Fifteenth c/s!

My first was a c/s. I was 41 weeks and 6 days, and after being in hospital for 32 hours with induction obviously not working well I asked for one. However, I'm unsure which way to go with my second. One reason of course how many c/s can you have. I asked my OBs. and she said I shouldn't really worry as you just don't know, she read in a Medical journal recently about a woman in South Africa who just had her fifteenth c/s!!

My obs. is also happy to let me try for a VBAC and will even let me go over 40 weeks again. Really don't know what to do, but it is early days yet and I am pretty happy she is okay either way.

I'm interested to know how many people here have had though.

My Mum had 4 c/s

my mum had 2 but then couldnt have anymore coz of other issues i know of someone who had 5 with no issues all close in age

I've heard of a few members in BB who have had 4.

15!!! :o

I've heard of 4 but the last one had to be a vertical incision.

Good luck with whichever way you end up

Ive had 4 and a tubual reversal....and the ob said I was still fit for atleast 2 more after Mateauz...

I've had 2 c/s then a vba2c. :)

My mom had 8 c-sections - 7 with no issues at all, and the last with major complications, a 28 week delivery, and a hysterectomy. She always wished they would have let her try for a VBAC though. (just "wasn't done" in the 80's.)
If you have no other complicating factors, personally, I'd recommend you try a vaginal delivery *without* an induction - let nature take it's course as much as possible. Generally, things go much better that way. All the best with your decision!

My mum had 4, each 2yrs or less apart. She looks like she has 5 belly buttons lol

4 here...no dramas at all.

Jo

We are going for CS No 5...I have a 24, 19, 17 and 4 year old, so the gap is quite great!

We have been told that I will go earlier (prob 36-37 weeks) due to the increased risk of No 5 and uterine rupture ( I think the odds must go up substantially)

The only thing I am noticing with this one is the amount of discomfort around the scar and pulling sensation...I have to admit I do get worried about a rupture, but Im also 42 and have diabetes, so not in the prime of health!!!

The most I have seen as a midwife is 7 and there were complications. Due to the amount of scar tissue the ladies bladder was damaged with both her 6th and 7th c/s. She had to have a catheter. After no6 she had it for 6weeks and after number 7 I don't know as she went home with it but they expected it would be a while.

The risk with multiple c/s is as they take the scar tissue out each time the uterus gets smaller each c/s. So the likelyhood of the placenta developing on the old c/s site, prem labour (because of the uterus getting smaller), very thin uterus and uterine rupture (very rare) gets abit higher each c/s. As for 3-4 even 5 c/s they are generally uncomplicated its when your looking at much higher numbers. If your planning on a very large family I would probably rather a vaginal birth so the risk isn't as great for future pregnancies but if you want 5 or less then I wouldn't be concerned about the amount of c/s you have.

The dr's where I work strongly recommend tubal ligation with the 4th c/s (done at the same time as the c/s) but its a personal decision as to weather you are then happy to stop at 4 which I know is what most dr's recommend. In saying all this I know a woman who recently had her 3rd c/s and they said her uterus was too thin to have any more children. Apparently it was like glad wrap and transparent they could see the baby through it. There are products out there to help strengthen the uterus though so if you are wanting or needing a repeat c/s you can take them prior to pregnancy to help restore the uterus for future pregnancies. If you have another C/S perhaps you can ask the surgeon doing the procedure what your uterus is like. Ie is there any damage, the thickness of it etc.

ive had 3 and next year will be 4

i have had 4 and dr said how good the scar tissue is so i could have more if want but a friend has had 3 and the dr told her no more it all depends on the scaring inside of you so some people can have only 2 were other people can have more but the drs really only recomend people only have 3 as the risk gets higher all the time

I've had 4, and will be having my 5th caesarean in 10 weeks. I'm 38 years old.
With my first I had placenta praevia, number 2 I was prepared to go naturally, however at 41 weeks Dr decided that it was better for me to have a caesarean, so I was booked in for the following day. #3 and #4 just went with a c section again. Apart from my first, which I had with a general anaesthetic, all of my caesareans have been wonderful experiences - meeting a new little person has been fantastic each and every time. I had the same doctor for my previous 4 caesareans, a new one this time, but he's very confident all will be well. Apparently I had no issues with scar tissue in the other surgeries, so all will be fine. My recovery was great, up and moving about the next day with pain, but not unbearable. Caesareans can be a wonderful experience.:)

iv been told by my gynae before i even am pregnant that a c-section and poss a hystorectomy- iv got severe bowel and pelvic adhesions. i wish you the best of luck xox

I have a close friend whose had 4 :) She had to give it 5 years between the last 2 though & they've recommended no more.

