An older gal wanting to TTC #2 after a c-section...

[wookie130]

My daughter is 3 months old, and was born via a planned C-section, due to a marginal placenta previa that just wouldn't move up and out of the way of the cervix. I turn 35 next month, and have already expressed to my doctor that we'd like to try for #2 at some point when it's safe, and we've been told that due to my age, it'll be safe to begin trying once our daughter is a year-old, which will be next March, rather than waiting a full 18 months.

I keep reading things online about C-sections causing secondary infertility issues, and people being rendered infertile after having the surgery. I know a lot of women do go on to conceive again, but my DH and I had struggled with infertility in the first place, and had also suffered from recurrent miscarriages. With the help of a lot of time, and Clomid, we finally had a rainbow baby...

My question is this:

How many of you are older gals, and have conceived after a primary C-section? Was it more difficult to conceive #2, or easier? Any issues with the second pregnancy?

Thanks in advance, and I apologize if this is something that has been brought up repeatedly. We are so thankful to have our little girl, but having just one more would truly complete our family...I guess if it happens, it happens, and if not, we are still so blessed.

 

[x Michelle x]

I've never heard anything about c-sections causing infertility..
anyway, i was 30 when i had my daughter by EMCS and i fell pregnant 3 months later (one time, no birth control whoopsie) so it certainly didn't affect my fertility
It took 5 months NTNP to conceive my daughter so i'm afraid i don't have any fertility issues and have never suffered a loss.

By the way, i wouldn't say 34 was old

 

[wookie130]

No, normally I don't feel old at all, but reproductively speaking, most medical practitioners refer to pregnancy after 35 as "advanced maternal age"...lol.

Yeah, I do know of a lot of women who have become pregnant immediately following a C-section...it seems as though most of them are fertile turtles, around the age of 25! LOL!

I never knew about C-sections being cited as a possible reason for secondary infertility, but...Dr. Google brought up several articles about this. It's really kind of discouraging, but as I said earlier, we are so lucky to have Hannah, that if it CAN'T happen again, as least we are parents to her. That in and of itself was a miracle for us!

 

[discoclare]

DD1 was born by emergency section when I was 34, she was conceived on the second month of trying after 17 years on the pill. I was advised that sections can cause secondary infertility, but my understanding is that this happens occasionally after 1 section and is much more likely to happen after multiple sections (when I was fighting to have a VBAC with DD2 they kept asking me if it was because I wanted more children that I wouldn't consent to the elective section).
DD2 was conceived at the first attempt and delivered by elective section when I was 37, so no problems for me.

 

[wookie130]

Wow, Disco! I hope I'm as lucky as you! That's definitely encouraging.

 

[Banshee]

I had ds1 by emergency c section when I was 32 and fell pregnant with ds2 when ds1 was 9 months old. Had ds2 again by emergency c section when I was 34 after a failed attempt at vbac. It had taken over a year for me to get pregnant with ds1 and ds2 was a one time with no birth control baby.

 

[wookie130]

Lovin' the encouragement, ladies. It lets me know that it's POSSIBLE, and that we may be good to go having a 2nd child. I've kind of always been the statistical outlier when it comes to reproductive things...I was in the small percentage of women to get pregnant while ON the BCP (1st pregnancy, ended in miscarriage), then after my second pregnancy was lost (a Clomid baby), I was in the mere 1% of women to have 2 consecutive losses. Once I became pregnant with Hannah, all was normal until a marginal placenta previa was discovered, and I was told in 90% of cases, they move up and out of the way by full-term, and I could safely vaginally deliver. Well, it never happened, and I was in the lousy 10% of women whose slight previa didn't correct itself, hence the need for the C-section. I'm really, really glad I had the C-section, and while the recovery was rough, the surgery itself was easy (although it was planned...I've heard emergency C-sections can be terrifying).

So, naturally, I expect to be in the small % of women who are rendered infertile after their C-section, and who cannot conceive again. I also worry about having more miscarriages, or being in the small % of women who experience a uterine rupture...

Yes, I'm paranoid and anxious. It was the hallmark of my entire pregnancy...I thank God that outside of the previa, the rest of pregnancy was fairly uneventful, and she's here, healthy and fine.

I guess what will be will be...I don't plan to begin trying for #2 until March of next year, when Hannah turns a year old, so I have quite a bit of time to just relax, take care of myself, and enjoy NOT TTC. I don't know about the rest of you, but TTC was SUCH a difficult stressful time, that it's really nice to just have baby time, and kick my feet up, and not really have to think about it a whole lot.

 

[Tiffylove]

I don't have much knowledge on the subject but I wanted to add that I have never heard of waiting 18 months after a section to get pregnant again. I know lots of women who got pregnant again almost immediately afterwards and were just fine. I have a friend who just had baby #2 weeks ago at the age of 39 and she got pregnant with her 3 months after having baby #1 via c-section.

 

[wookie130]

Yeah, it's actually the most common recommendation, Tiffy. I didn't know this until a few days ago, but the general recommendation for women having a vaginal delivery is 18-24 months as well! And we all know lots of folks don't follow that one...

