C-Section Recovery & Pain: Concerns During Pregnancy

Question
I am due to have my next child early November, i have been having serious ripping feeling where my previous 2 c sections were. Can you tell me why it hurts so bad. Could my uterus really be ripping on the inside. It feels like when my last c section on October 7th 2009  was healing, i had the same burning ripping pain right on the left hand side of my horizontal scars. I am overweight i weigh 275 lbs pregnant. Both of my other pregnancies went well only complications with labor with my first and had to have an emergency c section, the second was fine, except Jonathan had jaundice. This pregnancy has been going ok until about a month ago, i have been having excruciating pain on the inside where my last csection scar was? I don't have health insurance right now so i have had one appointment at a free clinic, and they just don't seem to care, they are content on not examining me, and are unable to give me another appointment for 3 weeks, about a week and a half before im due. So now that i have given you some of my background. Could my previous c-section be ripping? Should i just go to the ER, because the clinic wont get me in? my last period was February 2nd 2009. any information you could give me would be great, im quite worried because i had my first prenatal appointment in September. I knew that i was pregnant February 2nd thats when 4 home pregnancy tests came back positive, then landed myself in the ER 2 weeks later and they also did a pregnancy test and verified i was pregnant.

Answer
Hi Melissa,

You most likely have adhesions. Adhesions are bands of scar tissue that form inside your abdomen or pelvis after surgery. As your body heals from surgery, this scar tissue connects organs together, causing them to stick to one another. Adhesions form as a natural response to trauma that your body has undergone. All of your abdominal organs are wrapped in a clear membrane, called the peritoneum. During cesarean section, the peritoneum is cut in order to expose the uterus. As a result, the peritoneum becomes inflamed. After surgery, this inflammation triggers the formation of scar tissue. Typically, this scar tissue disappears after a little while. However, cesarean section surgery sometimes decreases the blood flow to the peritoneum, preventing this process from taking place. As a result, the scar tissue forms into adhesions. I advise you go to the hospital because this could cause complications during your next birth. Good luck!