[Slackermom]

I'm almost 39 weeks with #2, planning a VBAC. Throughout most of the late 2nd and third trimester, I've experienced a lot of pressure and sometimes a bit of pain (not stabbing or anything -- just a lot of discomfort, especially when rolling over in bed) at my incision. It's pretty noticable now that the baby's head is right there and putting pressure on it. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it considered pretty par for the course? DD is just two years old this week, so I'm wondering if maybe it's because it's still a fairly new scar.

TIA!

 

[channelofpeace]

Count me in... i think i was about 37 wks with my 2nd when i had the pain at the incision site. From what i ascertained, it could be adhesions releasing. HTH!

 

[rainbowmoon]

I had intermittent pain along my incision on and off during my pg. more so in the beginning and end though. HTH and good luck with your VBAC! You can do it!!!!

 

[ancoda]

yes mine started up about week 30 and has pressure, slight pain and itches.

 

[Sagesgirl]

Yeah, I remember that. And it didn't impact my VBA2C at all.

I agree with the adhesions theory; I know I had 'em.

 

[AngelaB]

mine was uncomfortable, especially sneezing or coughing in the wrong position, with #2 and now with #3 and Im only 16 weeks. I did have a great vbac with #2 and had no problems with the scar at all and plan on doing it again in April. Its amazing how many funky aches and pains pregnancy causes!

 

[mamasarah]

yes, probably adhesions. felt that too.

happy birthing! can't wait to read another birth story...

 

[AmyGirl28]

Yes, count me in for incision pain, especially when coughing and sneezing.

Jellyfishy- you will have to let me know how your VBAC goes (on the November DDC). I am planning one too. I have 11 days till my due date, although it could come and go.

 

[JanetF]

I think it's pretty common but you're still beautifully healed! Try this and right down the bottom where she talks about her baby whacking her scar from the inside!

Quote:

... just think for a minute. If you were in a terrible car accident and had to have a piece of metal removed from your leg (sorry for the visual there, ugh) .... say they had to cut in to get it. Then they stitch you all back up. What do you expect the scar to do? Do you expect it to fall open when you start to walk? No? Well, okay maybe normal walking is okay, but what about running? Maybe running will cause it to fall open. No? Alright maybe not normal running, but I bet a marathon would cause enough pressure to just rip it open, right? Hmmmm ... wait a second, maybe not. Perhaps if they hooked the repaired leg up to a machine that mimicked running, it could cause problems ... esp a machine that pulled the muscle further than normal use would, that didn't do it "naturally" (kind of like pitocin!). But for regular use, we expect ourselves to stay shut. We expect wounds to have healed. We expect normal function to be obtainable for straightforward injuries. If we get a cut or have stitches anywhere else on our bodies, we expect it to stay shut. If we looked at the doctor and said, "I don't think this is going to stay shut", they would be highly offended because we were doubting their skill as a surgeon AND we would be turning our noses up at our body's ability to heal and reams of scientific evidence that it does. But then when we have a c-section, we look at that and think, OH NO this thing isn't going to hold!!! Do you think the surgeon stitched you up? Do you think s/he is a skilled surgeon? If your old surgeon questions the integrity of your healing, then he or she is expressing a complete lack of confidence in his/her work. Point that out. They need to think about this. If your new OB or midwife is questioning the integrity of your womb, then they need to be confronted about doubting the surgical skill of your previous surgeon. If they doubt his or her skill that seriously, perhaps they need to express their concern to the medical board. Anytime someone is stitched back together the ultimate goal is to prepare the organ or muscle or whatever to perform its normal function. I have had 2 c-sections. One was with my first and one was with my fifth. The rest have been hbacs. All my births up through the second c-section were to fairly tiny babies, weighing between 6.5 and 8 pounds. My sixth ... the fresh vbac who was testing out the surgeon's skill ... was 11 pounds 4 ounces. I had some nifty pushing contractions. And I can compliment my surgeon for a job well done because her work held up under Normal Use. Giving birth is Normal Use, yes even when giving birth to an 11 pounder. It is exactly what the uterus was created to do. If we expect that a straightforward incision and stitching should restore other muscles to regular use, then why do we doubt the womb? I will tell you what finally set my own mind to ease this last pg because yes for the first time ever, I was actually nervous about UR (something about hanging around ICAN where it is talked about all the time, lol ... fear started rubbing off there!). My daughter used to play with my LUS ... she would push and stretch and wedge herself in. She would shove her hands right under where my external incision scar was and do boxing drills. Maybe she could feel the ridge of my external incision? I don't know. But what I do know is that I felt very reassured that if she could do all that and it held together, then what was a little labor?

 

[pfamilygal]

Oh, mine already hurts and I'm only 18 wks.

 

[stafl]

when my adhesions broke free early in my pregnancy, it was like a giant rubber band snapped inside me. Had me doubled over in tears for a moment, then the pain went away. The adhesions were still there, however, because I had surgery to remove them a year after my vbac, and in the video of the surgery, you can't even see any of my internal organs until after doc started cutting through the mess of adhesions that were sticking everything inside me together. For me, adhesions feel like a tugging or ripping, sort of like when you sprain your ankle. But they are probably more painful for me than most other women because I also have severe endometriosis.

Did not impact my vbac, which couldn't have been more successful!

Everything worked out just as I had planned.

 

[kgrfcharlton]

Me too! I coughed or sneezed the other night and the pain rippled through my scar. It scared me (I'm 36 weeks & planning on a UVBAC). I had posted on the UC forum & someone replied w/the above story, which was very encouraging!

Blessings to all!

Rachel

Wife to Keith since 5/01, mother to Georgia since 4/04, waiting on Christmas Baby

 

[wumanh]

I am an herbalist and think that massaging the scar area from early pregnancy on with something like chickweed oil will help loosen the adhesions. Other herbs might work as well- violet leaf, calendula. You can gently but firmly pull and stretch as you massage. Send lots of love and gratitude to your uterus and visualize the adhesions softening and loosening and the muscle knit firmly together.

 

[momnmidwife]

Definitely normal...I've had 4 babies after my c/s and felt funky sensations there...pulling, pressure, discomfort ect. They all came out fine and I still have an intact uterus!