Can i have a fourth c section

No matter how you feel about cesareans, you might be concerned about your ability to conceive after multiple C-sections or wonder what to do for your next delivery. During a C-section, you might experience:. Placenta accreta can happen when the placenta implants itself near the c-section scar. If it stays there unrecognized, you can potentially bleed to death during a future delivery. In the past, the rate of death from accreta was 50 percent. Now, thankfully, most women are not at high risk of dying.

Delivering at a place where doctors are experienced with accreta is important. If you've had a prior C-section, your doctor might suggest an ultrasound to check where your placenta is located during your next pregnancy. Doctors recommend you wait at least six weeks after a C-section before having sex and generally encourage using birth control until six to 18 months postpartum.

The longer you have to recover and heal, the lower your risk of complications. That said, if you do get pregnant before the recommended timeline, you can still have a healthy pregnancy. C-section scar care. Experts agree that certain risks increase with repeat cesareans.

These include:. Uterine rupture Heavy bleeding that leads to blood transfusion Injury to the bladder or bowel Hysterectomy at the time of delivery The risk rises to more than 1 percent chance after a woman's third C-section, and it soars to nearly 9 percent after the sixth surgery Abnormal implantation of the placenta Adhesions that develop with increasing thickness each time a new C-section is performed Hernias Diastasis recti when the stomach muscles separate and the abdomen protrudes Numbness and pain at the incision site Endometriosis in the incision.

Comments 3. Sort by: Newest. Newest Oldest. Read More. I have my three kids with a c section is it possible that I can hv another one my a reason to that is becouse my cervix is too small during labour open to 2cm be only Read More. Load More Comments.

Close this dialog window Add a comment. Community groups. Home Pregnancy Labour and birth Caesarean section. Tefo Mokate Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. There's usually no limit to the number of caesarean sections that you can have. But the more caesareans you have, the longer each operation will take, and the higher your risk of complications becomes.

Enter your due date or child's birthday dd 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 mm Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec yyyy Trying to conceive?

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There are also risks to the placenta that increase with multiple C-sections. These include placenta accreta , placenta previa , and placental abruption. Although death is a risk associated with any surgical procedure, a study found no remarkable difference in very serious complications associated with repeat C-sections more than three when compared to C-sections in general.

The most common complication — which was significantly more prominent in those with multiple C-sections — was adhesions. The length of time you should wait to get pregnant again after a C-section will depend on several factors. That said, the U. Department of Health and Human Services recommends waiting at least 12 months for any type of delivery, and this is the minimum.

Any sooner than 1 year and you increase the chance that your new baby will be born too soon. You may need an even longer period between delivery and the next pregnancy. To give your body adequate time to recover, your doctor may say 18 months is the minimum.

But there is no hard number or consensus among doctors. And a study found people of all ages have an increased risk for poor pregnancy outcomes with shorter time periods between pregnancies. These shorter time periods were defined as 6 months compared to 18 months. Based on their findings, the researchers suggest a range of 12 to 24 months, with 18 months being the ideal time.