Due to be sterilised.

mel787 · 2023-03-08T09:42:20+00:00

I am due to be sterilised next week after deciding I don't want any more kids. Has anyone been sterilised, and what did you feel like afterwards? The only thing I am scared of is being put to sleep. I wanted to stay awake but apparently only certain hospitals give a local anaesthetic.

InfluencerHag · 08/03/2023 09:59

Following, as I have an initial consultation coming up.

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 08/03/2023 10:06

I felt fine afterwards. Had it Friday afternoon, back at work on the Monday. Very little pain but did have a bit of shoulder pain for a couple of days due to the abdomen inflation with CO2. Didn’t need over the counter analgesia for more than a couple of days.

Original poster

mel787 · 08/03/2023 10:10

Thank you for replying. That's good to know, I've never been out under before and I think if I was to stay away I wouldn't have this anxiety. Also I was thinking will I regret it after it's done. Even though 100% I am done with having kids. Plus I'm too old.

OP posts:

purpledalmation · 08/03/2023 10:40

I had this done a few years ago at 32. General anaesthetic and keyhole surgery. Uneventful recovery although the gas in my abdomen was uncomfortable for a day or so. Not regretted it for a minute. The relief of not worrying about unwanted pregnancy was amazing. Still v happy. I did have an emotional wobble when I got to 39 knowing I wound never have another baby as menopause and age would take the choice away from me, but it really was just a wobble. Fine now.

changedmynam · 08/03/2023 18:58

I have been sterilised recently.

I was sterilised after an unplanned pregnancy which could have killed me, so I chose to terminate first. I'm 41, already have 2 happy healthy older children and we had decided a long time ago not to have any more.
Complications after termination meant I needed to have open gynea surgary, and I chose to be sterilised at the same time, because pregnancy is considered to be a danger to my life.

I dont feel different but I think i feel relieved.

Not sure I can comment on my recovery because I was recovering from major surgery, rather than a sterlisation, but 6 weeks later I was back at work and 10 weeks later I finally felt normal.

Try not to worry about general aneasthetic. This was my 6th and honestly they are fine. You are asleep in little more than an instant and suddenly you are awake and normal again, and cant work out where the past few hours have gone.

Meredusoleil · 08/03/2023 19:00

I don't think you'll want to hear about my sterilisation, so I will keep it to myself until after you've had your one.

RisingSunn · 08/03/2023 19:05

I have been thinking about this for months too. The only thing that I’m starting to realise is that the tubes can rejoin?
There are a good few videos on YouTube of women having babies after sterilisation…now I’m wondering if it’s worth going through it all. sigh

Original poster

mel787 · 08/03/2023 19:07

Meredusoleil · 08/03/2023 19:00

I don't think you'll want to hear about my sterilisation, so I will keep it to myself until after you've had your one.

Can you tell me it before I have mine done because I would rather know beforehand. You can't just put that and think I'll go, ahh ok that sits well with me I'll ask her after I've had the procedure. Obviously something hasn't gone right

OP posts:

Original poster

mel787 · 08/03/2023 19:08

RisingSunn · 08/03/2023 19:05

I have been thinking about this for months too. The only thing that I’m starting to realise is that the tubes can rejoin?
There are a good few videos on YouTube of women having babies after sterilisation…now I’m wondering if it’s worth going through it all. sigh

I think that's when they just clip the tubes there is a chance that you can get pregnant again.

OP posts:

Meredusoleil · 08/03/2023 19:09

mel787 · 08/03/2023 19:07

Can you tell me it before I have mine done because I would rather know beforehand. You can't just put that and think I'll go, ahh ok that sits well with me I'll ask her after I've had the procedure. Obviously something hasn't gone right

Show quote history

Long version or short version?

Original poster

mel787 · 08/03/2023 19:10

Long version please.

OP posts:

Meredusoleil · 08/03/2023 19:30

Had a bad reaction to the GA. Vomiting in the car on the way home, as they couldn't wait to discharge me as quickly as possible. Recovery was horrendous. The worst shoulder pain I've ever felt. Lasted for about 2 weeks.

Had lots of pain since. Periods gone back to being very heavy. Developed iron deficiency anaemia. Scans have shown nothing wrong. Except the clip on my right ovary has migrated and is floating around somewhere inside my body!

So I went through all that and I'm still not protected against an unwanted pregnancy! Dh outright refused to get the snip and my GP wanted me to go off the pill (age/weight/BP related). So I felt I had to do something.

