Hypothetical Question... - Page 2

[wearbaby]

Keeping an eye on this thread :

[Kbrinkley]

just wanted to pass along that my OB told me that it didn't matter how long had passed between cesareans that you were as healed in 6 weeks as you'd ever be! He takes VBACs no matter how much space is between them.

Hugs and prayers your way! God bless you, you are such a strong woman. I have faith that you will get your beautiful, vaginal, natural birth soon!!!!

[HappyMommaBear]

I am so, so, so sorry for your loss. I hope that you will be blessed with other children, but I know you will always love your Josie. Good luck.

[ShwarmaQueen]

Originally Posted by Kbrinkley

just wanted to pass along that my OB told me that it didn't matter how long had passed between cesareans that you were as healed in 6 weeks as you'd ever be!

I find that hard to believe- only 6 weeks? It took months and months until I no longer felt sharp twinges in my abdomen/uterus. I bet he was trying to "sell" the surgery w/ a quick and easy recovery (to downplay it's severity).

[Kbrinkley]

you know now that I think about it you are probably right...but he doesn't decline VBACs no matter what the length between surgery and pregnancy. My former OB was much different and put a lot of pressure on me during my VBAC with my son who was 16 months apart from my daughter (primary cesarean). Anyway, my current OB (the one that is pro VBAC), will let you VBA2C or probably more. I wonder sometimes why he is so different.

[JayJay]

Well, I am now...oooohh....13 weeks out - so three months, and we shall see if this is my cycle or not. It's better than 7 weeks though! 13 weeks - well, I feel good

No twinges - occasional itchiness but I am going to expect that. Also I have all my feeling back - I can feel even on my scar. I'm totally able to bed, stretch, lift etc as I was beforehand, my muscles are back where they're supposed to be as well. It's pink, but ey, that's normal - my scars take a while to turn white an I wouldn't expect that before a year anyway. In all I feel good. Ovulation this month was nice and painful! If you couldn't see my scar, you probably wouldn't even be able to tell I'd ever been pregnant...

I am very ready to be pregnant again. I hope that the section didn't hinder anything in me, you know? I've not heard that c sections definitavely stop fertility, and I know there are other moms out there who've been able to get pregnant after a c section - many, in fact. So, I hope my fertility hasn't been knocked or anything. of course, after something like this, I expect it's pretty common to worry about things like that - you know - being able to be pregnant again, versus Josie having been my only chance...

I'll wait longer between my next and the one after that - well, you know, if everything goes to plan, I'll be nursing a babe and spending lots of time with him or her.

I think I will go research c section an subsequent pregnancy just to reassure myself that being pregnant again is possible and that my fallopian tubes weren't accidentally cut or anything crazy like that (okay, call me nuts, but I do wonder, not being able to see inside my body or anything - you know!)

*hugs* to all XX

[ShwarmaQueen]

Originally Posted by Kbrinkley

Anyway, my current OB (the one that is pro VBAC), will let you VBA2C or probably more. I wonder sometimes why he is so different.

I have found that a large percentage of OB's are "pro-VBAC", but then I wonder why there isn't a higher VBAC or VBA2C rate. Do most truely believe in them or is it just lip service, kwim? I wish the stats were known.

I just had my yearly exam and question the NP on the OB practice VBAC policy. She said they welcome them, as long as the reason for the first c/s wasn't failure to progress. Then my mind went wild and I thought about questioning more, but decided not to because I've become a cynic recently. Would they tell me one thing and do another when it comes to the end?

[ShwarmaQueen]

Originally Posted by JayJay

I hope that the section didn't hinder anything in me, you know? I've not heard that c sections definitavely stop fertility, and I know there are other moms out there who've been able to get pregnant after a c section - many, in fact.

I hope not either! I wonder was the infertility caused by physiological, physical, or phychological problem?

[2xy]

Okay....my kids are older so I'm kind of out of the birthing loop.

