Jane* came to Hope Pregnancy Center for a pregnancy test. She said she already had one young child and was not financially able to have another child at this time so she had decided if she had a positive test she would have an abortion.

Jane's test was positive. The volunteer provided information about abortion, the procedure, and the physical, emotional and spiritual risks. She also provided information regarding adoption and parenting. The volunteer told Jane that one of our nurses could provide a limited ultrasound and encouraged her to bring the father of the baby with her to that appointment. Jane scheduled an appointment for the following week.

When Jane arrived for the ultrasound, she said that the father of the baby had brought her to the appointment but he wouldn't come in. He still wanted her to have an abortion. She said that she thought she wanted to parent but she just wasn't sure what to do.

Jane watched as the nurse performed the ultrasound. She saw her eight week old baby on the screen and clearly saw the baby's heart beating. She said, "I know he wants me to have an abortion, but I'm not going to. I can't. Look at how fast its heart is beating at eight weeks."

Jane was given information on fetal development and was shown models of babies from nine to twelve weeks depicting their actual size to help her understand what development would occur with her own child over the next four weeks. She was also given referral information to help her obtain insurance coverage and begin receiving prenatal care as soon as possible. When she left she said she plans to begin attending Earn While You Learn classes.

When Jane came for her ultrasound appointment she was already feeling like abortion might not be the answer for her. After seeing her baby and it's beating heart she was sure abortion wasn't the answer. We know that God is the one who changes the hearts of our clients and we feel very grateful that sometimes He chooses to do it through the use of an ultrasound machine.

*Not client's real name

Hope Pregnancy Centers
Oklahoma City, OK
Candy Hines, State Director and South Center Director

All Pregnancy Medical Clinics in the Option Ultrasound Program provide limited obstetrical ultrasound as medically indicated. Clinics are licensed to operate under the supervision of a physician, using only trained sonographers. Focus on the Family does not endorse the use of ultrasound outside of a medical clinic setting and does not endorse the use of ultrasound for non-medical reasons. Patient referrals are made to physicians for follow-up diagnosis and care as needed.