To wonder if a c section can render you infertile?

[bingbangbing]

Can't find any info on this.

I had an emergency section three years ago. Started TTC a year ago - nothing!

It took one month to conceive DD. One.

I suspect the section. Care was substandard in other ways- nightmares and flashbacks ever since.

Is this possible?

I don’t know although I suppose an infection or similar could have happened. However, without wanting to sound patronising, have you looked up how common secondary infertility is and the huge number who experience this?

I've had two CS. I'm sure it is a possible, but EXTREMELY rare complication that you're warned about. But so so rare. It took 18 months to conceive my first but only 1 month for the next two. No two pregnancies are the same. You may have been lucky first time.

It might not be the C section, as secondary infertility affects many women who didn't have a CS.

I do wonder if it could leave you with scar tissue that could affect fertility. I'm no expert though, and it took a year to conceive dc1 then one go with dc2, after emergency csection. Maybe it's the mental trauma of first time round that is affecting you.

4 sections, first was an emergency. I took 10 weeks to conceive dc1, 8 weeks for dc2, 14 months to conceive dc3 and 1 month to conceive dc4 (was also exclusively breastfeeding at the time). Secondary infertility is quite common.

All my group of 6 friends struggled to conceive their 2nd children and we all had vaginal births.

I think if you conceived the first quickly, you assume that’ll be the case for the next one. But it doesn’t work like that.

I fell with no 1 immediately. It took 11 months to conceive no 2. I had a CS too, but I don’t think it was a factor. However I suspect my body was run down from the first pregnancy, birth and bfing. I took a lot of supplements (including omega 3) and I think that made a difference.

Though who knows, maybe I just didn’t have a good egg until that point?

Could be a number of things. With our first we conceived in the second month. Our second took 12 months. I had an emcs with our first as well.

Sadly, I know plenty of people who had no problems conceiving quickly the first time, and had struggled since. Some have given up, one is exploring adoption and one finally became pregnant six years after her first.

I missed a pill with DS, so fell pregnant on the pill!
I was pill free for a few months and then it took us 13 months with DD. We’d given up trying and had said if we weren’t pregnant by the end of the year we’d given . Positive test on NYE!
I didn’t have a c section but had an assisted birth.

I would be very sceptical that a c section for you played any part in it. It’s just TTC, there is no logic nor rhyme nor reason too it

First I fell within the first month. Second took over 2 years. We’d given up and starting planning life as a family of 3 only to discover a few weeks later that I was pregnant.

Go to the Dr, get referred and they will do the tube flush out thing, if everything else is working ok it second pregnancy is very likely. Worked for me twice.

It’s an interesting question and one that I asked my GP after my csection.

He said that you need to have had an overwhelming infection in your womb to be rendered infertile and there is no evidence that scar tissue from previous sections will make you infertile as the egg will have a whole other expanse of womb to burrow into.

I hope you conceive soon

Btw I had a c section and conceived second pregnancy after two months of trying but miscarried. I then conceived my third pregnancy and second child 6 weeks after miscarriage

Interesting

Assumed I'd have a newborn by now

I conceived DS within a couple of months, all fine. Then had a row of miscarriages followed by not conceiving at all for a year.

My personal and totally unscientific theory is that the effect of carrying a child can make your body a less hospitable environment for a second child. I had a load of vitamin deficiencies after birth for example.

There is some research that in some cases you can get sewn up in such a way as to form a pouch/fold/pocket inside your womb that collects gunk/fluid and interferes with implantation subsequently. It doesn't seem hugely researched though.

I have always thought that the scar tissue on your uterus must somehow reduce chances of conceiving - as fliggle says, it's less hospitable

Have you been tested for bicornate uterus, op?

I was the opposite. Took 19 months to conceive dc1. Crash section.

Dc2 was conceived first try.

DC1 first month of trying, born via emergency c section. DC2 after 2 months - elective c section.
She'd implanted very close to my scar though!

If the egg implants in a c section scar it's known as a c section ectopic pregnancy - I didn't know that existed until number 2.

Well it did my Mum, kind of.... She had an emergency c section with my youngest brother and the only way to save mum was a hysterectomy at the same time. Mum would of died otherwise.

Obviously that’s not the case for you, Maybe your fertility has just decreased. You were very lucky to get your dd first month of trying before

No idea medically - but anecdotally I'm sure you'd find examples. Not of permanent infertility, necessarily, but certainly troubles in conceiving for a second time. Secondary infertility is sadly very common.

I conceived DC1 within three months of trying, had emergency C section with him, then took 3 years and needed fertility treatment to conceive DC2. Had elective section for him. Then tried for DC3. Two failed rounds of fertility treatment, assumed it wasn't going to happen and then fell pregnant naturally. Go figure.

I know from first hand experience that secondary infertility can be incredibly tough so huge sympathies to you OP and anyone else going through it. Sometimes though there is absolutely no rhyme nor reason to why someone should conceive easily or with huge difficulty regardless of what kind of birth they might have experienced first time around.

Speak to your gp and see about a referral. I would also look up secondary infertility and arm yourself with info. I was pregnant with one month with dd had a section and fell pregnant again the one time I missed my pill with ds. Both kids born via sections and no issues with fertility so far.

My sil had a vaginal birth first time round with dn, she fell pregnant within a month of trying. It then took her over a year to get pregnant again. Each time is different even for the same women.

I think it takes longer second time because most couples are too knackered to have sex as often as they did pre-kids...

I got pg second month of ttc with dd then after 16 months of ttc with ds...