How long after a caesarean section can I have a second child?

Everyone knows that the policy of allowing couples to have two children if only one of them is an only child has been completely relaxed. More and more families are planning to have a second child. Women who have given birth once are most concerned about how long it will take to have a second child after a caesarean section. It is very important to get the timing right. If you get pregnant and give birth at an inappropriate time, it will be very bad for the health of the pregnant woman. Next, let the obstetricians and gynecologists tell you when you can have a second child.

Regarding this issue, Chinese and Western obstetricians have slightly different opinions. Many foreign studies have shown that you should wait at least six months after a caesarean section before trying to get pregnant again. For example, British obstetricians believe that women should not have more than three caesarean sections, and after a caesarean section, they should wait one year before getting pregnant again. Compared with Western doctors, many Chinese doctors are more cautious about this issue. They suggest that it is safer to get pregnant again at least two years after a caesarean section. This is because the development of the fetus causes the uterus to continue to grow and the uterine wall to become thinner. In particular, the incision of the caesarean section is connective tissue and lacks elasticity. If you get pregnant too early, the fresh scar can easily rupture in the late pregnancy or during delivery, causing massive abdominal bleeding and even life-threatening.

In fact, every mother's physical condition is different. How long it takes to regenerate after a caesarean section depends on the recovery of the woman's uterus after the caesarean section. If the woman's uterus recovers well after the caesarean section or the woman's own recovery ability is strong, regeneration after the caesarean section does not need to wait for two years.

Is natural birth or caesarean section better?

1. If you had a caesarean section for your first child, you must check the recovery of your uterus before pregnancy for your second child.

In order to avoid the dangers of uterine rupture, heavy bleeding during childbirth, etc. caused by unsatisfactory uterine recovery, after deciding to have a second child, you must go to a regular hospital to check the recovery of the uterus. Everyone's uterine recovery ability is different. Whether and when you can have a second child should follow the doctor's advice.

Nowadays, the vast majority of cesarean sections are performed through transverse incisions in the lower uterine segment. In otherwise healthy women, these incisions usually heal well. Several studies suggest that cesarean section scars on the uterus continue to grow longer after they have fully healed. The longer you have to recover from a cesarean section, the less likely it is that something will go wrong. A foreign study that surveyed 170 women showed that if the interval between two pregnancies is less than 6 months, the risk of scar rupture will greatly increase. Another study is more convincing. It surveyed 2,409 women who chose vaginal delivery after cesarean section. The results showed that women who became pregnant within 18 months of their last cesarean section were three times more likely to have scar rupture than women who waited longer between pregnancies. A third study showed that women who had a preterm caesarean section had an increased risk of scar disruption, especially if they had not given birth before the caesarean section and if the interval between births was less than 2 years. Although the above research results may sound a little scary, the risk of pregnancy scar rupture after a cesarean section is actually very low.

If the interval between two pregnancies is short, there may be more problems with the placenta. A large-scale survey of 187,577 women in the United States showed that becoming pregnant again within one year after a cesarean section increases the risk of placenta previa and placental abruption (premature detachment of the placenta from the uterine wall). But of course, the likelihood of such a risk occurring is generally small.

2. If the first child was delivered by caesarean section, must the second child also be delivered by caesarean section?

Many mothers who had a caesarean section for their first child want to choose a natural birth for their second child. In theory, this is possible. However, please note that if you choose a caesarean section for your first delivery, if you want to have another child, it is recommended to wait two to three years, and there will be certain risks, such as uterine rupture. Whether a natural birth is possible depends first on the condition of the fetus during delivery, and second on the contraction of the uterus. If the contraction function of the uterus is affected by the scar formed after a previous cesarean section, which is not conducive to the delivery of the fetus, then another cesarean section will be required; if the fetal condition and uterine contraction ability are both good, then a natural birth can be chosen.

When you become pregnant again after a caesarean section, if the following situations occur, it is very likely that natural delivery will not be successful. You need to consider it carefully at this time.

1. Insufficient time between cesarean section and subsequent pregnancy

Getting pregnant again within three years after a caesarean section is very dangerous for the mother because the chance of uterine rupture during pregnancy is very high. This is because it takes a long time for the wounds on the uterus and abdominal wall to heal completely after a cesarean section. Only after the wound has completely healed and has the same function as normal tissue can the fetus be conceived again, so as to ensure that the uterus does not rupture during the process of conceiving a fetus. This takes about three years.

2. The next pregnancy is accompanied by serious obstetric complications

The next pregnancy may have serious obstetric complications, such as severe preeclampsia, placenta previa, placental abruption, etc., which are not suitable for vaginal delivery.

3. There are problems with the fetus during the next pregnancy

There are problems with the fetus during the next pregnancy, such as intrauterine hypoxia, multiple pregnancy, intrauterine infection, or an overly large fetus. >>>Extended reading: One caesarean section, caesarean sections for life?

3. What are the safety precautions to be aware of when you become pregnant again after a caesarean section?

If you get pregnant again after a caesarean section, there is a risk of uterine rupture as you approach the due date. To prevent uterine rupture or fetal death, mothers of second children should be hospitalized two weeks in advance to prepare for delivery so that problems can be discovered and dealt with in a timely manner.

1. Prevent abdominal compression in late pregnancy.

To prevent the scar from cracking, it must be protected and not squeezed. In daily life during the late stages of pregnancy, you should avoid crowded places when riding in a car or walking, do housework appropriately, sleep on your back or side, and have a moderate sexual life to avoid pressure on your abdomen.

2. Seek medical attention as soon as possible if abdominal pain occurs.

Some scarred uteri may rupture spontaneously in the late stages of pregnancy, with abdominal pain being the main symptom. Due to poor healing of uterine scars, the intrauterine pressure increases with the progression of pregnancy. Even without any inducement, the uterus may swell and rupture from its scars. When the uterus ruptures, abdominal pain of varying severity may occur. Sometimes the abdominal pain is mild but the uterus has already ruptured, so you must be vigilant.

3. Pay attention to fetal movement.

Fetal movement is the irregular movement of the fetus in the uterus. The speed of fetal movement is one of the early manifestations of the fetus's safety in the uterus. Generally, during pregnancy, there should be 3-5 fetal movements per hour or at least 10 times a day (12 hours). After a caesarean section, if the scarred uterus has a slight rupture or placental abnormalities, it will lead to fetal death. At this time, the fetal heart sounds disappear. 24-48 hours before fetal death, fetal movement slows down or disappears. Therefore, paying attention to changes in fetal movements can help detect fetal abnormalities in advance so that timely measures can be taken.

4. It is advisable to be hospitalized in advance to prepare for delivery.

The closer the scarred uterus is to delivery, the greater the risk of rupture. To prevent uterine rupture or fetal death, you should be hospitalized two weeks in advance to prepare for delivery so that problems can be discovered and dealt with in a timely manner.

5. The next delivery should be by caesarean section.

For women who become pregnant again after their first cesarean section, 80% of them have a cesarean section for the second delivery, which is safer than vaginal delivery. The timing of the second cesarean section should be chosen appropriately. If it is too early, the fetus is unlikely to survive; if it is too late, it may easily cause uterine rupture or stillbirth. As long as the fetus is mature, surgery can be performed without having to wait until delivery.

The above article has explained very clearly the question of how long it will take to have a second child after a caesarean section. I hope that women who plan to have a second child can do so within the right time. If the doctor says that you are not suitable for having a second child at the moment, don't force yourself to have one. After all, your health is the most important thing. It is also good to have one child and focus all your energy on him.