There's usually no limit to the number of caesarean sections you can have. But the more caesareans you have, the longer each operation will take and the higher your risk of serious complications becomes. You will have scar tissue where your wounds have healed after each operation.
Each repeat C-section is generally more complicated than the last. However, research hasn't established the exact number of repeat C-sections considered safe. Women who have multiple repeat cesarean deliveries are at increased risk of: Problems with the placenta.
“So, every patient is different and every case is unique. However, from the current medical evidence, most medical authorities do state that if multiple C-sections are planned, the expert recommendation is to adhere to the maximum number of three.”
There's usually no limit to the number of caesarean sections that you can have. But the more caesareans you have, the longer each operation will take, and the higher your risk of complications becomes. If you've had a caesarean in the past, it's still possible to give birth to your baby vaginally.
Getting Pregnant After C-Sections
The good news: If you've had multiple C-sections you're just as likely to conceive as women who gave birth vaginally. Doctors recommend you wait at least six weeks after a C-section before having sex and generally encourage using birth control until six to 18 months postpartum.
Although death is a risk associated with any surgical procedure, a 2017 study found no remarkable difference in very serious complications associated with repeat C-sections (more than three) when compared to C-sections in general.
Kristina House (USA) has given birth to 11 children (six girls and five boys) all by Caesarean section between 15 May 1979 and 20 November 1998.
According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a vaginal birth after cesarean, also known as VBAC, can be a safe and appropriate option. VBAC can work for many women who've had one, or even two, previous cesarean deliveries.
Results: Five or more caesarean sections were associated with a longer operating time as well as an increased rate of severe adhesions. Blood transfusion rate was similar in the two groups but a drop of pre-operative to post-operative haemoglobin was significantly higher in the study group compared with the controls.
You will need to wait at least 6 months but your doctor or midwife may advise you to wait for 12–18 months. The longer you leave your scar to heal, the stronger it will be.
Compared with primary cesarean delivery, repeat cesarean delivery could be associated with additional risks. Uterine rupture is one of the most catastrophic complications of pregnancy and can also present as an asymptomatic scar dehiscence.
Ana Langer, who leads the Women and Health Initiative at the Harvard T.H. Chan school of public health, one of the most telling findings in the study is that more than 10 percent of women undergoing a C-section died from complications due to anesthesia.
While C-sections can be life-saving, the procedures carry risks like infection, excessive bleeding, damage to reproductive organs and blood clots.
A new study shows that a C-section can lead to complications should you find yourself back on the operation table later in life. Surgical complications cover a range of things that can go wrong during an operation. For example, damage to organs, infection, the need to re-operate, or bleeding during the operation.
Ideally, your doctor will cut through the same scar so that you don't have multiple scars on your abdomen and uterus. Sometimes scar tissue can be difficult to cut through but your doctor should be able to cut through it.
Types of C-section incisions
The first is through the skin of your lower abdomen, about an inch or two above your pubic hair line. The second is into the uterus, which is where the doctor will reach in to deliver your baby. The type of cut on your abdomen may not be the same as the one on your uterus.
Many health care providers won't offer VBAC if you've had more than two prior C-sections. When did you last give birth? The risk of uterine rupture is higher if you attempt VBAC less than 18 months after your previous delivery.
Your History of VBAC or C-Section
However, most medical societies don't recommend VBAC for those who've had two or more C-sections. That's because the risk of uterine rupture—a tearing in a past C-section scar or uterine muscles that can be life-threatening to the parent or baby—rises with each surgery.
Answering the question of whether the second cesarean section is more painful, the answer is: Usually no more pain depending on the condition of the old incision with little or no adhesion, and the surgical technique, and pain relief of the doctors.
In some situations, a C-section is not only preferable but mandatory—situations involving conditions like placenta previa, in which going into labor would precipitate life-threatening hemorrhaging, or cord prolapse, which can cause the death of a baby if a C-section is not performed in a manner of minutes.
You might need to plan a C-section if you're pregnant with two or more babies or if you have a medical condition or infection. If you run into an emergency during labor, you may also need a C-section.
Those born by caesarean section had lower mean general cognitive ability, compared with those born vaginally, both before (mean score 99.8 vs 100.1, mean difference −0.32, 95% CI −0.45 to −0.19, p<0.001) and after accounting for confounding factors (mean score 99.3 vs 100.1, adjusted mean difference −0.84, 95% CI −0.97 ...
Overuse of c-sections matters because, while often lifesaving in limited circumstances, the surgery also brings serious risks for babies (such as higher rates of infection, respiratory complications, and neonatal intensive care unit stays, as well as lower breastfeeding rates) and for mothers (such as higher rates of ...
Australia's caesarean section rate was higher than the OECD average over this time and ranked 27th out of 34 OECD countries in 2017, with a rate of 33.7 per 100 live births (ranked from lowest to highest) (OECD 2019). In 2020, 37% of all women giving birth in Australia had a caesarean section (AIHW 2022).
For women who delivered their first baby by cesarean section, delivering a second baby also by C-section may be somewhat safer for both mother and baby than a vaginal birth, a new study reveals.