Complications related to adhesions. Bands of scar-like tissue (adhesions) develop during each C-section. Dense adhesions can make a C-section more difficult and increase the risk of a bladder or bowel injury and excessive bleeding.
“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.
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.
The more C-sections you've had, the greater is your risk of developing problems with the placenta — such as the placenta implanting too deeply into the uterine wall (placenta accreta) or the placenta partially or completely covering the opening of the cervix (placenta previa).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Victoria Beckham has given birth three times by scheduled caesarean, for her sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. Currently pregnant with her fourth child, Posh has pencilled in another planned casarean in the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in LA, rumoured to be on July 4th.
Getting pregnant after a c-section
It's important to give your body time to recover before you start trying to get pregnant again. 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.
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.
What Are the Risks of Getting Pregnant After a C-Section? Research shows that getting pregnant less than six months after a C-section can increase your risk of complications, such as ruptured uterus or a low birth weight baby.
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.
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.
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.
Even though labor and vaginal birth can be hard work, they are generally easier on a woman's body than a cesarean. Recovery after vaginal birth is usually shorter and less painful than after a C-section, and allows the woman to spend more time with her baby.
Conclusion: Women with three or more prior caesareans who attempt VBAC have similar rates of success and risk for maternal morbidity as those with one prior caesarean, and as those delivered by elective repeat caesarean.
After a cesarean surgery, it is normal for scar tissue to develop. However, sometimes internal scarring from a C-section can cause obstructions and inflammation in the abdomen and reproductive organs that, in turn, can prevent future pregnancies.
An isthmocele (cesarean scar defect) is a pouch, or niche, that forms on the wall of your uterus. It develops if the incision from a past c-section doesn't heal completely. Isthmocele can cause infertility or problems with future pregnancies.
Each pregnancy and delivery is unique, and there's no standard answer to the number of repeat c-sections a woman can safely have. However, the more cesarean deliveries you have, the longer each operation will take, and your risk of complications increases.
Such high rates are due mainly to an increase of elective C-sections, says Salimah Walani, the vice president of global programs at March of Dimes, a U.S. maternal and child health organization. "The procedure is done when it is not really necessary or indicated," she says.
A caesarean section (C-section) is an elective or emergency operation used to help babies be born. About 1 in 3 deliveries are completed this way.