C-section Caused By Undiagnosed Celiac?

[alexisb]

After my first child I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Toward the end of my pregnancy I had TERRIBLE symptoms, so I know my celiac started beforehand. I was induced on her due date and I did not progress at all-- not even 1 cm after the whole day of pitocin and the like. At the end of the day, my doctor performed a c-section because of failure to progress (I felt like I failed a class!).

Now we're pregnant with #2, and planning to have a c-section and I've started thinking about the first a bit more. I've read that many celiac women had to have c-sections, but I gathered many of them were because the placenta wasn't healthy, etc. but does anyone think there could be a valid connection with "failure to progress" and untreated celiac? I'd appreciate ANY comments. Thanks.

[Michi8]

After my first child I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Toward the end of my pregnancy I had TERRIBLE symptoms, so I know my celiac started beforehand. I was induced on her due date and I did not progress at all-- not even 1 cm after the whole day of pitocin and the like. At the end of the day, my doctor performed a c-section because of failure to progress (I felt like I failed a class!).

Now we're pregnant with #2, and planning to have a c-section and I've started thinking about the first a bit more. I've read that many celiac women had to have c-sections, but I gathered many of them were because the placenta wasn't healthy, etc. but does anyone think there could be a valid connection with "failure to progress" and untreated celiac? I'd appreciate ANY comments. Thanks.

Congrats on your second pregnancy!

It's a tough thing to figure out. c/s can happen for so many different reasons. I suppose it is possible that celiac can lead to c/s due to FTP. But one has to look at each individual case to determine the reason for a birth resulting in surgery. Induction, regardless of a mom being celiac or not, often results in surgery because it simply wasn't time for baby to be born yet...and no amount of pitocin will make a difference except to stress baby & mom's body.

I recommend checking out ICAN (International Cesaerean Awareness network): Open Original Shared Link for information, support, etc. You may find some of the info you are looking for there. At the very least, you'll find lots of moms who have BTDT with c/s. https://www.celiac.com/uploads/emoticons/default_smile.png' alt=':)'> BTW, if you are looking for a good way to work through healing from your first birth experience and to positively prepare for your second, check out Birthing From Within classes in your area: Open Original Shared Link

Michelle

who's BTDT with 2 c/s and then a home VBAC

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I think failure to progress has more to do with having labor induced. Just because it was the due date does not mean that your body was ready for labor, first of all, and induced labors are FAR more painful than natural labor (I've been through both, so I speak from experience here). When they induce you,t hey don't let you get up and walk around, they keep you lying down, which which 1)drastically slows labor and 2) drastically increases your pain (labor hurts so much less when you can stand up, squat , walk around, etc).

So the doctors give you an epidural to relieve the agony--and the epidural drastically slows down the labor, resulting in "failure to progress."

I'm not saying they shouldn't have induced you. I don't know your circumstances. My first was induced because I had severe pre-eclampsia, and it was a darn good thing they induced me. But my OBGYN was wonderful--didn't force me to have an epidural until I asked for one after 18 hours, and they let me push for as long as I felt I could (and as long as the baby wasn't in any danger), which was 3 1/2 hours.

My second and third children were not induced--and they were both born 2 WEEKS after their due dates, and took 18 1/2 and 30 hours respectively. I didn't go into the hospital until the final 5 hours, but walked around as much as I could.

YOU DID NOT FAIL. Perhaps your doctor did, perhaps not. You have a healthy baby, and hopefully, you'll be less likely to develop a leaky urinary tract as a result of not having to push your baby out !

I bet that post-partum depression is more common in women who undergo C-sections--might have something to do with different hormonal stuff, might have to do with painkillers, and probably has a lot to do with the expectations set up by the big screen media that childbirth happens One Good Way, and everyone else is a failure. Don't go there--YOU DID NOT FAIL!!!!

I'm just glad you and your baby are here and okay! And congrats on #2!

[plantime]

What the doc says is the due date and what the due date really is are very often two different things. My first was induced on the due date, but it didn't take. She wasn't born until a full month later. It sounds as though it really was not your time, but the doc made it time. I don't think it has anything to do with being celiac.

[hannahsue01]

Wow.....I can so relate. With my first baby my water had broke. I had no contractions on my own. Had pitocin. Labored alllllllllllllll day. Never even got to 1. Then they stoped the pitocin and the contractions stoped. Then they sent me in for a c-section. I have no idea if it is related or not. I asume it was TIME as my water had broke on it's own. My second was born 11 weeks early due to celiac though. However, I was not gluten free as I did not find out about this disease until after she was born. Congradulations and good luck with your second and I hope all goes well.

[alexisb]

Wow.....I can so relate. With my first baby my water had broke. I had no contractions on my own. Had pitocin. Labored alllllllllllllll day. Never even got to 1. Then they stoped the pitocin and the contractions stoped. Then they sent me in for a c-section. I have no idea if it is related or not. I asume it was TIME as my water had broke on it's own. My second was born 11 weeks early due to celiac though. However, I was not gluten free as I did not find out about this disease until after she was born. Congradulations and good luck with your second and I hope all goes well.

So interesting! My water broke, too! It's all such a mystery, but the thought occured to me only recently connecting celiac disease to the c-section. It probably was a time issue, I agree, but it's interesting to hear your comments.

[Michi8]

So interesting! My water broke, too! It's all such a mystery, but the thought occured to me only recently connecting celiac disease to the c-section. It probably was a time issue, I agree, but it's interesting to hear your comments.

PROM (premature rupture of membranes) can possibly be related to celiac in that a vitamin C deficiency can lead to weaker membranes. That said, lots of women have PROM in absence of celiac disease. Time is a constraint with practitioners after ROM...most want delivery within 24 hours. However, as long as foreign objects (such as with vaginal exams) are not introduced (reducing the risk of infection) a woman could go much longer before delivery is necessary...thus giving the body a chance to go into spontaneous labour. Sometimes, given time, slow leaks can even repair themselves. I know of women who have safely gone days after ROM before labour started (baby is simply monitored for health & distress, but no vaginal exams are done) and amniotic fluid is naturally replenished on an ongoing basis.

Michelle