Hi there,
Let me give you a brief history about myself. I am 27 years old, weight 280lbs and am having my second child. In the past 5 years I have had the following surgeries and procedures:
I am currently 37 weeks 6 days pregnant and have a scheduled csection for January 4th. The reason I feel I must do it, is because of the surgeries I HAve had on my uterus, septum removal and csection. I also have a ton of scar tissue. I also know that csection is higher percentage with obese women. SO why labor if I end up csecing anyway? In your opinion, is a csection a good decision or am I adding more flame to my fire? Also, is placement of an epi difficult during a csection because of my weight? Thank you Very much!
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Dr David
Moderator posted 22 December 2000 12:06 PM
An elective repeat caesarean section is a "good decision" for you if you have made a well-informed decision taking all of your personal and medical circumstances into account. It sounds like you have made such a careful, considered plan for this birth.
An epidural can be more difficult to place in heavier women, but is within the skills of a trained specialist anaesthetist. A caesar can also be done under a spinal block, which is a simpler more reliable technique, but one which doesn't usually allow ongoing post-op analgesia. Good analgesia that allows early mobilisation is especially important in heavier woman to help prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and minimise the risk of chest infections. Your anaesthetist will probably discuss the role of DVT prophylactic medication with you pre-operatively.
Dr.David
DISCLAIMER:
This advice is of a general nature to help in decision-making. It
does not constitute recommended treatment for an individual. You must
consult your health care provider for individual
advice.