Writerlex | Nursing homework help
At 20 weeks of gestation, the estimated date of delivery (EDD) would be about 40 weeks from the last menstrual period (LMP). The LMP is calculated by counting back from the EDD and subtracting three months and seven days. Therefore, in this case, the woman’s LMP would have been around October 24th.
It is not normal for a pregnant woman to experience vaginal bleeding at any gestational age. Possible causes of bleeding include placenta previa, placental abruption, cervical abnormalities, uterine infections such as chorioamnionitis or endometritis, polyhydramnios due to fetal anomalies, or premature labor/rupture of membranes. In addition to these medical causes it is possible that trauma such as abdominal impact or sexual intercourse could cause vaginal bleeding during pregnancy as well. It is important that women experiencing any type of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy seek medical attention immediately so that a diagnosis can be made and appropriate treatment can begin if needed.
The most common cause for vaginal bleeding at 20 weeks gestation would be placenta previa which occurs when the placenta partially or completely covers the cervix; other possible causes include abruptio placentae which occurs when there is premature separation between the placenta and uterus prior to delivery; cervical abnormalities such as incompetent cervix; uterine infection which may accompany preterm labor; polyhydramnios secondary to fetal anomaly; and finally trauma caused by either external sources like an accident or internal source like sexual intercourse.