My understanding is that when a cesarean is done for emergency reasons, the uterus is cut vertically instead of horizontally (because it's easier to get the baby out that way). I've always been told that OB's won't accept a VBAC if your womb was cut that way. Even if you were cut horizontally through your skin, there's a possibility that your actual uterus was cut vertically.

Maybe this is no longer the case, but my OB would not have accepted me for VBAC if I couldn't produce records showing that my uterus was cut horizontally. I also used to work as a medical assistant in an OB office, and that was procedure there, as well.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen

I hope not either! I wonder was the infertility caused by physiological, physical, or phychological problem?

Who knows...there is a lot to be said for the communication between oneself and one's body though - that much I know, because together with vitamins I practically willed myself into healing. So much so that at 5 weeks PP by OB actually raised her eyebrows when she felt the position of my uterus. My midwife said I'd healed almost as quickly as a regularly birthing, breastfeeding mother and I think under my circumstances, that was awfully quick. But good - I wanted to heal.

I try to "talk" to my uterus regularly - you know, telling it everything is alright and that it can conceive again. Nevertheless, I guess I am suffering from some after effects psychologically because I still wonder whether or not the surgery "broke" me physically. It certainly broke my heart all by itself.

I wonder though if that isn't a very common feeling among people who've been through a c section, and that it doesn't really dissipate until they prove to themselves that they've got the ability to be pregnant and give birth again by actually being pregnant, and giving birth!

For now, we're timing BD'ing, I'm taking my vitamins, I seem to be producing fertile CM - more slippery than EW but it's there. Plus I am ovulating for sure, and previously, my luteal phases were always 15 days long. The last luteal phase was 7 days (actually possibly a few more because I may have ovulated slightly earlier than FF gave me credit for) but again, I hear that a short luteal phase following birth of any kind isn't exactly uncommon.

I'd love to hear from anyone regarding similar situations - or just getting pregnant after a c section, you know? Or any advice at all actually.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by 2xy

Okay....my kids are older so I'm kind of out of the birthing loop.

My understanding is that when a cesarean is done for emergency reasons, the uterus is cut vertically instead of horizontally (because it's easier to get the baby out that way). I've always been told that OB's won't accept a VBAC if your womb was cut that way. Even if you were cut horizontally through your skin, there's a possibility that your actual uterus was cut vertically.

Maybe this is no longer the case, but my OB would not have accepted me for VBAC if I couldn't produce records showing that my uterus was cut horizontally. I also used to work as a medical assistant in an OB office, and that was procedure there, as well.

I have heard of this too. Actually, since I was out cold when the procedure took place, I met with my OB a week after the event and asked her to fill me in. I wanted to know exactly what happened while I was under general anesthetic because I felt that part of my life was unaccounted for - missing. Here's what she told me:

They cut into my skin leaving an incision about 6 inches long. They cut into my uterus, leaving an incision about 5 inches long. both cuts were horizontal. I was surprised - I knew already that my uterine incision was horizontal, but figured it would be bigger than my external incision. It wasn't - much to my joy! So I had about a 5 inch incision horizontally on my uterus which I suppose then shrank down as I healed - very efficiently too I suppose.

I asked her about a VBAC and she said that certainly I could have one in the future, but wanted me to wait at least six months for emotional healing purposes. That was at the 1 week PP checkup.

[Patrick's mummy]

Originally Posted by JayJay

Who knows...there is a lot to be said for the communication between oneself and one's body though - that much I know, because together with vitamins I practically willed myself into healing. So much so that at 5 weeks PP by OB actually raised her eyebrows when she felt the position of my uterus. My midwife said I'd healed almost as quickly as a regularly birthing, breastfeeding mother and I think under my circumstances, that was awfully quick. But good - I wanted to heal.

I try to "talk" to my uterus regularly - you know, telling it everything is alright and that it can conceive again. Nevertheless, I guess I am suffering from some after effects psychologically because I still wonder whether or not the surgery "broke" me physically. It certainly broke my heart all by itself.

