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Hysterectomy After a C-Section

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I was scheduled for a Hysterectomy in the summer and then found out that I am pregnant.

I am very excited to be able to have another child but I am nervous about the baby's health and my delivery and after the delivery. I have one child now who is 8 and had a difficult pregnancy and difficult delivery with him. I was able to have him vaginally.

My GYN told me that I will have to have the hysterectomy after my 6 week postpartum checkup. I am having a C-Section due to problems that I have (fibroids on the uterus, which are growing with the pregnancy, endometriosis, and cysts on the ovaries).

Is it possible to have a hysterectomy with a C-Section, and is it safe? I have been given conflicted answers and I really don't want to have to be cut open twice. I have a separate OB and GYN.

ANSWER

I am so sorry to hear about your problems, but congratulations on your pregnancy! I am a little concerned about your language; you do not "have" to do anything. No one can do anything to your body without your consent. If you choose to do so, I do not know of any reason why you couldn't have the hysterectomy after the cesarean, but I am not a surgeon, so I couldn't say for sure.

-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.