Possible Pregnancy After Hernia Repair

Hi. I saw the question you posted in 2004. However, I did not see that any response was ever given to you. I have had two hernia surgeries and have had the mesh repair twice on my right side and wanted to ask the same question. Were you pregnant and did you have a successful pregnancy after your hernia surgery? Thanks.

I had an umbilical hernia repair with mesh done on april 5, 2006. I just took 2 home pregnancy tests, both positive. Will be 5th baby :oops: I am scared to death. Please let me know if you were pregnant and how things went. :( if anyone else knows about this, feel free to chime in.

I found the following link of discussions of pregnancy experiences after hernia surgery.

Http:// www.Pregnancy-info.Net/qa/answers-how_did_ you_deliver_after_your_incisional_hernia_r epair_/

it seems that some women are fine throughout their pregnancy after hernia surgery and others experience pain and have to get another surgery to replace the mesh.....It seems to all depends on the type of hernia repair. I have not been pregnant before, and was very anxious to find out if it is safe for me to even get pregnant after 2 hernia surgeries, both with mesh used to repair them and metal pins to hold the mesh in place. Ouch!

Hi, i'm new on this board and was just wondering if anyone has talked to their doctor yet, or has been through this successfully already. I have had 3 c-sections, and the last one resulted in a hernia that needed mesh repair. That was almost 3 years ago. I just found out i'm pregnant again. I had spoken with my ob and my surgeon back then and they both said that another pregnancy shouldn't be a problem. I even went back on fertility drugs when we were ready to start trying again. So it's not like my doctors weren't aware. Now, i'm reading all sorts of stories about bedrest, ripping mesh, incredible pain and i'm wondering why my doctors didn't ever mention that this was a common complication. So any thoughts? Is it common for people to have normal pregnancies after the hernia repair. I was also told that the mesh doesn't get cut out or removed, that they cut right through it for the new c-section and then use non-dissolving stiches to hold it back together. Anyway, I see my doctor in a few weeks. Thanks for any info you have. Michelle f.

I was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia after giving birth to my son. I had it repaired with mesh approx. About a year ago. I asked the surgeon how it would affect me if I were to get pregnant again. The only thing that she told me was that with the weight of the baby that the mesh might not hold the hernia - meaning, worst case scenario, I would have to have hernia surgery again.

I knew I wanted another child and we are officially pregnant now. Haven't even been to the dr yet. Just found out by home test.

Everyone has mentioned that with the c-section that they would have to cut the mesh. I have an umbilical hernia which is by the belly button. The c-section is way down on my bikini area. I'm don't understand with that far distance how they would have to cut the mesh?

Hi there. Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy. I am happy to report that when I saw my doctor last week, he said that complications from the mesh are extremely uncommon. They do happen, but they are the rare complication. He assured me that I should not be worried, but that if a problem does arise, that we'll be able to deal with it. He told me that what i'm reading on the internet are really "worst case scenarios" and that the majority of pregnancies (with mesh involved) proceed painlessly and normally, but of course you don't see anyone writing about that here.

As for cutting out the mesh, he told me he plans to stay as far away from the hernia incisions and the mesh as he possibly can. I have both vertical (from the hernia repair) and horizontal (from c-sections) abdominal scars. I assumed he'd want to take the easy route and go through the vertical one, but he said he would much prefer to use my previous bikini line scar for this upcoming c-section and avoid the mesh altogether.

He was very reassuring and gave me every reason to trust that this will not necessarily become complicated. Best of luck to you! Michelle

Michelle,
that sounds great! You have already made me feel a little better. I have my first dr's. Appt in 2 weeks and plan to discuss the hernia situation with her.

How far along are you and have you felt any stretching or pulling in your hernia area? I heard this is typical but wasn't sure. Thanks for your positive input!!!!!!! Natalie (artgirl)

Natalie- I hope you get the same news from your doctor, then maybe we can both rest easier. I'm 9 weeks, so not very far along. From the sound of it, the women who seem to have lots of discomfort and tearing tend to have it a bit later, around maybe 20 or so weeks.

I'm overweight, so I also hope to gain as little weight as possible. Not by dieting, but by eating healthy foods and eating moderately. My doctor said that this fine. I'm not making major changes, but I am cutting out french fries altogether and reducing sweets, etc. My main goal is for me to be as healthy as possible, so that if there are any complications, my health will help, rather than hinder, me. I figure that if I just watch what I eat, with my pregnancy metabolism in overdrive, then i'll probably actually lose some weight at the beginning and gain it back at the end. With my first pregnancy, I did pretty much that by cutting out soda and french fries!

Anyway, good luck at your doctor's visit. I hope everything goes well? How far are you? I'm guessing about the same as me since you're going in for your first visit soon. (they brought me in early because I have high blood pressure and my new medication was making me swell! Yuck to swell already. But they said I probably just have to live with it.) have a good one. Michelle

Michelle, I am not really sure how far along I am. Unfortunately, I did not keep good track of my periods the past month or two and have no idea. Taking a stab at it though, I would say that I am probably about 6-7 weeks along. My doctor's appt is in a week and a half. I will be sure to let you know how it goes~ thanks!!

Hi.

How long should one wait to get pregnant after having umbilical hernia surgery? Just had surgery 8/31 would like to concieve at the end of november, is that a bad move?

Also, anyone heard of any chinese herbs to help with recovery?

Thx. Jlove

I'm sorry if this double posts, but I got an error, so i'm redoing this.

