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.
Conclusion: The higher order (5-9) repeat caesarean sections carry no specific additional risk for the mother or the baby when compared with the lower order (3 or 4) repeat caesarean sections.
There's usually no limit to the number of caesarean sections that you can have. But the more you have, the longer each operation will take, and the higher your risk of complications becomes (Biler et al 2017, RCOG 2016).
Possible Risks and Complications for Subsequent C-Sections
Heavy bleeding that leads to blood transfusion. Injury to the bladder or bowel. Hysterectomy at the time of delivery (The risk rises to more than 1% chance after a person's third C-section, and it soars to nearly 9% after the sixth surgery)
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.
For Dr. 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.
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.
With each C-section, there's a higher chance of scar tissue buildup, heavy bleeding, and problems with the placenta.
If you've already had a cesarean birth (also called c-section), you may be able to have your next baby vaginally. This is called a vaginal birth after cesarean (also called VBAC). Cesarean birth is surgery in which your baby is born through a cut that your health care provider makes in your belly and uterus.
In the United States in 2021, the rate of primary cesarean deliveries was 22.3 per 100 live births to women who have not had a previous cesarean delivery, or of all live births.
Although it's impossible to know the “necessary” rate with real precision, the World Health Organization says it is closer to 10 or 15 percent.
Things to Avoid: Sexual intercourse until your health care provider tells you that it is safe. The use of tampons or douche. Taking baths until your incision is healed and you are no longer bleeding.
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.
And a mother who has a C-section for her first delivery is overwhelmingly more likely to have C-sections for future deliveries. And while it's incredibly common—it's still major surgery—with a range of potential complications such as hemorrhage or infection.
Every pregnancy after the first raises chances of premature birth, which can mean that the child's organs are not completely formed, leading to physical disabilities. According to doctors, just after 5 vaginal deliveries or even 3 c-sections, the woman's body does become weak.
Long-Term Effects of C-Sections
Children born by C-section also suffer increased rates of diseases, including asthma, type I diabetes, allergies, obesity, as well as reduced overall cognitive functioning and lower academic performance.
“It's very common for cesarean scars to itch or hurt years later, but that doesn't mean that it's normal,” says Dr. Ashley Rawlins, PT, DPT. Normal implies healthy and functioning well. If you're bothered by your scar, all is not well — and you can definitely do something about it.
Anatomy: Layers of anterior abdominal wall: skin, subcutaneous tissue, superficial fascia (Campers, scarpa's), external oblique muscle, internal oblique muscle, transversus abdominis muscle, transversalis fascia, preperitoneal adipose and areolar tissue, and peritoneum.
A woman who had planned to deliver her baby naturally was heartbroken when an emergency cesarean section left her newborn needing 13 stitches on her face. Reazjhana Williams went to Denver Health in Colorado last week to deliver her baby, Kyanni Williams, and told WGNTV she was given a pill to speed up her labor.
How long does an average C-section take? Usually, a cesarean takes about 30-45 minutes.
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).
Cesarean section also requires a longer recovery time, and operative complications such as lacerations and bleeding may occur, at rates varying from 6% for elective cesarean to 15% for emergency cesarean.