In hindsight, I should have tried the mirena coil first. I will never recommend this type of contraception to anyone now. Especially not my own 2 girls. I have been offered a laparoscopy to investigate the pain and put the clip back on the fallopian tube, but i don't want any more invasive treatments like surgery.

Until I had dd1, I had never had any surgery in my life (both girls were born by ELCS, dd1 not my choice).

I hope my example is a rare one though.

Lovemusic33 · 08/03/2023 19:32

I was sterilised almost 2 years ago but had ablation at the same time (this apparently meant I wouldn’t be able to carry another baby so made sense to get sterilised at the same time). My recovery wasn’t a quick as most people’s but I am unsure if that was the sterilisation or the ablation. My periods have been much more painful and all over the place since being sterilised, I suspect I have endometriosis and the sterilisation made things worse. I am now likely to need a hysterectomy. I think the majority of sterilisations go well, there’s always a small risk with anything but I am sure they would have ran through that with you.

Lovemusic33 · 08/03/2023 19:35

Meredusoleil · 08/03/2023 19:30

Had a bad reaction to the GA. Vomiting in the car on the way home, as they couldn't wait to discharge me as quickly as possible. Recovery was horrendous. The worst shoulder pain I've ever felt. Lasted for about 2 weeks.

Had lots of pain since. Periods gone back to being very heavy. Developed iron deficiency anaemia. Scans have shown nothing wrong. Except the clip on my right ovary has migrated and is floating around somewhere inside my body!

So I went through all that and I'm still not protected against an unwanted pregnancy! Dh outright refused to get the snip and my GP wanted me to go off the pill (age/weight/BP related). So I felt I had to do something.

In hindsight, I should have tried the mirena coil first. I will never recommend this type of contraception to anyone now. Especially not my own 2 girls. I have been offered a laparoscopy to investigate the pain and put the clip back on the fallopian tube, but i don't want any more invasive treatments like surgery.

Until I had dd1, I had never had any surgery in my life (both girls were born by ELCS, dd1 not my choice).

I hope my example is a rare one though.

Sorry things didn’t go well for you, mine was similar (without the vomiting), long recovery, went back to hospital several times and am now waiting in another referral to gynaecologist to see if there’s anything other than a hysterectomy that can ease my symptoms.

Oblomov23 · 08/03/2023 19:39

Felt ok. Took a good few days to feel better. Wasn't awful. But felt like someone had been rummaging around inside me, an odd feeling.

NHG86 · 08/03/2023 19:57

Ive got mine booked for the 12th April.
I dont want anymore children, i had an awful experience with an abortion. After my last child they advised me not to wgt pregnant again. Im on the mirena, but sugger from awful megraine which are made worse by contraceptive.
OH is refusing to get the snip, think he scared haha.
Can you let us know what you decide to do, how it went. All people ive spoken to have a positive experience.
I think its a bit like childbirth you only really hear the negative stuff not the positive.

changedmynam · 08/03/2023 20:07

mel787 · 08/03/2023 19:08

I think that's when they just clip the tubes there is a chance that you can get pregnant again.

Show quote history

My tube (the only one that i have left as other ovary and fallopian tube were removed completely) was cut and i have been told i still have a 1:500 chance of pregnancy (compared to a 1:2000 if DH had a vasectomy)

Apparently the normal way sterilisation happens in routine surgery is to clip the tubes, but because i was already cut open having major surgery anyway my tubes were cut. Despite being 42, only having 1 ovary and 1 tube, which has been cut, there is still a chance i could get pg again (but if i do highly likely to be eptopic)

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 09/03/2023 01:59

RisingSunn · 08/03/2023 19:05

I have been thinking about this for months too. The only thing that I’m starting to realise is that the tubes can rejoin?
There are a good few videos on YouTube of women having babies after sterilisation…now I’m wondering if it’s worth going through it all. sigh

Yes but those of us who don’t have babies after sterilisation don’t bother to put a video on YouTube to tell the world that our surgery has worked! I really wouldn’t factor this rare possibility into my decision making.

RisingSunn · 09/03/2023 09:38

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 09/03/2023 01:59

Yes but those of us who don’t have babies after sterilisation don’t bother to put a video on YouTube to tell the world that our surgery has worked! I really wouldn’t factor this rare possibility into my decision making.

Show quote history

Yes of course - negative reviews spread faster.

However my point was that I wasn’t aware becoming pregnant after sterilisation was possible at all. Sterilisation was always portrayed as absolute. Which is not actually the case… so it is something (for me) to factor in.