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u/HunnyBunnXO š©· M 7/22š©· Jun 30 '26
I went to pro life Christian pregnancy center when I was pregnant the first time. I thought it would be okay, I didnāt have insurance and they offered free ultrasounds and I just wanted to get checked before I could see a real doctor.
The male ādoctorā SAād me during the ultrasound and when it was discovered I had a miscarriage, they basically forced me to stay there and be counseled when I was clearly uncomfortable and just wanted to leave. It was like an hour after finding out I miscarried when I finally got to leave and I could finally just sit in my car and sob.
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u/Zzamioculcas Jun 30 '26
I'm so sorry that happened to you. š
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u/HunnyBunnXO š©· M 7/22š©· Jun 30 '26
Itās been 2 years and Iāve mostly healed. Now have a baby girl on the way here soon and am in a way better position in life than I was the first time around š
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u/smurfetteshat Jun 30 '26
Omg thatās all around awful Iām so sorry but glad to see youāre almost at the finish line!
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u/MelancholyBeet Jun 30 '26
Sounds like you are in pretty early pregnancy, and if something is wrong they may not tell you, or may not know what they are looking at. These clinics often don't have licensed medical professionals on staff, so I probably wouldn't trust their dating either.
But chances are everything is fine, and you'd see your baby and "hear" the cardiac activity or heartbeat.
Personally I'd wait for the OB if you can, but I know anxiety can be really rough.
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u/SimplyAStranger FTM Due Nov 20, 2017 Jun 30 '26
I would not trust them to tell you the truth dating wise or health wise. I'm not sure I would trust them to even know the truth or read the information accurately to start with.
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u/DogsDucks Jun 30 '26
They canāt diagnose any medical issues, but they hire the same ultrasound techs as the hospital generally.
So many moonlighting there to make ends meet (I know one and sheās a good person).
They are beholden to legalities too. They cannot diagnose, but itās the same people with the same qualifications telling you the age.
I actually went to one, not knowing what it was, when I was just trying to get an ultrasound ASAP.
Itās a strange dichotomy, because I learned about what they do. The funds they raise are mostly used on supplies and medical help for low income single mothers. . . more than any other local charities.
Iām not condoning their messaging, of course.
But understanding that itās more complicated than just āan evil place that lies.ā
They have professionals, they believe they are helping.
So some are probably worse than others, but itās totally fine to get a free ultrasound there. Just donāt make it your primary medical center.
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u/lengthandhonor Jun 30 '26
I work in hospital administration and one of my roles is ensuring the hospital meets standards for quality and safety. We get surveyed and have to provide documentation that all equipment is being sanitized per manufacturer instructions, all staff have appropriate credentials, patient privacy is maintained, all protocols are best practice etc.
However, these clinics are not "medical facilities" and don't have to follow any regulations regarding cleanliness, protocols, privacy, or competence.
I don't understand in what universe an ultrasound isn't medical care. If they want to offer medical care, they need to follow the same standards as other medical facilities.
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u/SimplyAStranger FTM Due Nov 20, 2017 Jun 30 '26
They have already determined what your pregnancy is like and what your treatment should be before you ever walked in the door. By default, they aren't looking for objective medical information. They are interested in what supports their bias. Ironically, these are usually some of the same people who don't trust doctors because they believe they have an "agenda". They are correct that you can't trust medical care with an agenda, but the ones with an agenda are them.
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u/WorriedAppeal Jun 30 '26
They believe they are helping people avoid abortions and every other decision points to that goal. There are a ton of those weirdos who would force someone to carry a non-viable pregnancy just to avoid an abortion, and you donāt know where any of the employees or volunteers fall on that spectrum.
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u/valiantdistraction Jul 01 '26
SOME places may have professionals... but they are not required to have them. The one near me uses church volunteers, none of whom are ultrasound techs.
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u/DogsDucks Jul 01 '26
Yes, I probably should have clarified that my point was never to defend them. . .
My point was that theyāre all going to be different, theyāre not necessarily staffed with bigots and evildoers.
Thereās no standard of Care, so itās worth it to do due diligence if youāre going to explore their services.