But, when C-sections are spaced too closely together, while the risk is still small, it significantly increases the risk for uterine rupture among other complications for surgeries that occur less than a year apart. I know plenty of women that become preggo again fairly soon after a C-section...and while it happens, and the majority of ladies are fine, it is risky...and it's simply a chance I'm not willing to take. If I accidently get pg over the next few months, well...oops, but yay, if you catch my drift! LOL!

 

[Tiffylove]

while it happens, and the majority of ladies are fine, it is risky...and it's simply a chance I'm not willing to take. If I accidently get pg over the next few months, well...oops, but yay, if you catch my drift! LOL!

I completely understand.

I'm a little disappointed hearing this news as I am almost 33 years old about to have a c-section and if we decide to have another baby I wanted to have it before I turned 35.

 

[Tiffylove]

Wait so is the recommendation of waiting 18 to 24 months after a c-section to get pregnant or to give birth?

 

[wookie130]

To my understanding, it's to get pregnant. But, as we all know, it can and does happen frequently far sooner for a lot of couples prior to this recommended waiting period.

 

[sarahincanada]

hi! in all my many years of research Ive never heard a c section could cause infertility and cant think of a physical reason why, do you know?

for me it was the exact opposite....took 2 years TTCing, 3 failed IUIs and 1 failed fresh IVF before we got pregnant with a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET). I had to have an emergency c section as my liver enzymes were elevated (ended up having my gallbladder removed 1 month after birth).
When my son was 5 months I fell pregnant NATURALLY!!! and Im 40! you could have knocked me down with a feather, never did I ever think I would get pregnant naturally. I guess you are quite fertile after giving birth but I still didnt think that would fix my eggs or anything (and we only DTD twice that month).

As for how long to wait after a c section I was told minimum 18 months BETWEEN BIRTHS (c section and then another birth), not 18 months to try. So technically most people who have had a c section could start trying when their baby is 9 months, my doctors probably just say a year. My FS was allowing me to start my FETs when my baby was 6 months, so 3 months before the recommended, as im 40 and didnt want to wait and it might take a few tries. I had my medication ready and was waiting for my period to start the FET when I tested and got a BFP.

As my son will be 14 months when I give birth it will be a planned c section, if you wait the 18 months they may allow a vbac.

anyway good luck on trying for your 2nd, you never know, you might not struggle now that you have given birth once.

 

[wookie130]

Wow, Saraincanada! How amazing, and HUGE CONGRATS!

Unfortunately, there are studies that do suggest that C-sections can cause secondary infertility, although the results in these studies are rather varied. Once study I read cited that secondary infertility occurs as often as 1 in 3 women after having a C-section, which of course is 33% of women who have had the surgery. I felt that this was outrageously high, but then, the more I read, the more I began to realize that the study didn't factor in the fact that many of these ladies had other issues that merited the C-section in the first place, and their issues with secondary infertility could be directly related to those other issues...

I also saw in many forums on other sites threads that were for women experiencing secondary infertility after having a C-section, and many of these ladies were LTTTC #2.
This bothered me tremendously, particularly in light of the "advanced maternal age" thing.

The reasons women have for experiencing trouble conceiving after a C-section do make sense...pelvic adhesions forming along the incision line, scar tissue forming, infections that may have occurred while healing the incision site, problems with implantation due to a now mal-shaped uterus (many reported a "dent" in their uterus, which made implantation difficult, if not impossible).

All in all, discouraging, scary stuff. I guess there's no reason for me to stress since I won't be trying for another 9 months or so...but, still, it does weigh on my mind.

 

[LPF]

I had a emcs with ds when I was 30 - it was difficult surgery and I was poorly afterward. It took us 5 months to conceive him.

I've just got pregnant this time at 33 after 1 cycle trying and I bed in that cycle - no secondary infertility here!!

 

[wookie130]

LPF, glad to hear it!

I hope it'll be as easy for me as it was for you!

 

[ClaireJ23]

I'm 37 on Tuesday, DF is 45. We had our little girl by ECS in Feb. I am exclusively breastfeeding and we got our BFP at the beginning of this month.

 

[mojobear]

By these posts it's looking like C secs are actually helping fertility in us Old ins…..

I was 38 when I had my first, I had been off of the pill for years before getting pregnant, although this was without any additional help.

After my csec my specialist was surprised I had got pregnant and told me it was unlikely that I would have anymore, which due to my age I accepted (I have a bicornuate uterus, that is also twisted, fibroids, internal scarring and my bladder is attached to my uterus, also they found a small tear in it). Well 6 months later I was pregnant again and terrified but luckily I was monitored and all went well and I had my second C Sec 2 weeks before my 40th birthday.

 

[hakunamatata]

I had a planned cs with Ariana, and I was 32. I am now 33, and I got pregnant again April 2013, the first month we started trying.

 

[hakunamatata]

Wait so is the recommendation of waiting 18 to 24 months after a c-section to get pregnant or to give birth?

My doctor told me 24 months between c-section births.

I'm cheating and doing it in 19 months