How many can you have?

[rainbow road]

How many C/S can you have before you can't have any more?

This might seem like a stupid question, but I'm really curious.

[MrsMiggins]

It's not a stupid question. Really, it depends on your body, how you heal, what your Ob/hospital is willing to do....

Lots of variables.

GENERALLY speaking however, I've been told 3-4. I am pretty sure they tend to look at it on a case by case basis though. In all honesty, if you've had 4.. 5... 6 caesars and you fell pregnant again, what can they do? Just manage it in the best way possible.

And of course, you are always going to hear stories of the woman who's had 6 and never had an issue.

[little_froglette]

i know a school mum who is on her 5 all delivered with c/s but she said doc says it's the last one she can have, but yeah i think it's a case by case answer.

[Mrs Nietzsche]

I did read an article somewhere about a woman having her 7th c-section, I believe they had a *lot* of people in the theatre.

I suppose it would be up to you and how you feel? If you had any infections or anything? I know a couple of woman who have separated abbs, they've both had 3 c-sections.. I suppose things like that start being a higher risk.

I guess if you were pregnant it would be a bit late to worry about it but I'd ask your doc - especially if you had the same doctor each time they could hopefully give you a good idea of how things looked internally.

[Hooves]

I have a friend who has had 4 with no dramas. If she were to fall again, and need a 5th, then she was told she would have to go to a bigger hospital in sydney to have it done.

Yet I also know a woman, who was told after having 2 that she shouldn't have any more, as her scar is fragile.

SO I think it is definately case by case.

[Fuchsia!]

It depends on the scar tissue and complications.

[~Emmylou~]

Under normal circumstances, you'll find most careproviders happy to do 3-4.

I have a friend who has had two and been told by the OB that did both that he'd only be happy for her to have one more. She's had no complications with either and to me this is a bit OTT.

I have another friend (in the US) who had 3 elective c/s in three years and no one batted an eye when she got pregnant with her fourth.

It really depends on who you talk to but the general ballpark seems to be 3-4.

It is worth mentioning though that position isn't necessarily evidence based and often comes down to the comfort level of the careprovider.

[kas3]

It really depends on who you talk to but the general ballpark seems to be 3-4.

:iagree: Yeah, the general limit appears to be three, but as Emmylou said, it really depends on the doctor.

[my-fab5]

I have had 3 c-sections so far and during the last surgery I asked the obstetrician if my uterus could survive another pregnancy and he said it should be fine. I am now 19 weeks pregnant with my 4th and so far no problems.

[mummasan]

I was told 3-4 was the norm, because of scar tissue, some peole can have more though.

[rainbow road]

Thanks everyone for quenching my curiousity - I'm not pregnant (unfortunately!) and when I am won't be planning on having a C/S unless it's completely unavoidable but I am planning on having lots of kids and I would hate to have a number placed upon me.


Anyway thanks for your answers :D

[3blue&1pink]

I always thought it was 3... I just learnt something new :)

[Josh]

A friend of mine has just had her 5th caesarean, a boy after 4 girls, and she has already discussed more with her doc, and also a lady who was in the room with me last yr when I had my son had just had her 6th, and she was moving around better than me and i was only on my second c/s:o

[firsttimemumvmr]

I agree thtat it might depend on individual circumstances but one thing I remember reading when I was told I needed one with my first and only one so far is that the type of scar they do in your uterus matters. This may differ from what type of scar you have on your tummy. I had horizontal (bikini line) on both which is the most common these days and safer. Now in some emergency situations they do the vertical one and I believe that's a bit more tricky, so if you need one ask your obs what type it was just for future reference and tell the next obs if he/she is not the same person. I reckon nowadays most people can have quite a few. DH would love a football team and whereas I might try for VBAC we shall see...Best of luck!

[jewelzy]

As others have said it depends on what the surgen thought after your last one.

However I recently read a OB article (from USA) they say its now getting more common for women to have even 10 or 11 C-Sections!

This is due to large amount of Christian families in the USA who dont believe in birth control.
Think about families like the Duggers on tv.

Anyway the OBs are now very experienced at doing more than 3 C Sections. They said that they have done safer 8th C-Sections than they have seen on women on their second. It just depends on the lady in questions scars/health.

Only thing one OB said in the report was he thinks women should stay within healthy weight limit before getting pregnant if they are on the high amount of C Sections.

Anyway the report said it was pretty safe and that in USA more than 5 C Sections was becoming more common.

J

[TripleTime]

Think about families like the Duggers on tv.

She's on VBAC number 15

[LachlansMun]

I have a friend who has had 4 C-Sections ( 3 boys and then 1 girl). Not sure if she's having any more though...

[jewelzy]

She's on VBAC number 15

Yeah, I realise Michelle Dugger is VBAC. I mentioned the Duggers to illustrate what I meant by christian families who love having large families. Hence now OBs in USA doing 5+ C Sections safely.

J

[jewelzy]

Here is the link to the report by expert OBs in the USA.

http://www.obgmanagement.com/article_pages.asp?AID=3650&UID=

You used to be able to read the full report. But now they want you to sign up first. However think anyone can sign up.

Gives hope to those of us who have medical complication and have no choice but C-Section.

J