What should women do if they have a caesarean section and are five months pregnant?

Many women choose cesarean section because they don’t like the pain during childbirth. However, some women get pregnant again five months after giving birth by cesarean section. At this time, they want to know what to do if they are pregnant five months after cesarean section? Obstetricians and gynecologists say that if the first child is a cesarean section, you have to wait two or three years for the next child. Five months is obviously too short. Let’s see what to do next!

How long after a caesarean section can I get pregnant?

It is not advisable to get pregnant too early after a cesarean section because the scar at the uterine incision will become muscular after the cesarean section. The best condition is reached within 2 to 3 years after the operation, and there will be tender granulation tissue and tender connective tissue at the uterine incision within six months to one year. The incision on the uterine wall after cesarean section does not heal well in the short term. In premature pregnancy, the uterus continues to grow due to the development of the fetus, and the uterine wall becomes thinner, especially the surgical incision is made of connective tissue and lacks elasticity. Fresh scars can easily rupture in late pregnancy or during delivery, causing massive abdominal bleeding and even life-threatening. Therefore, it is safer to get pregnant again two years after the operation.

Best time to get pregnant after cesarean section:

Contraception is generally required for 2 to 3 years after cesarean section to avoid uterine rupture.

Pregnancy after cesarean section is not good because: pregnancy at the scar after cesarean section can also cause harm to your body. Its incidence rate is about 0.45%, and there are two different forms of development:

First, an intramyometrial pregnancy develops from the scar into the myometrium, and uterine rupture and bleeding occur in the early stages of pregnancy.

Second, continued pregnancy can cause placenta previa or even placenta accreta.

You must take contraceptive measures after a caesarean section. If you become pregnant again, you still need to be cautious to prevent the pregnancy from causing greater harm to the baby and your own body. It is safer and more reliable to become pregnant again after a caesarean section under the guidance of a doctor.

Precautions for pregnancy after cesarean section:

1. After a caesarean section, you need to wait two years before getting pregnant again. Because the incision on the uterine wall after cesarean section does not heal well in the short term. In premature pregnancy, the uterus continues to grow due to the development of the fetus, and the uterine wall becomes thinner, especially the surgical incision is made of connective tissue and lacks elasticity. Fresh scars can easily rupture in late pregnancy or during delivery, causing massive abdominal bleeding and even life-threatening. Therefore, it is safer to get pregnant again two years after the operation.

2. 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.

3. 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. As the uterine scar heals poorly during pregnancy, the intrauterine pressure increases. Even without any inducement, the uterus may swell and rupture from the scar. 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.

4. 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 to 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 to 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. When a caesarean section is performed again, tubal ligation should be performed. A person can only perform a caesarean section twice. To ensure the mother's health, tubal ligation is performed at the same time as the second caesarean section to achieve the purpose of sterilization.

From the above article, we know that the solution to what to do if a pregnancy is five months pregnant and requires a caesarean section is that the child cannot be kept. The specific reasons have been explained in detail in the above article. I hope all women can consider their own health. There are plenty of opportunities after giving birth. It is not too late to have another child after the cesarean section scar has healed.