I wonder though if that isn't a very common feeling among people who've been through a c section, and that it doesn't really dissipate until they prove to themselves that they've got the ability to be pregnant and give birth again by actually being pregnant, and giving birth!

For now, we're timing BD'ing, I'm taking my vitamins, I seem to be producing fertile CM - more slippery than EW but it's there. Plus I am ovulating for sure, and previously, my luteal phases were always 15 days long. The last luteal phase was 7 days (actually possibly a few more because I may have ovulated slightly earlier than FF gave me credit for) but again, I hear that a short luteal phase following birth of any kind isn't exactly uncommon.

I'd love to hear from anyone regarding similar situations - or just getting pregnant after a c section, you know? Or any advice at all actually.

Hey JayJay

No advice here but it seems to me that you have hit the nail on the head when you say that cycles can be all over the place after a pregnancy and birth whatever the birth type or outcome. I've read the research about conceiving after CS and a lot of it does conclude that it can take a bit longer than after vaginal birth which makes sense but that said, I've known a lot of women conceive quickly after TTC after CS. I think when your body knows it is ready, your baby will get made and everything that you are doing will smooth the process. Hang on in there. Josie's sibling will be here when the time is right :
Keep us posted

[JayJay]

Well, today I am 8DPO with no sign of AF - I HOPE!

So that's past my last luteal phase, and I am now on tenterhooks every day until AF or whatever else may come...ooooh it's so hard - every night is like a cliffhanger.

[MissE]

Ohhh JayJay, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

[MNHall]

Ohhh, sending you baby dust JayJay! When will you test!

[JayJay]

Oh lol, well, in the "Trying to Conceive after Loss" section of the PABL boards, Lisa and I have started a thread called the "Ridiculous Testing Thread"... This is her last month trying to conceive, possibly ever (he hubby being deployed) so we thought we'd make the 2WW a little lihter hearted and fun. Therefore we both started testing at 6DPO with the full knowledge that we weren't gonna get BFP results

So far neither one of us has tested positive - probably because we're only 9DPO - but we're having an awesome time peeing on sticks anyway we even go so far as to describe exactly how white the test area actually is !

So there ya go! That's when I'm testing! We're just having some fun - pop in if you like - it's pretty amusing reading - laughter is good medicine

*HUGS* XXX

[Patrick's mummy]

Hey JayJay
Good to hear from you! I don't read the pg/birth loss area as I know someone IRL who uses it and I want to respect her space so.. let us know your results when you get a positive or your period! Good vibes your way:
Sarah

[JayJay]

Thanks Patrick's Mummy Thanks everyone!

9DPO and no AF

Cramps have gone as well - hmm! Wonder what's up with that! I had cramps for a few days you see, and they let yesterday morning, never to return...

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen

I have found that a large percentage of OB's are "pro-VBAC", but then I wonder why there isn't a higher VBAC or VBA2C rate. Do most truely believe in them or is it just lip service, kwim? I wish the stats were known.

Well, I'm sure there are other factors, but there are quite a few hospitals in the US who won't allow a VBAC "procedure". Even if a doctor is pro-VBAC, he/she risks losing privileges if he/she attempts one (if the woman does, of course...never heard of a doctor actually pushing a "patient's" baby out of their own birth canal - they get the credit for her work) at one of those hospitals.

[spu]

hugs. and so sorry for your sad loss. how painful all of this must be for you. I hope you find comfort in your heart and through the boards.

Regarding timing btwn c's, I conceived 5 mos after my second c. Unplanned, nonetheless. My mw and peri told me similar information as PPs - once the scar heals, it's healed - in about 4-6 weeks. I think the 18m rule might be to get the rest of your body back into condition? Anyways, I delivered via vba2c 15 mos after my second c. The chief of o.b. who oversees the mw's at my hospital reviewed my case and said it was ok for me to do a vba2c as long as the baby wasn't over 10 lbs (part of the problem in my original vbac attempt...) He was ok with the timing and healing part of it, esp. since he was the one who preformed my second c.

confusing. so much to think about. so many possible scenarios.