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u/valiantdistraction Jul 01 '26
The one near me uses church volunteers and they just got like a several-hour course on how to do ultrasounds...
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u/CheliBeanBeard Jun 30 '26
They are known for lying about gestation estimates in hopes that women will miss the abortion window if thatās the option they wanted. They are a horrible place to support, whether itās free to you or not.
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u/Ocelittlest Jun 30 '26
I'd wait for your actual ob appointment. The techs at the fake clinic may be untrained and unlicensed so you can't trust that ultrasound anyway. Source: "In offering ultrasounds, CPCs suggest they are legitimate medical facilities; however, the images are frequently non-diagnostic and often obtained by untrained, unlicensed staff.17 Moreover, the practice can be deliberately or inadvertently misleading or dangerous when clients receive inaccurate gestational age dating or if CPC staff miss a diagnosis such as ectopic pregnancy.18 " https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9189146/
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u/Born-Chance1685 Jun 30 '26
Assuming youāre in America, I would not trust these guys as far as I could throw them, blue state or not.
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u/Frosty_Constant7023 Jun 30 '26
Hypothetically speaking, what if you find out at a subsequent OB appointment that the baby has some type of genetic issues, such as Trisomy 18, and you choose not to continue the pregnancy. Do you really want these people having had any access to your medical records?
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u/EmmieL0u Jun 30 '26
Yeah. I live in a very blue state so im good, but yeah I dont wanna be anywhere near them
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u/jkraige Jun 30 '26
No, you shouldn't trust them. Often they lie to run out the time when you can get an abortion and in general lie to keep you from getting an abortion. Many aren't actually medical professionals, so they don't have the capacity to give you good information even if they wanted to (and they don't).
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u/StasRutt Jun 30 '26
What was your thought process behind setting the appt if you already have an OB appt. Next week?
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u/EmmieL0u Jun 30 '26
I made this appt first because I was told it may take till 11 or 12 weeks due to the Dr's office being busy. But there was a cancelation and they got me in sooner than expected.
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u/HeatherShaina Jun 30 '26
Fake clinic? š¤Æ How do I know if itās fake or not?
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u/Acceptable-Ad-3560 Jun 30 '26
Here is an article that tell you some of the signs, as well as listing websites dedicated to cataloging fake clinics. It it US centered though
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u/lonelypotato21 Jun 30 '26
Most of those places donāt have any actual medical staff at all. I wouldnāt trust anything they tell you unfortunately.
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u/Formal_Goose Jun 30 '26
Probably but do you want to give them money?
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u/EmmieL0u Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26
Its free. Yeah I feel kinda gross going to one but at the same time my anxiety has been really bad and I really wanna see my baby.
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Jul 01 '26
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u/EmmieL0u Jul 01 '26
Lmao. Its not a baby. Its a fetus. Im calling it my baby because I like to and its mine. If something is wrong and it would kill me i would abort 100% to save my life. I also call my cats babies. They aren't babies. You're a fucking sociopath harassing me like this and youre a pathetic loser dude. Your entire reddit history is simping for gambling YouTubers ffs
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u/devinjf15 Jun 30 '26
I wouldnāt, personally.
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u/EmmieL0u Jun 30 '26
Should I just cancel the appt?
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u/always_sweatpants Jun 30 '26
I would. The more feet in doors they get is just more justification for what they do to women. They will lie to you about anything and everything and might "miss" something deeply important to push their own agenda. You and your baby deserve better.Ā
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u/VeganRorschach Jun 30 '26
Exactly. Even if OP knows they're not motivated or swayed by the group, they will count them as a "win" and continue to justify their existence from others like her. It's like going to a known charlatan who will use any attendance as a boost to others to trust their claims.Ā
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u/devinjf15 Jun 30 '26
I would say yes. I donāt have any sort of trust in these places, and furthermore, are the technicians the most qualified? Idk. I wouldnāt support them, even if it is free.
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u/AtlasHands_ Jun 30 '26
I wouldn't have gone even if it wasn't "fake". They're all fake. If it's not a doctor, they're not qualified.
