Does Having a C-Section Cause Infertility?
If you’ve had trouble getting pregnant after having a C-section you may be wondering if having a c-section causes infertility.
Having a C-Section could pose long term infertility risk and complications, especially if you’ve had an infection following your C-Section or developed extensive adhesions, but the risk is still low.
One thing that does often happen after having a c-section is that it may take longer for a woman to conceive.
That was exactly the case for me. After I had my daughter my husband and I tried for two years to get pregnant again. It seemed so strange because I had no problems conceiving before that.
Some specialists have even suggested that the inability to conceive after a c-section is more of a psychological problem rather than a physical one. That’s often because having a c-section can be a huge disappointment if it’s unexpected. But also C-Section recovery takes longer and with that can come psychological stresses that affect a woman’s ability to become pregnant again.
If you have had a c-section and are having trouble conceiving, don’t despair. Talk it over with your doctor first but also take into account the amount of time you have tried to conceive. On average, it takes about 3 months and doctors aren’t usually worried about it until after 1 year.
A resource that has helped many women get pregnant and something to consider is the Pregnancy Miracle, the next option would be to see a fertility specialist.
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Hallo
I am 32 years old, after 6 month of marriage I got pregnant, and after 9 month 7 days
I had first baby via emergency C-section, But baby died (it was CORD PROLAPS case).
I miss dearly and think about my child constantly, But I am trying to know this matter about my future.
I kindly request you to please give me your expert opinion about my following question.
1. Can any affect my fertility after a c-section in this case..?
2. How long after a C-section can I start thinking about having another baby?
3. What precaution I have to take when I pregnant again..?
4. How many chances to deliver normally after first c-section..?
I am so sorry to hear that your baby died. That always breaks my heart.
1. C-sections don’t affect fertility. I did a post on that very topic that you can read here:
http://worry-free-c-section.com/blog/c-section-complications/does-having-a-c-section-cause-infertility/
2. It is recommened that you wait as long as you can. I recommend at least a year, preferably 2 years. The longer you wait the better, it gives your scar time to heal fully.
3. Check with your doctor on precautions. I don’t know how common it is for this to occur again. The most common cause of umbilical cord prolapse are:
* Premature delivery
* Multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.)
* Excessive amounts of amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios)
* Breech delivery (feet first)
* Abnormally long umbilical cord
Talk with your doctor about what he thinks.
4. Are you referring to delivering vaginally next time, or a VBAC? To have a vaginal birth after a c-section (VBAC) is possible however you will have to check with your doctor on this. Many doctors do not do VBAC’s and some hospitals don’t even do them. If you are referring to having another c-sections safely and successfully, this is certainly possible, however your medical history, health and other factors come into play. Scar tissue or adhesions are the most common risk with subsequent c-sections and you should talk with your doctor about any of these risks.
I hope that helps
I realize that there are a lot of factors that go into fertility problems, but I have a couple of questions. I had my son 16mo ago. I was 25 at the time. I actually got pregnant on birth control (The Nuvaring). Rare, I know, but I’m living proof it happens. I had planned a vaginal delivery, but it turned out that he was too big, he didn’t even drop down. After his heart rate dropped, I was rushed back to the operating room for a c-section. I don’t regret it, I know it was the right thing to do at that time for my son.
My husband and I are ready for another child. We have been trying steadily for six months. I have used ovulation tests and have a regular period. I’ve read all about the different methods I can do to try to help things along, but nothing. I started doing research and I am horrified. Honestly this is the first I have heard that c-sections might cause infertility, or might make getting pregnant harder the second time around. I’m a little upset that my doctor and I had discussed through out my pregnancy, due to the size of the baby, c-section might be in my future and he never mentioned any of this to me.
You had mentioned that some experts think it is more than likely a psychological issue getting pregnant again. I had an easy delivery. There was a moment where things got tense, but overall it was a good experience, one that I want to repeat and am definitely not afraid of.
So my questions are, what other reason might there be for it taking so long to get pregnant again in regards to the c-section? And, if I am suffering from some subconscious fear of getting pregnant again, what can I do to fix it?
Alisha, from what you are telling me it doesn’t sound like your problem is a sub-conscious fear, especially since you’ve already had a baby with an easy delivery and you’re not afraid to get pregnant again. You may however have some uterine scarring which can cause conception problems or delay conceiving. I had the same problem after my first c-section. We had planned on having our second child about two years later. When we began trying it took over a year to conceive. What we did was calculate ovulation. With doing that it still took several months to conceive. When I asked my doctor about it he wasn’t surprised and said this sometimes happens after a c-section. I remember him saying that they like for a patient to give it a full year before running any kind of fertility tests. It took several months but we finally got pregnant.
I would say to give it more time. Keep using your ovulation tests and trying each month. There’s a book out by Lisa Olson called ‘Pregnancy Miracle‘ that you might want to take a look at. She’s produced a number of success stories. Her approach is holistic and safe. For you it may be worth the read.
Don’t be discouraged just yet. I think with a little more time you could do this. Another suggestion is to not try so hard. Put the anxiety of getting pregnant out of your mind if you can. Simply take it a day at time and relax as much as you can. Keep the notion in your head that you will get pregnant it’s just going to take more time, that’s all
**hugs**
I was wondering if you could give me you expert advice as well. I had a c-section in 2004 and my husband and I tried to have another child for about 2-3 years, with no luck. I just assumed that it wasn’t meant for me to have another child. I went OB/GYN for a check up a few months ago and she found a polyp on my cervix and she removed it right then. Since then my cycles have been so strange. I talked to her about our conceiving problems and she suggested me to have a dye test done to check for blockages. My questions are, could a C-Section be a cause for our conceiving problems and how a polyp removal cause my cycles to be so strange?
Hi Terri, C-Section adhesions have been known to prevent conception, but it is rare. Here’s some more information on C-Section adhesions and how they might prevent pregnancy:
http://worry-free-c-section.com/blog/1319/can-c-section-adhesions-prevent-pregnancy/
Outside of adhesions there could actually be a number of things preventing you from conceiving again. A dye test should help you find out though.
Unfortunately I don’t know how polyp removal could affect your cycle. It may be something that will normalize over time but the best person to ask is your doctor
Hi,
I am 32yrs,had my first child 3 years ago through CS and have been trying to conceieve again for the past 1 year.Although i had my baby with fibroid,could it cause infertility now when i conceived easily the first time.
My doctor subjected me to an hormonal test that i have to repeat because result was non clinical.kindly advice
Also, i will like to know if i can take a fertility drug to boost my fertile chances.
Thanks.
I had a cesarean 13 years ago and now I am 34 and have been trying diligently for 8 months to get pregnant. Why is it taking so long? I had a normal pap. Would I feel it if my tubes were blocked? My periods are normal. Does that egg white cervical mucas have to be present to conceive? I get cm just not necessarily stretchy. Whats wrong with me??
Hi Erin, I had a similar problem after my first C-Section, it took forever to conceive, that’s why my kids are almost 5 years apart.
I don’t think blocked tubes have any symptoms, in other words I don’t thing you would feel anything. My best advice to you is don’t give up, I didn’t and I finally did conceive.
Here’s a post I did that might help you:
http://worry-free-c-section.com/blog/1319/can-c-section-adhesions-prevent-pregnancy/
Also here’s an article on egg white cervical mucus that might help as well:
http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/egg-white-cervical-mucus-and-conception.html