Your First Visit
Welcome to Hope Clinic for Women. This is a safe place for tough choices.
We understand how difficult your first visit can be. We want to assure you that you will be met with kindness. There is nothing about your past and your story that we will judge you for. We hear hard stories every day. Our only goal is to be present with you, give you the chance and the safety to process what is going on, understand what your options are, and how we can best equip and empower you to make your own choices. We want you to know all of the resources available to you so you are making an informed, thoughtful, unrushed choice. We will be with you every step of the way as long as you need us whether it is one visit or hundreds.
Our staff is dedicated to care for you uniquely. Each story is different so while we have a typical process, what we do with you will be tailored to your needs. In the first visit you will be greeted by the receptionist and have a chance to see one of our counselors and nurses. Those two people may be the same ones you see for a few visits until you know what to do. If at any time you do not feel comfortable with someone or something, please let us know.
Please enjoy this video tour of the space to get familiar before you arrive:
CHECK-IN
Once you enter through our front door you will be greeted by our receptionist who will confirm your appointment and ask you to fill out medical records paperwork. This helps us to understand what other health needs you may have separate from your pregnancy. It is recommended to arrive 15 minutes early to find parking and fill out necessary medical paperwork
OPTIONS COUNSELING
After that paperwork is filled out, you will meet with a counselor. This will give you a few precious moments to relax, breathe, and process what a positive or negative test may feel like for you. Our goal is to create a safe space for you to bring fears, joys, frustrations, and doubts. Don’t be afraid to ask questions at any point during your appointment.
On your first appointment with us, we ask that you bring:
- The first date of your last period (to help with tracking how far along your pregnancy may be)
- Medical history
- Any support person or partner that you want (it is not necessary, but individuals are always welcome). If your partner is in the picture and you let us know ahead of time, we can make accommodations.
You may be asking yourself:
- What are my parents going to think?
- How can I afford this?
- What about my other kids?
- What about my partner?
- What about school? Or work?
- Am I healthy?
PREGNANCY TEST
Next, you will be asked to pee in a small cup in our guest bathroom. You will leave the cup in the bathroom and the counselor or a nurse will run a pregnancy test. The at home pregnancy tests or the period and fertility apps are good indicators and they can be fairly accurate. But nothing beats a professional performing medical grade pregnancy test for you. This will measure the hCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin, otherwise known as the pregnancy hormone) in your urine. We will be able to confirm the results of that test within a few minutes. After that your counselor will meet you back in the counseling room to deliver the results. Typically, a nurse or nurse practitioner is available to answer any medical questions you may have. At this time, your support person may join you in the counseling room. Whether the test is positive or negative, we will be providing resources to you for next steps. Your health is our top priority.
RESULTS
If the test is positive, you will continue to discuss your options with a counselor. She will share information about all abortion procedures, referrals for adoptions agencies, and she will share about our robust Bridge parenting program. You don’t have to decide right there. You have time to think and process. There is no need to rush. Typically we offer to book a follow up appointment as you may need time to process this visit and need a follow up visit to ask more questions or just a safe place to process without anyone forcing you to do anything.
ULTRASOUND
If your pregnancy is far enough along, the nurse may offer a Limited OB Ultrasound. We recommend a limited obstetrical ultrasound to additionally confirm the pregnancy, detect if there is a fetal heartbeat, and determine the fetal age and approximate due date. All of this information is good for you to be aware of. This is also offered free of charge and we can provide images of that ultrasound for you to keep. If you are not far enough along, we will book a follow up visit to provide that ultrasound.
NEXT STEPS
As we said, you may still have a lot of questions. We are still here. We will continue to stay in touch with you and be available as you need. We can set you up with additional appointments for adoption referrals or enrolling in our free parenting program. We are always a call away should you need anything. We are here to help you. You have more choices than you think.
PARKING
When you arrive to our clinic, you can find parking behind our building. You can access this lot via the alley off 18th or 19th St. Parking is also available in front of our building. Paid parking is available on all the streets near us.
Get involved
If you would like to support the work of Hope Clinic with your time or treasure, please visit our volunteer page or our donate page. We would not be able to do what we do and reach the individuals we do without the tireless work and support of people like you. Thank you!