The risk involved with 15 caesareans is something I don't even want to contemplate.

The fact that your OB quoted that to you without any context is even more disturbing. It implies that a caesarean is without risk, or comes with minimal risk - this is something alot of people believe as they become more prevalent. It is absolutely not the case. Every caesarean a woman has increases her risk of serious complications and it's pretty irresponsible to imply that the risk is negligible. It's not.

Most practitioners will support 3-4 caesars. With good reason.

Gee and I thought I was in the CS Support area!!!!!!

Um how about giving us mums a break who for whatever reason have a CS - Im really tired of having the holier than thou "natural" "vaginal" is the only way judgement club preaching about the high risks and irresponsibilty...If I gave birth vaginally for my first I would not have been here as would not any of my children.

I am sure that all women in Australia who undergo CS are warned of the increased dangers and complications - But are all women who have a vaginal birth warned of all the life threatening or disabling complications that can happen?

How about we keep this a supportive environment for those of us having CSs and needing SUPPORT to get us though a stressful and potentially dangerous time.

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The fact that your OB quoted that to you without any context is even more disturbing. It implies that a caesarean is without risk, or comes with minimal risk - this is something alot of people believe as they become more prevalent. It is absolutely not the case. Every caesarean a woman has increases her risk of serious complications and it's pretty irresponsible to imply that the risk is negligible. It's not.

Most practitioners will support 3-4 caesars. With good reason.

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having one vaginally and 3 cs i can agree fully that eys there si risks and one should wonder why a dr did not fully inform of the risks the more one would have. Next year i will be having my 4th cs i wish drs did inform patients more of when enough is enough no one has told me and maybe they should have i will not know now will i. Every woman's body is different but i dont think 1 dr has ever told me of the risks of multiple c sections :( and they should off.

I am pretty sure Tobily was not slamming everyone who has had a c/s, simply pointing out that there are risks involved. The statistics would show that overall those risks are greater than with vaginal delivery, though neither are risk free.

I have had 1 c/s and 1 vbac. My ob said that if I only wanted to have 2 children then there was little difference in the risks posed by repeat c/s or vbac. However if I was planning more pregnancies then a vbac was a better idea as the risks of a c/s increase each time. I already wanted a vbac so this made my decision easier.

Do you want a big family? Did you recover well from your c/s? Would you like to experience vaginal birth or were you completely happy with your c/s?

As other people have already mentioned the number of complication free c/s is different for different people. Whether vaginal delivery or c/s, noone really knows how many children they will be able to have without issues. Good luch whatever you decide.

It very much depends on each individual case. Trust what your OB says. If they say no more, there will be a good reason for it.

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How about we keep this a supportive environment for those of us having CSs and needing SUPPORT to get us though a stressful and potentially dangerous time.

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Part of being supported through the expereience of CS is having an adequate understanding of the risks and benefits involved.

What Tobily was referring to is that it is not appropriate for an obstetrician to blithely reassure a woman that there are no risks involved in repeat caeserean sections. For instance (and this is probably the statistic that Tobily was referring to) the risk of placenta accreta (a condition where the placenta becomes embedded in the uterine wall and cannot separate) and resulting hysterectomy at birth, rises markedly after a woman's third CS, and more after her fourth.

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Part of being supported through the expereience of CS is having an adequate understanding of the risks and benefits involved.

What Tobily was referring to is that it is not appropriate for an obstetrician to blithely reassure a woman that there are no risks involved in repeat caeserean sections. For instance (and this is probably the statistic that Tobily was referring to) the risk of placenta accreta (a condition where the placenta becomes embedded in the uterine wall and cannot separate) and resulting hysterectomy at birth, rises markedly after a woman's third CS, and more after her fourth.

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Exactly what I was saying. Thanks Michael :)