Have You Had a Repeat C-section?

I have had 3 c-sections. My first was an emergency, and the last two were scheduled at 39 weeks. I had no complications with any of my sections, and all of my babies had no issues after birth. My recovery time for all three was about the same. I would say that by around 3 weeks I was getting around pretty well by myself. Having a lot of extra help those first few weeks really made a difference for me. I really preferred having the scheduled date. No more wondering when the baby would be here, and it was a lot easier to set up child care for my daughter.

my recovery with repeat C vs. emergency C was night and day! I had almost no pain second time around. No health issues with baby. Was really glad I did repeat C even though my hospital allowed VBAC. I really struggled with what to do. When Dr. opened me up, baby had double nukal cord around neck and said I would never have delivered vaginally. So glad I dodged that bullet!

I've had 2 c-sections and the second one was better for me than the first for a few reasons: 1st I knew what to expect, 2nd Since I knew what to expect I felt like i was able to get up and moving sooner than I did with the 1st, which helped me recover so much faster than the first one. Both my babies were just fine with the c-section birth. they had no problems.

I had 3 weeks of clinicals in a local huge OB hospital. I had one cesarean, and I will honestly say I am doing all that I can to NEVER have one again. If you watch what happens during a cesarean - maybe more women won't be so gung ho to get them done and may start seeing CPMs instead of OBs. I am pregnant with #2 and having a homebirth VBAC with a Midwife assisting.

Unless you are high risk, I'd advise you to be with a Certified Professional Midwife, or a Certified Nursing Midwife who works at a birthing center - not one at a hospital.

Most hospitals have banned or pretend to allow VBACs... the hospital I was at said they were VBAC friendly... but once the Momma came in and was placed in a room, they put a call to the OR to have a room ready in 2 hours. TWO HOURS! That is not a true trial of labor.

Just keep in mind... cesareans cut thru all the core muscles and connective tissues that keep your entire body able to stand erect. This is MAJOR surgery and death is ALWAYS a complication. Vaginal birth rarely causes death and hasn't for a very very long time.

My sister-in-law (an ER doc) had four c-sections in 6.5 years, the last three scheduled and the last one at age 42. They all went well for mom and babies and she's such an athlete she was jogging with each baby three weeks post birth. Good luck and congratulations!!

Both of my C-sections went great, My second was less painful and both times my kidos were fine.

I had an emergency c-section with my 1st child.
My 2nd was planned.
Recovery from the 2nd one was much better, because I didn't go through HOURS AND HOURS of laboring first.

My planned c-section, was performed at 38 weeks.
My son was PERFECTLY fine, and healthy and full lung development.
NOTHING was wrong with him.
He was born at over 8 pounds, 21" long and fully developed.

all the best,
Susan

I opted for a repeat c-section with my second. The recovery was night and day. I was out of the hospital in 3 days, I was off all of my pain meds with in a few days of being home. I was up and functioning again with in a few weeks. There were absolutely no problems with the baby. She was (and still is) healthy and happy :D

Good luck with your decision. It's not an easy one, no matter what anyone says. If you had a hard time the first time around, it's so traumatic to think of going through all of that again, just to wind up with a c-section. It's SO easy for women that have never had to go through that to say do a VBAC. I decided that there was no way I was going through the hell I went through the first time, only to have to have a c-section. I was unable to enjoy my daughter's first moments because I was just too exhausted and out of it. The second time was much easier.

I have had a c-section with both my babies. Things went fine with both (and both were unplanned c's-ha! so much for MY birth plan!).

The thing that was the best for me with the 2nd is that I knew what to expect. Since I couldn't have either naturally some how it made me feel better that they were both c's then. Like I didn't want to look back and say-this birth was 'better' then the other. But that's probably me just being weird. :)

I had 2 and the second was easier than the first. I found it comforting to know what to expect and where and how much pain I'd feel (roughly of course) and that made it better. Both my kids were fine and had no issues. Your doctor will wait until 39 weeks to deliver and although it's still one week early, the lungs have fully developed so there shouldn't be any issues. Yes they will have more fluid and be a lot 'jucier' sounding b/c all that junk didn't get squeezed out, but I didn't find it to be a big deal. We all did more suctioning in the nose and mouth and they did make some wheezy sounding noises, although they were not wheezing, it was just excess fluid, at times, but no health problems! Also, planning a c-section gives you a chance to find a baby sitter for your other child(ren) and that is nice peace of mind too! Good luck and congrats!

I have had three c-sections. The first two were emergency operations and though the recovery was rough (you can look through my previous answers for more details), the babies were in great conditions; both had Apgar scores of 9.

The third c-section was planned and not an emergency. The baby was perfectly healthy. I did have an amnio a week before to make sure the lungs were developed. The test came back inconclusive and we waited the additional week. The c-section wound healed quickly, I was released from the hospital in 36 hours because I was doing so well. They put the baby near my head when they were finishing up the operation so I immediately got to see her and enjoy that bonding time. All in all, considering what a major operation it is, a great experience!

