?

If you’ve been researching the abortion pill, you’ve probably seen the FDA-approved timeframe of 10 weeks of gestation. However, knowing the limit only helps if you know how far along you are.

Maybe you remember the exact date of your last period. Maybe your cycles are irregular, or you’re realizing the date you had in mind was only an estimate.

A pregnancy test can indicate a potential pregnancy, but it cannot tell you how many weeks pregnant you are. That’s where an ultrasound is helpful.

Care Net Pregnancy Center of Paradise offers free pregnancy testing and limited obstetrical ultrasound scans, performed by a nurse, so you can be sure about your next steps. Contact us today to schedule a free, confidential appointment.

About the Abortion Pill Timeline

The abortion pill procedure consists of two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, a hormone needed for the pregnancy to continue. Misoprostol is taken afterward and causes the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy.

The drugs are not FDA-approved for use beyond 10 weeks, as taking them beyond that timeframe can pose additional risks.

How Pregnancy Weeks Are Counted

The way pregnancy is dated can be confusing.

Gestational age starts with the first day of your last menstrual period, even though conception generally occurs about two weeks later.

So if you are considered eight weeks pregnant, conception usually occurred closer to six weeks ago.

That system works reasonably well for people with regular cycles, but it becomes less straightforward if your periods are unpredictable, you skipped a cycle, or you aren’t sure whether recent bleeding was actually a period.

When an Ultrasound Can Help

Ultrasound measurements can provide another way to estimate gestational age when menstrual dates are uncertain.

At Care Net Pregnancy Center of Paradise, qualifying clients can receive a limited obstetrical ultrasound scan performed by a nurse.

The scan can also help determine whether the pregnancy is located inside the uterus. An ectopic pregnancy develops outside the uterus and requires immediate medical treatment to prevent complications like severe bleeding.

Depending on how early the scan is performed, it may also provide information about whether the pregnancy appears to be developing.

Visit Care Net Pregnancy Center of Paradise

If you’re researching the abortion pill, the important question isn’t only, “When is the abortion pill available?” It’s also, “How far along am I?”

We’ll help you get that answer and provide a space to ask any questions you have.

Contact Care Net Pregnancy Center of Paradise to schedule your free appointment and get more information about your pregnancy.

*Care Net Pregnancy Center of Paradise does not refer for or perform abortions.

**All abortion information in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.