Spacing between c/s and getting pregnant again

[marquess78]

so im sure this topic has been talked about at length, but i have to ask again :wink

after your c-sections, when(how soon after) did you get pregnant again? if it was fairly soon after, how did you deliver? what complications did you have, if any? any and all infor will be so appreciated.

my doctor wants me to wait a full year. but from my research the uterus and surrounding tissues/muscles are as healed as they are going to be just 3 months PP. i want to wait the full year to err on the side of caution, but not being on the pill(we have infertility issues on top of everything else, and the pill would make them worse) gives us a greater chance of accidentally getting pregnant before the full year is up(i would be greatful to get pregnant without help from a reproductive specialist. we are using condoms and im charting BBT and all the other ovulation signs). so really tis for my own personal curiosity. i know everyone is different. ive waited so long to have another child of my own(i have had two surrogate IVF pregnancies between my DD and now) and i am so ready. my DD is also very ready for a sibling. my plan is to VBA3C and i have a doc willing to give it a go. its just a matter of waiting out the next 9 months. thaks for all the info.

[trini]

I was pg again when ds1 would have been a year old. However, I didn't intentionally wait that long (infertility). DS2 was born 20 months after DS1. Absolutely NO complications, and a MUCH easier recovery the 2nd time around.

[KiwiZ]

My dh and I started trying for a 2nd baby when my 1st dd was about 1.5 years old. My c-section was traumatic for me and I had to work through my feelings first. I had to make peace with the fact that I might have another c-section after an attempted VBAC. Happily, I had a successful VBAC and another beautiful dd :) I had a hospital birth and the nurses were so supportive that I wrote a letter of commendation on their behalf. The recovery was so much easier and faster I was shocked!

Best of luck to you, I've read that the majority of women who attempt VBAC succeed, so focus on that and keep us posted! We are here for you :)

[wombatclay]

I'm really interested in this question too, and a few months ago I really started digging into the literature. What I found was a bit confusing till I picked it apart with the help of my bio/nutrition grad student dh...anyway, here's what we found:

Overall, it looks like waiting at least 9 months from the date of c/s delivery to new conception seems to be the "ideal minimum" recovery time given in many studies. The confusing bit is that some studies say 9 months and others say 2 years (and so some doctors say 9 months, some say 2 years, and some "compromise" on a year). However, if you break the studies down you'll find they're actually talking about the same basic time period...

It's just that some studies recommend waiting 9 months from c/s delivery to new conception while other studies recommend waiting 24 months from the c/s delivery until the second delivery. Which is a similar amount of time (~19 months assuming you conceived right on the 9mo mark vs 24 months).

I think a lot depends on the specific woman, the reasons for your first c/s, your current health, and that sort of thing. I know mamas who had totally trouble free VBACs that gave them "two under two" and other mamas who had difficult pregnancy/labor after waiting several years post c/s. So it depends. Don't let the date on the calendar worry you if you get pregnant before a year...every mama and every pregnancy is different!

Good luck!

[stayathomecristi]

I remember reading that the risk of uterine rupture is increased if there is less than 2 years between the last section and a VBAC. I do not know whether this holds true if you have another section.

[Pynki]

I breastfed our 1st ds (c/s for transverse breech) and didn't get a period until he was 11 months old. Then immediately (accidentally) got pg with ds2. They are about 20 months apart and I had no problems with my vbac. Well other than the fact that ds2 was broad like a linebacker and got stuck on the way out. True shoulder dystocia. Broken collar bone at birth. I think if you are pretty much exclusively breastfeeding for the 1st year you shouldn't have any problems.

Warm Squishy Feelings..
Dyan