Congratulations and good luck with whatever you end up doing!

I have had 2 c-sections. The emergency one was way harder all around. A scheduled one is must easier on you and baby. yeah the recover is still hard but not as bad as the first. If a c-section is the safest thing for you and baby and you already had one I would highly recommend doing it again. I mean if I had a choice (which i don't) i would do a vaginal but like I said my second c-section was much easier and both times my babies didn't have any problems breathing.

I have had 3. All 3 , babies were fine ( 1st wasn't but had nothing to so w/ section). I asked my doctor about breathing issues, he said he has never had a baby delivered after/at 39 wks , that had breathing issues & he is very experienced.
As for me , each section was harder, as far as the surgery went. The 2nd I had signifigant bleeding due to excessive scar tissue. The 3rd, was even worse, had hernias that needed repaired & even more scar tissue. As a result I couldn't have my tubal done as planned but was also told I probably couldn.t concieve again , anyway. As far as recovery, I had no problems & all 3 recoveries went really smooth & I was back to normal day to day activities quickly. Having said that every situation is different, people heal differently.

Had an unplanned c-birth with the first ginormous baby. Recovery was a breeze.

Had a scheduled c-birth 4 years later and it put my 1st recovery to shame. It was so super duper easy largely because I didn't labor ineffectually for 15 hours beforehand. Baby #2 was less distressed at birth as well. Win for mom -- Win for baby.

I had a repeat, not by choice but b/c my doc wouldn't do VBACs. I had a long labor before the first c-section. My second one went very well. Much easier than the 1st. I was up and about very quickly. I

I had an emergency the first time and a planned at 39 weeks the second. My son (second) was born at 7lb 9oz and gulped fluid at the birth. He ended up in the NICU on a respirator for four days. He's totally fine no (at 3). Clearly, it was not the ideal delivery. I never heard of a repeat c-section causing breathing problems, but I did experience it. Good luck with your decision. I hated to share less than ideal news.. BUT it's good to ask beforehand. I wish I'd known it may have been linked. Good luck and I'm sure either decision will ultimately turn out just fine!

First time, a failed induction led to an unplanned c-section. Not an emergency. My husband was able to be in the operating room and watch our son being born. He was brought to me in recovery so I could nurse. I was walking less than 12 hours after surgery and discharged less than 24 hours after that.

When I went for my confirmation ultrasound, i was open to the possibility of attempting a VBAC. The OB doing my exam had delivered one of her own children VBAC. I have a couple of factors that would make me high risk, so we had pretty much ruled out VBAC.... before we even saw I was carrying twins.

I was scheduled for my repeat c-section at 38 weeks, but went a couple days early due to developing preeclampsia. My biggest issue was that the hospital had undergone some changes in procedure which amounted to me spending more time in recovery and not finding out until I got there that babies were no longer brought to recovery for nursing. I was pretty livid about that. Other than that, my second section was a breeze and I was only on pain meds for two days.

Oh, and all of my babies were born healthy with nothing negative from being born "through the chimney." :-)

Good luck to you.

My first was an emergency c-section at 35 weeks. My son was born 7 lbs. 8 oz. and never even went to NICU. His lungs were developed and he was able to stay with us the entire time.
My second was a planned c-section, but I went into labor a week before it was scheduled. My son was 8 lbs. 14 oz. and also very healthy.
The recovery from both was not nearly as bad as I had expected. If someone offers to help you with "stuff" let them :) and just enjoy your precious gift. Congrats!

Google "natural c-section"--in the UK, they have come up with a clinically proven way to make the c-section as similar to a vaginal delivery as possible (it will never be exactly the same; our bodies weren't designed to birth through the abdomen, but still). Anyway, with a vaginal delivery, the contractions actually help to squeeze the fluids out of the baby's lungs, and in the natural c-section, they use techniques, as the baby is withdrawn through the abdomen to mimic the squeezing (read it; I know this sounds weird, but the articles will give you a much better idea than my poor writing).

The other focus is to get the baby to the momma as soon as possible to help with the bonding/breastfeeding, etc. If I had another child & decided to do a repeat c-section instead of trying a VBAC, I'd try to find a doc who would work to with me to do a "natural" c-section.

However, just fyi, VBAC is actually better for you & baby if you're a good candidate (just don't let them induce you; induce labors have a much higher rate of c-section, and induction after a c-section is more dangerous still).

You might also want to check out ICAN (International Cesaerean Awareness Network).

Good luck & safe delivery for you & baby!

I am a former NICU Respiratory Therapist and now a midwife. When I worked in the hospital I treated c-section babies all the time that had breathing difficulties. Not because their lungs were under developed but because they were still full of fluid. When a baby passes down the vaginal canal the fluid is squeezed out. Mother nature was brilliant and made birth the way it is for very good reasons. When the fluid is retained the baby can not inflate their lungs and they can also develop pneumonia. C-sections should only be done for very clear medical reasons. If you do not have a clear, defined medical reason you should opt for a vaginal birth. And when I say a medical reason I do not mean, the baby might be too big for you to birth vaginally.
A vaginal birth is safer and healthier for you and the baby.

