Is the third caesarean section dangerous?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is written by Master, Doctor Nguyen Nhu Thu Truc - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.
Caesarean section is a major surgery, causing many consequences affecting the health of pregnant women. If pregnant women are planning to have a third cesarean section, they should consider and learn the information below.

1. Things to know when giving birth by cesarean section

A cesarean section is a surgical procedure in which a woman's lower abdomen and uterus are cut open to remove the baby. The wound healing process depends on many factors such as: Health, location, number of cesarean births of the mother, medical support. If you have a caesarean section for the first and second time, the wound will heal very quickly, and the third time will be slower.
Pregnant women are indicated for cesarean section in the following cases:
Active cesarean delivery: This case is usually indicated for pregnant women with high blood pressure or placenta attached to the cervix (placenta previa). Emergency C-section: This is a situation when a pregnant woman goes into labor but there is fetal distress, the fetus needs to be taken out quickly within a few minutes when the problem is detected.

2. Is the third caesarean section dangerous?

The third caesarean section often has unpredictable dangers from the pregnancy to the recovery process.
In the 3rd caesarean section, pregnant women are at risk of facing many health and life-threatening complications such as: Cracking, rupture of the uterus; Placental abnormalities such as placental abruption, placenta previa, placenta previa (these are unusual complications that can lead to postpartum haemorrhage, hysterectomy). If the pregnancy time between the 2nd and 3rd times is not enough, the scar that has not yet healed will cause the risk of uterine rupture, the risk of bleeding or the need to have a hysterectomy to ensure the mother's life. Cracking, breaking the old incision is a common situation in pregnant women having a third caesarean section. When the scar has not had enough time to recover, it will lead to cracking of the old incision, which is easy to occur, causing infection. Easy to stick to intestines prone to infections, uterine diseases such as menorrhagia.

3. Things to keep in mind when pregnant women give birth by caesarean section for the 3rd time

For couples who want to have a 3rd cesarean birth after 2 previous cesarean births, it should be noted: The 3rd cesarean birth should be 3 to 5 years apart from the 2nd time when the scar has completely recovered. At the same time, the pregnancy interval between the 3rd and 2nd time should be at least 2 years apart. If a woman is pregnant for less than 2 years, the risk of caesarean section rupture in the second birth will be very large (3 times). The wound recovery time of pregnant women having a third caesarean section will also be longer than that of a normal birth. Usually, the recovery time will be 2-4 weeks. Therefore, pregnant mothers need almost absolute support during this time. Long hospital stays will be accompanied by higher hospital fees. Drugs used during caesarean section such as anesthetics, anesthetics, antibiotics, etc. will affect the process of stimulating breast milk production and lactation. Therefore, pay attention to the diet for pregnant women during pregnancy as well as after birth. Pregnant women do not need to wait until there are signs of labor to have a caesarean section. In most cases, surgery will be indicated earlier. If the previous two times the woman had a cesarean section, the third birth is definitely also indicated for a cesarean section, to avoid the risk of rupture of the incision. 2 and 3 under 16 months, scars with signs of swelling will be indicated for early surgery. But it is also very important to note about eating and drinking before cesarean section. To avoid affecting the caesarean section, pregnant women should not eat or drink anything 8 hours before the surgery. Before a few days should also only consume foods that are easy to digest. If the stomach contains a lot of food, it can lead to pulmonary reflux, causing airway obstruction, more dangerous than death.

Having a first and second caesarean section has many potential dangers, so pregnant women with the third pregnancy need to be closely monitored during pregnancy, labor, cesarean delivery and after delivery. This is to prevent obstetric complications, affecting the health and life of both mother and child.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital currently has a package maternity service as a solution to help pregnant women feel secure because of the companionship of the medical team throughout the pregnancy. When choosing Maternity Package, pregnant women can:
The pregnancy process is monitored by a team of qualified doctors Regular check-up, early detection of abnormalities Maternity package helps to facilitate the process. birthing process Newborns receive comprehensive care.

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