# Any link between caesarian birth and subsequent secondary infertility?



## Jane D

I have heard anecdotal evidence about women who have caesarian births taking much longer than average to conceive again.  Has anyone heard of a direct link to infertility? I have a 2 year old daughter, concieved naturally, second month into ttc.  She was delivered by emergency caesarian. I have been ttc for 13 months, referred early to consultant as I am 36.  I have had a HSG which was normal and my partner is ok.  All they could find wrong with me was annovulation, via blood tests, sometimes I release an egg, sometimes I don't.  I am now on Clomid for 6 months. Two friends have  mentioned that a caesarian birth can affect fertility.  My consultant is aware of my medical history, but has said that the uterus, lining and all tubes are ok.  Any experiences or info gratefully received.

Jane


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## lyndalou

Hi Jane  Might not help but I remember this from first appointment


            When I had my consultation at clinic one of the questions the doctor asked was did I have
            a section at my sons birth. He said sections can sometimes leave scaring that can cause
            problems trying to conceive again. It is such a big operation and something inside could
            get slightly damaged and then cause future problems. Its worth talking it over with your 
            doctor.  I didnt have a section so didnt discuss it any further. hope this helps a little x


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## dreamerbarton

hi Jane 
i to had an emergency section when having my son six years ago n have to been ttc for 4 years now. i do believe it must have something to do with not conceiving again as my husband n i have both been giving the all clear . i am now on my 3 month of taking clomid in the hope that it helps.  my consultant did ask if i had a section and put a bit ? in my notes next to it so there must be a link somewhere .
goodluck with the clomid  

Gill


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## SUSZY

Hi Jane and co

I too had an emergency c section in feb 02 and I also had a nasty infection which gave me puss in my womb when he opened me up, my little boy was a healthy size of 10 3 but his apda (sorry cannot remember spelling)  score was low so he was not even there when I woke up although I had a photo and he was brought into me to try and feed it was quite traumatic.  He was in neonatal for 24 hours - he had antibs and a feeding tube but was fine and of course he was in there with a lot of prem babies which was upsetting.  I remember the nurse putting on my notes when i was upstairs a lone in the room the next morning saying i was a little teary !!!!!!!!as i was asking where my baby was and when could i see him. Luckily dh came and wheeled me down.
sorry to digress got a bit teary writing that and realise how dramatic it was at time although it did not stop me drinking champers in the cafe with family once I got chucked out of neonatal and had to rush back to be there when he arrived (and then thehard work started!!!) 
anyway back to point in hand I actually conceived twice ok but both resulted in m/c so not sure if that connected andthey won't investigate until you have had three and hopefully by using donor eggs i won't have another.
not sure if its helped you atall but thanks for letting me share the above it all came flooding out so obviously needed too.
i know a few on 2ndry have raised the same question
good luck
susie


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## chimer

Hi, I've always been told that having a CS has nothing to do with our infertility - reading this thread says different though! 

I too had an emergency CS after conceiving naturally and have been ttc #2 for 4 years. All our tests have been fine. I had an HSG which was ok, apart from I have a bicornate uterus which I'm also told doesn't affect fertility. This was originally discovered during my pg and my son was breach as a result. 

I would love to see some stats, which show how many people conceive naturally after a CS, but haven't found any.

Thanks for asking the question, as I always thought I was "clutching at straws", so thanks for making me feel normal!

Susie, thanks for sharing your Son's birth story with us. You went through a tough time and I'm glad you and your Son were ok.

Lou xXx


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## Jane D

Thank you all you lovely people for your stories and support.
Thanks Lynda, I am going to raise the caesarian issue with my consultant. All the best to you.

To Gill in Liverpool (the land of my fathers), all the very best on the Clomid, I hope it works for you. I am just two cycles ahead. To Suszy thank you for sharing your birth story and good luck on your journey, and to Lou (hope I haven't missed anyone out), thanks for your story and I hope whatever next step you take is right for you.  Don't ever think of failure.

To you all, I am going to pursue this.  I sometimes think I may have actually conceived, but the poor thing could not implant properly. I have also had a very early miscarriage last September. In this case, if there is problems with implantation, it is unlikely that anything could help me.  In November I have a review and my six months of Clomid ends.  I have no idea if they will give me any more Clomid or they will push me into IUI, which i don't think will help, or IVF.  It is ironic to me that the surgery that saved my life and my daughters could possibly condemn me to never having another child again.

If I find any sourced medical evidence references, I will post them on here, if it is allowed.  Thank you all so much for making me feel less lonely.  

All the best to you all

Jane


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## Karenphi

Hi Jane,

I had an emergency c-section too and have been ttc for nearly 2 years. I had a lap in May and they found both tubes were blocked, probably from the infection I had after the birth. One tube was malformed aand may have always been this way but the consultant managed to unblock the other tube. Since having my son I have had mid-cycle spotting every cycle and I wonder if this has anything to do with the c-section. The consult who did the lap couldn't find anything to explain the spotting so maybe it's hormonal, although I have had one iui cycle cancelled due to poor womb lining.

I trhink we will all get our bfps in the end but it may just take us a bit longer.