Lisa

I had to have a repeat c-section because with my first section my uterine incision had to be vertical which meant I would never be a candidate for VBAC along with other fun anatomical anomalies I have lol. My recovery for section 2 was like night and day compared to #1. So, so much easier and faster. I have heard this from everyone I've ever talked to that the repeat section was easier.

Much much better than the first one. My first was an emergency and the recovery was tough. I swear it took at least a year to stop having sharp pains at the incision. The second I don't even remember having pains after the initial surgery. My baby was fine too. I have to say it made it super easy to plan the exact day of the baby and to have arrangements ready made for my older child.

Hi molly!

My first son was an emergency c section...the next 4 were vaginal...my twins were also an emergency c section...

For what it is worth...I found recovery from vaginal births MUCH easier...BUT...the second c section was easier than the first because I had the experience of the first. My twins had some breathing issues...but they were due to their prematurity...not the c section...

Good luck with your birth plan!
I wish you a healthy baby!!
Michele/cat

I have known moms that have had 2nd c/s after a traumatic first and everything went well. In terms of when to schedule there is growing evidence that there are health benefits to staying in the womb as long as possible. Check out this article http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870461550457...

Research the risks and benefits of both a repeat cesarean and a VBAC. There are slight increased risks of respiratory problems with a cesarean and some association with later incidences of asthma http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/02/05/us-c-section-id... .

You have to weigh for yourself the pros and cons of each. An important consideration is if you plan more than two kids than the risks becomes greater for you. There is increased incidence of accreta and internal injuries - nicked bladders, bowels, etc. There is more scar tissue so more chance of injury or placental problems. If you are only planning two than the risk is not as much. Only you can make the decision what is best for you. Make sure you read the studies for yourself and base your decision on the research and your personal situation. I chose a VBAC for myself but it might not be right for you. As someone said check out ICAN. There is an active St. Louis chapter that meets at Kangaroo Kids in Glendale. ICAN is holding their international conference in St. Louis in April. There are some great OBs who are VBAC friendly in the St. Louis area.

Both kiddos were unplanned c-sections. I labored with both. I don't even want to discuss that! The recovery from the second c was so much easier because I knew what I could and couldn't do. Neither of my kids had any breathing issues and were healthy as a horse. Congrats!!! I'm stilling laughing at the "birth plan" you mentioned.

I had all 3 of mine by c-section. 1st one was emergency c-section after pushing for 8 hours and not progressing and he was 3 weeks early. I had many complications and the surgery took many hours to repair all the internal organs that I ripped from pushing so hard for that long. The baby was fine and took me at least 6 weeks to recover.

They were all 2-3 weeks early. All 3 of them were healthy and had no breathing problems.

The 2nd time was much easier. It wasn't an emergency c-section and went in with minor labor pains, was dilated at 3 cm and they went ahead and took the baby. It is a lot easier when it's planned. You pick the date and you don't go into full labor. Although I had a date planned, my daughter came 8 days earlier than the planned date that was planned a week earlier than her original due date. I had no problems with the 2nd one at all and recovery was a lot quicker than the 1st. I had so much energy and felt well--was at an amusement park riding roller coasters 2 weeks after she was born.

The 3rd one, I went into labor the week my regular doctor went on vacation. The doctor on call was a jerk and again went into labor earlier than the planned date but that dr wouldn't take him when I was dilated at 3 cm that morning. She said she wouldn't take him that early and I could be dilated like that for another week and said she wouldn't take him until my water broke. She sent me home and I was back 12 hours later that evening and dilated to 9 cm in full fledge labor and my water still didn't break on it's own. That doctor was still there, then was upset because she had to do an emergency c-section but told her that morning that I dilate quick and would be back and told her our other 2 kids were born that early and had no breathing problems and that the 2nd one was born when I went in dilated at 3 cm. Well the last one wasn't as easy as the 2nd and my recovery took longer too. We were all upset at that doctor and was totally unnecessary for me to be in full term labor half the day in all that pain. Don't let any dr make you go into labor that far when you are planning a repeat c-section.

All babies born too early have the risk of breathing problems but 2 weeks early isn't that early--a lot of babies are born that early naturally too.

I've had 3 c-sections and to this day wish I hadn't. My first was emergency because I wasn't progressing. The second was encouraged by my doctor. The baby was planned and taken early, like most doctors recommend, and his lungs weren't developed. I left the hospital without a baby in my arms, and my son didn't join me at home for nearly a month. The 3rd baby, delivered via c-section, was healthy, but it took me considerably longer to heal. Recovery after a vaginal delivery is so much quicker, natural, and easier. Good luck with your decision!