Pregnancy and fistula?

[Elizajp]

I have had a fistula for a year now. I have four setons (two which are likely to come out very soon,) and I have finally found a treatment that is working to heal it all.

Last summer I got pregnant. We ended up having a miscarriage, but at the time since I had the fistula the OB was planning to do a c-section. Two years ago I gave birth to our first child and I had a successful vaginal birth but that was before the fistula.

My husband and I would really like to have another child soon. I'm feeling better and things are healing up but I really don't know how much longer we will be waiting for them to totally heal. Will they ever really? I know an active fistula usually means c-section and I don't want to risk incontinence or anything. I guess I'm trying to figure out if I am ever a candidate for vaginal birth again or will I always be at risk even when the fistula is healed? Because if that's the case I feel like we might as well just go ahead and get pregnant especially since I'm in general feeling better. I'm just confused as to what a fistula in a pregnancy really means and then how it works if your fistula heals.

 

[Sailorluna]

I had a vag fistula when I had my second daughter. All went fine and had vaginal birth. But I didn't know that I had one so they may have treated it differently if it was known. The OB had dismissed the signs of the fistula as normal from my previous child birth.

Have you talked to an OB?

 

[Elizajp]

I haven't talked to an OB recently. I was actually pregnant last summer (unplanned) but we ended up having a miscarriage. At the time the OB wanted to do c-section and she basically said its not ideal to have the setons in with a pregnancy.

But I'm conflicted because I don't know how long these things will be in me and I feel like I could just be waiting indefinitely.