C-sections

I too had my first by C-section because of a breach position. With my 2nd though, 6 years later, I wanted a VBAC. It went perfectly and I HIGHLY reccomend it! I recovered MUCH faster and easier, and it felt soooo good to have her naturally (with an epidural of course). ;)
Congrats!

H.,
First of all this is my opinion, I'm not a doctor. I've always heard 3 too, but maybe you could have more. I think you should continue to have c-sections and for this reason. My sister is a nurse and has worked in the mother-baby unit since she's became one. Anyway, she's seen thousands of births, she told me when she was pregnant with her second she was consider having him natural (vaginal) her first was a c-section. However, she was about 6 months pregnant, still working, and she saw a mother who had a c-section with her first, and was trying to have the second vaginal, when her first scar ruptured during deliver and the baby ended up dying. She didn't want to take that chance nor would I encourage anyone else too. I know there has been successful vaginal deliveries after a c-section, but when it comes to my children I wouldn't take that chance. Again, I'm not a doctor or work in the field, this is my opinion.
God Bless

H.,

I had 4 c-sections. The first 3 were very easy for me. I was up in no time and recovered well.

With the 4th baby, I switched doctors. That surgery was horrid!!! Apparently I had a lot of scar tissue from the previous c-sections and she was very aggressive in "zapping" the scar tissue after the birth. I had a huge bruise on my left side and felt a ton of pain....much much worse than the first 3. However, I would do it all over again to have my beautiful baby in our lives.

You are younger than I am when I had children and that may account for something. I say have as many as you and your hubby want barring anything major.

I've had four. My OB says the number depends on the woman...no set "X amount." Your OB will be able hae a look around & give a thumbs up/down for another during your section.

There is a Yahoo group called "multiple c-sections" you might want to check out.

I am also pregnant with #2! Congrats! I had a c/s with my first. I talked extensively with my dr about a vbac or repeat c/s. She did mention that 3 is safe, but I didn't ask her any more about it, other than we do want a 3rd. I know you will get a lot of responses about having a vbac instead of a repeat. I think that's wonderful, and I considered it, but after doing research and talking with my dr, I decided to have a repeat c/s. You have to consider WHY you had a c/s to begin with. If it was something that was circumstantional to that pregancy then you have a good chance of having a successful vbac. But if it was something that will most likely be a problem again then you will most likely end up with a c/s again (whether it's planned or emergency after trying for a vbac).

Trust your instincts. Go with what you feel is best for you and your baby. If that's a vbac, then I think that's an amazing thing!! But if it's a repeat c/s, then don't feel guilty b/c of other peoples opinions, b/c only you know your body well enough to know if that's a good choice for you. That's something I've been dealing with. Anyway, congrats on the new addition to your family!!!

Kelly,

My hubby is a nurse and three is what most docs will tell you they are comfortable with. Not an end all be all, but just like some docs and hospitals will not allow VBAC's some will. The reason for the limit for most docs is because of the excess scar tissue that is built up on the uterus. The more times you cut, the more scar tissue that builds up. Research shows that a common complication of this is the placenta not implanting in the right spot (like Placenta Previa) or not implanint at all. Many women will lose the babies because of this. Some won't, but some will and that is why the docs put that magic number. Some women will have 4 c-sections, my hubby has seen a couple that have. However, it really is not very safe and you could be setting up for heartbreak for each one you try for after three. But if you absolutely felt you needed a fourth kid or whatever, you could certainly find a doc out there willing to do it. As for comfort, etc...it depends on so much. How much help is at home...how well do you tolerate pain and how well does the staff keep your pain scale down, etc. My hubby has seen a woman on her 2nd or 3rd c-section ask her doc for permission to go ahead and go home the evening of the day after a repeat c-sec and she was bouncing around the room like nothing happened. Distance between the kids and your body's recovery time, your fitness level, etc all play a roll. Good luck~~

Hi H.,
Have you done any research on VBAC? There's a lot of misinformation that people believe about VBAC, and researching it really puts your mind at ease with the choice that you make. VBAC has become the norm in other countries, and those countries have a much lower mortality rate than the United States does.
In a normal, healthy pregnancy, a VBAC carries fewer risks to both you and the baby than does a cesarean, and carries much less risk for any subsequent pregnancies you may have. A previous poster mentioned problems with the placenta after having c-sections, and that is true (placenta previa and/or placenta accreta). There is an increased risk of infection, injury to other organs, hemorrhage, and those complications increase the risk of hysterectomy and maternal death. Scar tissue formation can cause chronic pain and bowel problems. For the baby, there is an increased risk of poor condition at birth, breathing difficulties, and jaundice. Cesareans also increase the odds of infertility and ectopic pregnancy in subsequent pregnancies. This is why there is sometimes a limit on the number of cesareans that you can have; the chances of these things happening increases with each c-section.
With VBAC, yours odds of having a vaginal birth are about 3 out of 4, depending upon your care provider's philosophy about VBAC. If they are not supportive of them or do not have a VBAC rate of 70%, your chances are lower.
The fear that most people have when discussing VBAC is uterine rupture. It occurs less than 1% of the time, and most don't realize that the chances of uterine rupture for a VBAC are about the same as the chances of uterine rupture in a first time mom who is being induced. We don't hear many stories of that happening, but lots are ready to tell stories of rupture in a VBAC....
If a rupture does occur, the chances of your baby dying are extremely low, provided that you are in a facility that is equipped to do an emergency c-section within 20 minutes of making the decision.
Also, what was the reason for your first c-section? That has an effect on if you can have a VBAC or not.
If you have any questions or need anything, let me know!
J.
Childbirth Educator
Birth Doula

It is different for everyone. My cousin had four - no problems. I had two, and my doctor never indicated that it would be an issue to have more. Speak with your doctor - at 22, age is certainly not an issue for you! My cousin had her fourth one when she was 43, and, fortunatley, age was not even an issue for her!

Congratulations on your growing family : )

S.

Hi H.,

I've had two C-sections so far and my OB has never mentioned me having to stop after having 3 and he knows I have intentions on having more kids. However, my husbands friends wife has had 3 C-sections and was told she can not have anymore. Like you said, I think it depends on your body and more than likely your doctor will be able to tell after you deliver your second one via c-section. Personally, I would opt for a repeat C. I have an OB that will do a VBAC if I wanted too but it's not very safe and I think the risks with having a repeat C are fewer than those associated with a VBAC. Also, my recovery from a repeat C was MUCH easier than the first. If you plan on having more than 3 kids via C-section then maybe you could try to space them out every few years (like you did now) so your body had plenty of time to heal from the first C.

Congrats on your baby boy and good luck with your decision!

Hi H.,
There are things you can do to ensure the risks of a VBAC are reduced: have the deliveries at least 24 months apart, labor/deliver unmedicated, get info on the success rate with your doctor/other doctors in office. I really wanted to have my second natural, however my deliveries were shy of 14 months apart so the repeat c was really the only thing I could do...10 months less on the recovery seemed a bit short. Continue to do your homework on this and see what seems right with you. I had a much harder time with the repeat C, but that could be that the babies were so close. I would seek info from someone who has had a successful VBAC as well.