Take care,
Karen


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## Pand

Hi

As you can see from my profile, I have had nearly two years of hell!  I had an emergency section with my little boy in 2002.  Prior to that I had never had any problems and certainly hadn't spent any time in hospital.  I firmly believe that the section was the start of all my problems.  If you find any information, I would be really interested to hear about it.

Thanks

Pand


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## avon

hi, i had a section with my 1st child but i still managed 2 have another 2 all were sections if thats any help jane


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## Ms Minerva

I had a natural birth with DD, still trying to conceive much longed for sibling 5 years later.... 

Good luck to us all!

Jules
xxx


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## nanook

Hi Guys

Hope you dont mind me butting in!

I had an emergency c section 6 tears ago and have been ttc for 5 years now.  I was told this year after having a laporoscopy that there is so much scar tissue from the cesarean that I will peob never be able to conceive naturally again and my only hope being IVF, which I will not ghet any help with the funding as I already have 1 child so am not deemed 'needy' enough.

I had a second Lap a few months later and now, luckily I have been told both tubes are clear (?) - the consultant couldnt explain it either!, anyway now we are just keeing them crossed each month and trying not to get addicted to buying clear blues again!

Good luck to each and every one of us!!!

xx


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## Jane D

thanks Nanook.  As I will be self funding from January, I am considering paying for a lap, as I would like to eliminate scarring as a cause of my infertility.  The NHS have not offered me this investigation, but if you pays your money I suppose you can then call the shots.  If I can eliminate the C section once and for all, this will help me move on and accept IVF is the only way forward.  My last NHS consultation is 10 Jan, and after that the cash registers start ringing. Just praying my FSH goes down from 10 and I am offered the chance of IVF.  For me the next year is crucial and I will be assertive with the consultant and ask if we have a fighting chance with my own eggs for IVF.  If not, it is game over and all the baby stuff in the loft goes to a car boot.  
Good luck to you all and bless you all.

Jane
x


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## faithfullyhoping

Hi Jane

I've just joined FF and have been having a look around at the various boards when I noticed this posting.  I conceived my daughter naturally very quickly, but had to have a C section as she was breach.  I've been trying for a sibling for her for 3 years now and have often wondered whether the section has had anything to do with it. I've had tubes checked and a scan and the various consultant's i've seen have said that they can't see any problems resulting from it.  
I do know lots of people who've had caesarians and then gone on to conceive again without any problems though!
My thinking is that maybe the scar tissue just makes it more difficult for implantation but that eventually given enough opportunity one will make it! Hope it happens for you soon.

faithfullyhoping


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## lainey-lou

Hi Girls

I too had an emergency c/s with my dd, as she was breach.

Lainey x


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## dustyrose

Hello! 

Is it okay that I add to this post? I conceived DD very easily and my problems started one month after my c-section in 2004. Started having bad pains and heavy bleeding. I knew it wasn't normal and went to GP who said it was infact normal. Three years later, here I am about to have a laproscopy for endometriosis. I've seen two endo consults. The first totally discredited the link between sections and scarring or endo. The second has told me I might not have endo but it could be scarring due to the section. This was confirmation enough for me that my section is to blame for not having any more children. There are are enough of us wondering so there must be a connection there.


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## louise_uk

Hello all CS mums suffering from secondary infertility.

I had a emergency CS in 2004. Last year I was diagnosed with intra uterine adhesions, scarring in the uterus caused by my CS. It is also a condition called Ashermans syndrome.

The scarring does not always show on a normal 2D ultra sound and is underdiagnosed as a complication of CS, as it is most often caused by a D&C. The symptoms are lighter and perhaps more painfull bleed and infertility or miscarriages.

There was a good article about it recently in the Times with some links to their suport group, which is really informative and supportive

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article3025016.ece

In regards to this, the Daily Mail also had an article in the other day on CS mothers risk in subsequent pregnancies. It also mentions infertility.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/womenfamily.html?in_article_id=505412&in_page_id=1774

Sorry to bring this, but know it might help some to get a prober diagnose and know that even if most CS mothers goes on to have more children, some, like me and a few other might not.

I am still very sad about my own situation. The CS damage is extensive for me and I was lucky to get diagnosed and had a hysteroscopy to remove the scarring. Unfortunately it can reform and might bring other complications and risks along if I ever would get pregnant again and also in regards to the birth.

Sincerely
Louise


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## reetpetite

can i add my tuppence please? ds was born april 05 by crash cs. a week later i had a fever, was still unable to move around and was in constant agony, the mw bullied the cons into checking the placenta results and turns out i had uterine GBS. im convinced that this has contributed to our bad luck since, so, from  reading some of trhe posts on here im inclined to believe that SIF is more common in women who had emergency/crash cs's. during my laparotomy they found extensive adhesions on my ep tube, the right (thank god) wasnt as bad, but wasnt great, but then they had also shoved my bladder too high up too, so it could simply be that the cs didnt help..

sorry am rambling here...


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## Heather 5

HI everyone
Hope you don,t mind me pitching in,  I too have had fertility problems since my c-section in dec01,  the consultant at our local hospital divided adhesions left after the section,  the consultant at our clinic has advised us that our problems (unexplained infertility) are more than likely due to the previous section.  I have no regrets we have a lovely daughter 7yrs old,  but would so dearly like another child.  So here we are starting with a fresh cycle tomorrow,  one last try!!


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