A lot of women have known to have difficulty in conceiving their second baby after having a cesarean delivery. This lead to a series of questions which mainly included whether C-section was the reason behind this difficulty or not. The answer to these questions would be a yes. C-section, in fact, can cause secondary infertility and can affect 19-88% of C-section patients.
WHAT IS C-SECTIONS?
A C-section or cesarean delivery is the surgical delivery of the baby in which an incision is made in a woman’s uterus. Commonly done due to complications in the pregnancy, C-sections leaves off a scar in the uterus which can prevent or can cause symptoms which hinder the fertility.
HOW DO THEY AFFECT INFERTILITY?
Secondary infertility can be caused due to some damage to the reproductive organ. In C-section, when the scar is not properly healed then one suffers from infertility.
What can happen in this scar, is a problem in which the scar becomes a fluid-filled pouch which causes an accumulation of blood. When the old menstrual cycle gets trapped in this pouch, it gets an inflammatory response, which further impairs implantation of the embryo. Hence, as a result, one can find difficulty in their pregnancy.
HOW TO KNOW THAT YOU MAY SUFFER FROM C-SECTION SCAR?
Scarring is common when an incision is made. It is the improper healing of the scar that becomes problematic. There are certain symptoms that once can face if her C-section scar is not healing properly. They include:
- Painful periods
- Bleeding
- Pelvic pain
- Vaginal discharge
If you are suffering from these symptoms that you must your doctor who will check the healing of the scar.
Usually, as a part of your check, your doctor will prescribe certain diagnostic and fertility test in which the pouch is seen thoroughly for any abnormality.
Once your doctor confirms that it is actually your C-section scar which is resulting in the difficulty, he would suggest going through a procedure, especially to someone who wants to conceive again.
Nowadays, doctors are also taking measures to ensure that their patients do not suffer any problem after their C-sections. They make sure to keep regular checkups for the patients and help in a healthy recovery.
