Can I have an abortion at 20 weeks of pregnancy?

Women experience considerable physical and psychological stress during pregnancy. As the pregnancy progresses, changes in a woman's body become more noticeable and she may often feel uncomfortable. Many women have thoughts of abortion because they cannot bear the excessive pressure. But everyone knows that if the pregnancy is too late, miscarriage will have a great impact on women's body. So, can I abort my pregnancy at 20 weeks?

1. I am 20 weeks pregnant. Can I still have an abortion?

The best time for abortion is within 35-60 days of pregnancy. If it exceeds 12 weeks, induced labor is required. It's already 20 weeks and the only option is induced abortion. If you decide to terminate the pregnancy, it is recommended that you go to the hospital for induced abortion as soon as possible. The older the pregnancy, the greater the risk of the operation.

2. The best time to induce labor

Induced labor refers to the method of ending pregnancy by artificial means after 12 weeks of pregnancy, so of course the earlier the pregnancy is ended, the better. The earlier the month and the longer the time, the greater the damage to the pregnant woman's uterus. Generally, 12 to 24 weeks is considered mid-term induced labor, and the fetus has already been formed at this time. If induced labor is to be performed, the uterus must be expanded, which can easily damage the uterine wall and make induced labor more difficult than in the early stages, so early induced labor surgery should be performed as soon as possible.

3. Methods of inducing labor

1. Water bag induction of labor: This is a method of induction of labor that uses mechanical methods to achieve the purpose of induction of labor. First, a special medical water bag filled with sterile saline is placed between the uterine wall and the gestational sac. Generally, uterine contractions will occur between 12 and 24 hours after the water bag is placed, which will cause natural miscarriage. After induction of labor, the integrity of the placenta must be checked to determine whether a curettage is needed.

2. Medical induction of labor: In the second trimester, the uterus is in a relatively stable stage and there is no obvious contraction of the uterus. On the one hand, medical induction of labor stimulates the contraction of the uterus, and on the other hand, it reduces the secretion of placental hormones and kills the fetus. Commonly used drugs include prostaglandins, trichosanthes, levavanol, etc., which can be injected via intra-amniotic injection and extra-amniotic injection. Medical induction of labor is a process in which the placenta is first separated from the uterus and then expelled naturally. However, if the drug dosage is not well controlled in this method, it will cause severe uterine contractions and damage the birth canal of the pregnant woman. The ideal drug effect is that uterine contractions are not very severe, there is no residue in the uterus after drug-induced abortion, and the amount of bleeding is not large.

3. Cesarean section: Cesarean section is a surgical method to induce labor through abdominal section or vaginal section. However, this method is generally only used when the pregnant woman has physical limitations and is not used under normal circumstances.