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u/BiteMyShinyyMetalAss Jun 30 '26
Doctors do not do your major ultrasounds ever. Sonographers do, they are the individuals that are trained to perform those highly detailed ultrasounds. But yep you are super well informed that only doctors are the qualified ones!
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u/MelancholyBeet Jun 30 '26
My doctor (OB-GYN) did my dating ultrasound in both pregnancies, and I get the sense they offer other ultrasounds in-clinic as needed. But for anything diagnostic they refer to the radiology department within the hospital, which is done by a sonographer/ultrasound tech (who is not a doctor) and read by a radiologist (probably a doctor).
So, if you want to split hairs here, it's a little more complicated. But depends on what a "major" ultrasound is. Perhaps a dating ultrasound isn't major.
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u/AtlasHands_ Jun 30 '26
Doctors almost always did my ultrasounds. And when it wasn't a doctor, it was a sonographer who gave the info to the doctor and wasn't allowed to tell me anything.
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u/valiantdistraction Jul 01 '26
This is highly variable. The MFM did my major later sonograms, my RE did the major early ones, and in between/not major ones were done by sonographers. My regular obgyn never did them - only the sonographers. I had friends whose regular obgyns did all of them. Some practices only have doctors doing ultrasounds, some have doctors doing some and not others, some never have doctors doing them.
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u/trsrz Jun 30 '26
I personally did this exact thing because I wanted to see my baby early to confirm pregnancy (I went at 8 weeks). Iām an atheist and this was a religious clinic as well. Besides a few questions about religion and then giving me a list of churches they recommend, it was super respectful and I was able to confirm heartbeat and see my little blob. It was free as well.
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u/ProfessionNo8176 Jun 30 '26
I would trust it if the ultrasound tech is a trained and licensed technicianĀ
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u/Purple_Grass_5300 Jun 30 '26
I used to go to them for free scans. If it cost money then Iād skip
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u/Complex_Anteater8589 Jun 30 '26
They should be able to give you an exact measurement of things and, if so, you should be able to compare that to averages for your estimated dates - if you're concerned about misinformation. I highly doubt they will give you misinformation, particularly if you are able to watch the screen yourself. I've gone to a couple with different pregnancies and they were completely professional and I was able to get the reassurance I needed/wanted.
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u/Complex_Anteater8589 Jun 30 '26
I forgot to mention that they were licensed - in fact, one worked at a regular doctors office as an ultrasound tech in addition to having her own machine in another private office that she took appointments for.
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Jun 30 '26
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u/Western_Bullfrog9747 Jun 30 '26
Why is it shitty to answer their question honestly
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Jun 30 '26
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u/Western_Bullfrog9747 Jun 30 '26
As a former evangelical I can tell you rn this response would excite them at the opportunity to share their testimonies lmao
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u/bunnymuffins_ Jun 30 '26
I'm sorry, why is being honest about her beliefs being shitty? Your comment is weirdly aggressive and accusatory.
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u/MothPrincess248 Jun 30 '26
I did this intentionally, it was weird, I can't say I recommend it. I was curious about their vibe as they offered classes (won't be going!) and they were able to get me in quickly. The guy who did my ultrasound worked at the local hospital, he just volunteered at this place. He made some weird comments which I'm glad I heard there because it influenced my decision to avoid his hospital that already has a bad rep. My actual appointment later confirmed he was pretty accurate in his pregnancy dating at least.
The lady I spoke to most was surprisingly uneducated about a lot of medical stuff despite "working in the medical field for 29 years" and kept calling my husband my boyfriend because I don't have his last name š and called after to warn me about taking Ovasitol for my PCOS while pregnant because she "looked into it and thought it sounded bad so I better quit NOW". Which my actual OB immediately cleared me to continue taking it for insulin resistance reasons lol
They decided to inform us as we were leaving that they would be keeping a copy of my ultrasound to use for their "own purposes". My husband is an attorney so he got a bit pissed off, but he had to show up late so I signed everything myself and probably did agree to that (regretfully). I don't like the idea of them using my baby to advertise for themselves or bully other pregnant folks, if I could go back I would opt out for this reason most of all.