All about the second cesarean

click fraud protection

What are the risks of a second cesarean birth? Can I get pregnant a third time? Understanding.

Cesarean section for pregnant women is mainly done according to indications, therefore, not everyone can expect that the second time it will be possible to give birth naturally. If health problems persist (diabetes, vision or heart problems, and a number of other cases), the woman will have to go through this procedure again.

True, if the first cesarean was emergency due to an unforeseen situation directly in childbirth, or if the first time the baby just took a lateral position, then the second time the doctor can send to give birth on his own.

When can you do a second cesarean: timing

The second cesarean is done no earlier than 37 weeks, since only after this period the child is considered full-term. The standard term for elective surgery is 38-39 weeks.

It may vary from the individual health characteristics of the mother and child, but usually doctors try to carry out the caesarean as close as possible to the date of the expected birth.

instagram viewer

Sometimes the strategy of waiting for contractions is taken: a woman is taken to the hospital for observation, and as soon as the contractions begin, she is immediately taken to the operation.

Suture after the second cesarean

The quality of the suture depends on the professionalism of the doctor who makes it. In fact, only from the reviews of previous patients can one imagine how well and accurately a particular doctor makes the sutures.

With sufficient experience of the doctor and the use of high-quality materials, the seam can be almost invisible - and then the scar can be easily trimmed using cosmetic methods. But the main thing here, of course, is health.

An inept doctor can allow infection, hematoma, and other consequences. Therefore, when preparing for a planned caesarean section, it is important to carefully approach the choice of both a medical institution and a doctor.

Pregnancy and childbirth after the second cesarean

In general, giving birth after a second cesarean is not prohibited. Moreover, even after two such operations, some women have every chance of giving birth on their own. But this is not a matter of preferences, but exclusively of health.

The third caesarean can also take place, as well as the fourth. But each time, the risk of premature birth, bleeding and other complications due to scars on the uterus will increase.

A third pregnancy and childbirth after a caesarean can be problematic, even if everything went well the first two times. It is also important to remember this and constantly be in touch with the doctor who monitors the pregnancy.

The optimal period for a new pregnancy after the second cesarean section is from 1-2 years to 4-5. It is important that by this time the scar on the uterus has become as elastic as possible and allowed it to stretch enough to carry the baby.

Risks and pitfalls

Caesarean section is an abdominal operation. And like any operation, it has a number of risks. During it, a woman can lose a lot of blood, an infection can enter the body. The operation is not always carried out as quickly and easily as shown in films and girlfriends tell.

Some women in labor spend 6-8 hours on the operating table - no less than their "colleagues" who do it naturally.

In severe cases, not local, but general anesthesia is used - it, accordingly, also has a number of unpleasant consequences. After a cesarean, women often recover longer and harder than after a natural birth. After the operation, you still have to lie in intensive care and be separated from the child.

When transferred to the ward, the state of a young mother does not suddenly become excellent. It is unbearably painful to get up, walk, move, while you need to look after the child, feed him.

Of course, mom can't do without help here. And it is desirable that in the maternity hospital there is always someone close to her who will help with the child, call the medical staff if necessary, pick up in case of fainting. And this can happen several times after the operation due to blood loss.

After a cesarean, a woman should not strain, push, so that the stitches do not come apart. Because of this, you cannot carry a child in your arms, especially if a large one was born, it is also problematic to go to the toilet.

Scars on the uterus after cesarean can lead to the formation of adhesions, this threatens infertility and periodic pain. Also, after surgery, there is a risk that internal bleeding will open.

Unfortunately, not all maternity hospitals are responsive enough - and a woman's complaints of pain and bleeding can be ignored, calling it the usual consequences of the operation. Of course, such negligence can seriously affect the health of a young mother.

It is also worth remembering the risks of natural childbirth after the first cesarean. Bleeding can open at any time of childbirth - but doctors will be able to do an emergency caesarean only before the stage of attempts. As a result, there is a danger to the life of a woman and a child.

In addition, a child may develop lung problems from sudden exposure to a new environment and inhalation of oxygen. Still, it is not in vain that nature conceived a gradual process of the child's entry into a large and new external world.

But there are positive aspects to cesarean section: for example, there are no tears and stretching of the vagina, childbirth are under full medical supervision, the child is removed safely, the operation is usually faster than natural childbirth.

You will also be interested to read:

  • How to wear a bandage during pregnancy
  • 7 myths about childbirth with a uterine scar
  • \6 situations in childbirth that cannot be predicted
Instagram story viewer