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Registration When you arrive to the Women’s Centers, you will first be greeted by a warm, friendly receptionist who will give you a medical history form to complete and sign. LAB During the laboratory testing phase of your visit you will be asked to provide a urine sample and a small amount of blood will be taken from your finger to determine whether or not your pregnancy test is positive, if you have a low red blood cell count (anemia) and your Rh factor. Your pre-operative vital signs (blood pressure and temperature) will also be taken. Sonogram A sonogram (ultrasound) will be performed to determine the length of your pregnancy. Counseling Abortion can be one of the most difficult decisions a woman may ever have to make. In the US alone there are approximately 1.3 million unwanted pregnancies that result in abortion. It is one of the most commonly performed medical procedures. The decision to have an abortion is very complex. The reasons women want to terminate their pregnancies vary. The most common are 1) they cannot afford to have a child; 2) they need to take care of the children and family they already have; and 3) having a child would interfere significantly with their current life path and could potentially lead to a hindrance of planning for future goals such as completing their education. There are many other reasons which can include difficulty with significant other, recent death of the partner, severe medical problems, and possibly rape or incest. These are only a few. No woman wants to have an abortion. She alone has her reasons. During your counseling session the alternatives to abortion will be discussed, along with describing the procedures that are available. If you ultimately decide to terminate your pregnancy you will then be able to choose the method of abortion that is best for you. Exam Room You will be escorted to an exam room when it is time for you to see the physician. If you are having a surgical procedure, the abortion is done by using suction to remove the contents of your uterus. If you are very early in your pregnancy (less than 6 weeks) and have chosen not to receive IV Sedation, you will be given a medication that helps to soften and open the cervix to make the surgery very comfortable. The surgical procedure for early abortion lasts only 3 to 4 minutes. Those patients who choose to have regular IV Sedation will experience minimal discomfort or with Deep IV Sedation, will experience a pain free procedure. The advantage of not having IV Sedation with the early surgical abortion is that you may resume normal activities the same day. Recovery Patients who elect to undergo the early surgical procedure without IV Sedation are able to go home within 10 to 15 minutes after the procedure is performed. It is normal to experience mild cramping for 3 to 5 minutes after the procedure is completed. During this time vital signs will be taken and bleeding monitored. If further along in pregnancy (greater than 7 weeks) or you had IV Sedation, you will stay in recovery for about 30 minutes. Patients in the second trimester of pregnancy remain in recovery for 45 minutes to an hour. Once we have determined that you are ready to go home, you will be given your post-op packet with instructions on how to care for yourself at home. You will be given a 24 hour number to contact if you have any concerns or questions after leaving the office. Our medical staff and physicians are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 3 weeks, you will return for a follow-up appointment for which there is no charge. A patient may request an exclusive or private appointment with Dr. Pendergraft by contacting him by E-mail preferable: Drpendergraft@gmail.com or call him directly at 321-445-2545 or call office location nearest you by clicking locations. Same day appointments can be arranged. Have a Question? Dr. Pendergraft is available to answer your sexual health related question by
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