Jlove- my instinct is that waiting a little longer would be advised. However, i'm not a doctor, so if I were you, i'd check with both your surgeon and your ob. They could give you much better information about how long it takes for the mesh and incision to heal. Plus, your ob could give you advice about what to expect during pregnancy.

Artgirl- if you're still out there. I'd love to hear how you're doing. I have started having some minor "pulling." at least I think that's what it is. I haven't actually gained weight, but i'm growing, so I would guess that falls into the normal range. The pulling is usually when I get up quickly from a sitting position and then it goes away quickly. I can't really tell if it's mesh-related or just normal pregnancy pains.

Michelle

Hi ladies not sure if you all are still around. I am in the same situation although I have had two hernia repair surgeries. The first surgery hernia they went through my belly button at the bottom , the second they repaired with a vertical incision above my navel and a mesh screen was put in. This was two years ago, I am now 4 1/2 months pregnant and was told by my ob that I would more than likely have pain once as I continue to get bigger but we will take it as it goes as I can't take much pain medicine other than tylenol. I notice the most discomfort after I eat my stomach feels as though it is being stretched as far as it can be stretched! I usually rub it in a circular motion and it goes away I noticed that the baby has been moving by my belly button and that causes some discomfort too i'm just hoping I can get through the rest of the pregnancy without any serious complications due to the stretching! So far it has been bearable.

Well, my son is 5 weeks old and I'm happy to say that the mesh held up and when they did my C-section, there was no indication that it was in danger of tearing or anything. I had some minor "pulling" throughout the pregnancy, but nothing that felt too bad. I tried to keep away from any heavy lifting, but that was my only real precaution. Oh, I also tried to eat REALLY healthy throughout the pregnancy. I ended up gaining a total of about 10 pounds. I was overweight to begin with, so although I wasn't dieting, my new healthier eating habits kept my weight in check, so as not to cause extra stress on that mesh... .

Anyway, I just remember how scared I was when I tried to research "pregnancy after hernia repair" and all I found was really scary stories of torn mesh and unbearable pain. So, I just hope that someone else finds this board and can see that it is entirely possible and actually much more likely that things will move along smoothly and not get complicated. Good luck to all. Michelle

Hi! I'm sorry to bring the bad news for all of you but I am 23 weeks pregnant right now and had a strangulated hernia repaired with mesh about 7 months ago. I am in extreme pain and have been taken out of work. I have a 15 month old and can't pick him up and often have a hard time walking up the steps. Sorry for the bad news.

Not sure if anyone is still on this board, but I just found out that I have an inguinal hernia and was just about to start trying to get pregnant with baby number 2. I was just wondering how long after surgery people's doctors were wanting them to wait before trying to conceive and if anyone's doctor was resistant to use mesh if they planned to get pregnant. I have not seen a surgeon yet- will see one this week, but am anxious to know what this means about future pregnancies!

Thanks in advance!

Hi I had an inguinal hernia repair two years ago on the right side. Unfortunately the left one has started developing although it is not as aggressive as the right one that we repaired. been struggling to get pregnant and have just been put on fertility treatment. I am I taking such a big risk by not repairing the hernia first? Especially as I run a risk of having multiple births should I get pregnant? Any advice would be great.

Hi, I had a tumor removed in 2006 and now only have 4 and a half abs the rest is mesh. So obviously I'm at high risk for hernia. I am now pregnant and have a lot of concerns. My doctor says that he's spoke to several high risk pregnancy doctors and some say that there should not be any reason I can't have a natural birth and no mesh replacement will be needed. While other doctors are saying I will need a c-section and have the mesh replaced. Some of those doctors tell me that my mesh can be replaced during c-section and others say it can't be done right away as there will be abdominal changes right after birth. Has anyone had this done? What were the outcomes with you? I'm on my 3rd pregnancy and this is the scariest one of them all due to my medical problems. I guess I'm just a rare case as with my tumor I already went through hell as I found NOTHING online about my tumor as it was rare. Now I go through this....please help!!! I'm not confident in my doctor. Also after mesh replacement and c-section will I need help taking care of my kids or can I do it on my own? I need to make plans ahead.

Hello! I just did a google seach with my question and I came upon this website. Maybe someone could offer me some information!
I have 2 children, the oldest son is 4, the youngest son is 2. They are 20 months apart. After my youngest son, Jacob was born, I got an umbilical hernia. Apparently it was pretty small, about the size of a quarter or so. I got the hernia repaired about a year ago.
My husband and I are wanting another baby, but I'm scared of ripping the hernia repair (I didn't get any mesh I don't think), and also because I have had 2 c sections before. I am 26 years old as of 2 weeks ago, and I weigh 101 pounds, and I am 5/6. I am just providing this information because I am not sure if that would affect anything.
Thanks for the advice if anyone cares to offer their opinion. I will be going to the gyno in a week or so.

I have been reading replys about being pregnant or becoming pregnant, but everyone of the replys are of people having the hernia repair done already.

A week ago, I discovered I have a very large hernia above my belly button due to a surgery I had a year ago. I do not have children and was planning to try for my first by the beginning of this coming year.

However, When I talked to the doctor about this (after discovering the hernia) the response that I got from him was that I would have complications with having children that could injure or worsen the hernia. He also made the comment that I would have to give birth before they did surgery because after having the surgery I would be facing a larger percentage of complications.

In so many round about ways he was telling me that I should not and would not be able to have children with out flat out saying it. I have been looking for answers. Can someone get pregnant with a large hernia and have a healthy pregnancy before surgery? What would the risks be of becoming pregnant with a hernia that hasn't been repaired yet?

Any answers would help.