Pregnancy after a cesarean birth is generally a lot like pregnancy before a cesarean birth, except if you were a first-time parent before, you might be a bit more familiar with everything this time around. However, there are a few things that can be a bit different about pregnancy after a cesarean birth, and knowing what those differences are can help you avoid some worry.
When is it safe to get pregnant after a cesarean birth?
According to the Mayo Clinic and ACOG guidelines, it may be safest to wait until at least 18 months after a cesarean birth to conceive, as women who conceive sooner than that (especially less than 12 months) may run a higher risk of uterine rupture, or tearing along the uterine scar from the cesarean birth, especially when laboring. Having a shorter period of time between pregnancies after a cesarean birth may increase the risk of complications in pregnancy and birth, such as needing a blood transfusion.
You should talk to your healthcare provider about when it’s safe to conceive after a cesarean birth, if this is something that’s on your mind.
How does a previous cesarean birth affect pregnancy?
Women who have had cesarean birth for previous pregnancies may experience some pain along the incision scar as the scar tissue from the cesarean birth stretches and the uterus and skin of the abdomen grows.
This pain is often perfectly normal, and generally goes away on its own. But, if it’s persistent, worsening, causing concern, or the pain is getting in the way of day-to-day tasks, don’t hesitate to check in with your healthcare provider.
How can a previous cesarean birth affect birth?
People giving birth after a previous cesarean birth generally have two choices: a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) or another cesarean birth. VBACs are often safe choices for delivery, but successive cesarean births are more common, and there are drawbacks to both. Planning a vaginal birth can lead to disappointment because, like with all births, even women who look like very good candidates for VBACs sometimes face unexpected complications during delivery and end up undergoing cesarean birth anyway.
On the other hand, the risks associated with cesarean births grow with each successive surgery, such as problems with the placenta. Each cesarean birth leaves more scar tissue, which makes a vaginal birth later less likely. So, people who think they might want to have several more children are often encouraged to try for a vaginal birth if they can.
You should always talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about getting pregnant after a cesarean birth.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Family planning: Get the facts about pregnancy spacing.” MayoClinic. Mayo Clinic. April 15 2014. Web.
- NIH Consensus Development Conference on Vaginal Birth After Cesarian: Final Panel Statement. “Vaginal Birth After Cesarian: New Insights.” Obstetrics & Gynecology. Vol. 115, No. 6, June 2010, pp. 1279-1295. Web. March 8-10 2010.
- ACOG & sMFM. “Obsetric Care Consensus: Interpregnancy Care” https://www.acog.org/-/media/project/acog/acogorg/clinical/files/obstetric-care-consensus/articles/2019/01/interpregnancy-care.pdf
