Im sending this to you, because when i went through it i had very little resources on the web to draw on, and at the time i found it quite emotionally taxing and hard, and felt quite alone… When i was 26 weeks pregnant i had some upper right quadrant abdominal pain, and i thought nothing of it! Round ligament pain perhaps? I didnt do anything, however about 24 hours later i was in agony, vomiting and writhing on my bathroom floor! My husband called the hospital and we went to A and E, where i was diagnosed with appendicitus, which occurs in roughly 0.1% of all pregnancies, and is the most common cause of surgery in pregnant women. The next morning i underwent an emergency surgery to remove the appendix, however due to the pregnancy i had to remain awake, during what is major stomach surgery – it involves an 8 inch incision, and then removing your large and small intestine in order to find the inflammed appendix, which could rupture at any time! I was awake the whole time, and baby was kicking all the way through! There is a high risk of preterm labour also, so after the operation i spent 10 days in ICU being monitored. During this time, i remained on an an epidural for pain relief (however in terms of pain medication i was given less than an average appendix removal op!) Also i had terrible pain because of excess air within my stomach after the operation… but was able to have my stitches removed about a week after the operation, and was back on my feet (although slowly!) by 2 weeks! The biggest ongoing problem is the stretching of the scar tissue as my pregnancy continued to progress. It was initially very neat and tidy (i was lucky enough to have no infection) but has become quite lumpy and raised as i’ve got bigger … however i hope it will return to normal after the birth! I just wanted to post my story as proof that everything can go ok in an appendix removal during pregnancy! Im currently 36 weeks and baby looks fine! Thanks!
Updated here.
Thank you for your post! Your belly is gorgeous!! and that scar looks really cool actually! Its almost too perfect to be real.
I think it’s excellent that you posted this story. I honestly didn’t know that an appendicitus was common during pregnancies. You look terrific and the scar isn’t so bad. :)
OMG that has got to be the sweetest looking scar! Especially on the beautiful belly! How cool..lol!
wow! how scary! i’m proud of you for being so brave & enduring your surgery while conscious. i can imagine how nervous you must have been. i’m weird, i like your scar. i have one too, from a surgery on my spine 10 years before my pregnancy & i had no idea how the tissue would react to stretching. i have some stretch marks, but that was to be expected. yours looks great & you’ll always have an exciting story to tell. congratulations on the baby & on a successful surgery.
Your scar is AWESOME. Coolest pregnant belly ever.
Thank you so much! What a wonderful and thoughtful service to us to post your story. Your positivity is a blessing! I am sure you were quite stressed and afraid but it is all ok now! How frightening indeed to undergo that kind of surgery, even asleep! Let alone awake! I am so glad mother and baby are OK! Good luck with your delivery and enjoy motherhood for the blessing it truly is!!!
I think you look great & your scar is awesome! LOVE it!
I have to agree with most of the posters here. In terms of scars, you totally won the lottery. That one is awesome! I would be totally pleased to have a scar like that, way cooler than most people’s body modifications.
That is a cool scar! If I had one like that, I wouldn’t mind showing it off! You look amazing and I hope the rest your pregnancy goes well.
I agree that scar is perfect! and your baby bump is one of the most perfect ones I seen..
Oh and that happened to my best friend she was the first in our hospital to get it done..
Happened to me when I was 20 weeks but mine ruptured and I got put under and had three little scars that are going away now slowly. I have a healthy one year old now and she is perfect nothing wrong. The pain I had that night it ruptured and the pain after the surgery was worse then my contractions and my c-section though.Sounds like you had it a lot worse then me probably cause you were further along. Good luck little ones really are a blessing.
I’m actually not a mother and don’t plan on being one anytime soon, but I LOVE this site, and I just wamted to tell you that your scar looks WICKED cool. Like, it looks like something I would consider getting tattooed on me. Wear it proudly!
thanks for your posting this info. my wife is 15 weeks pregnant with her first baby. we just returned from the E.R. she has been experiancing pain in her lower ab. the E.R. doc. did the usual test and labs and expressed his concern that it could be an appendix issue, he wants us back in the E.R. in the morning to do the labs again to see if her whit cell count is higher then we will go from there i guess. uor biggest concern is he said he didnt want to do a cat scan right away bc of the radiation the put out. is there other options for diagniosis.
I find that scar very very sexy!
Just curious as to why the scar is on the left side? I had appendicitis while preg too and have to get it removed in a few weeks and it’s on the right side
Hi,
I’m so glad that yours worked out.
My wife was 30 weeks along and started to feel sever pain. We took her in several times and they kept blowing us off.
Her apendics burst and we lost the baby and almost her. She is still not out of the woods but she is much better then a couple of days ago.
If your having any kind of pain pleas ehave it checked out and don’t let them blow you off. Good luck
Sorry to take so long to get back to all the lovely comments! I hope to send an update on how the scar is now pretty soon. After I lose the baby weight!
Katie – the scar is on the right side because I took a photo using my built in camera on my mac, and the photos always come out back to front! In real life its on my right side too.
Additionally, If anyone wishes to contact me directly about this story, please feel free to email me at Fionakida@yahoo.com
I had the same thing happen to me at 35 weeks pregnant! My scar however is horizontal instead of vertical. Had major abdominal pain – went into hospital, and it took them 24 hours to decide that it was appendicitus. Because I was so far along, and all my internal organs were squished up, even with ultrasounds etc, they couldn’t be sure. They performed the operation with me under general anesthesia, and subsequently I had very little pain meds (Tylenol!), but me and my baby daughter made it. She was born 4 weeks later at 39 weeks.
Thank you for this post.
Really good to get some info from other mums-to-be who have been through this scary experience.
I had an appendicitis at 30 weeks pregnant (4 weeks ago) and found the whole thing scary and overwhelming, and I was not awake during surgery like you (wow, terrifying!!)
Just wondered what the docs have suggested for your birth options (and those of the other ladies here who have had similar experiences)?
My midwife is encouraging me to have a natural birth, but baby is due in less than 6 weeks and I am still fighting a secondary infection, so quite nervous I will not physically be well enough to deliver naturally.
Any advice would be appreciated!!
IT WAS NICE OF YOU TO SHARE THE INFORMATION …ALL THAT MATTERS IS THE NEW LIFE YOU ARE GIVING BIRTH TOO . SCAR IS REALLY INSIGNEFICANT COMPARED TO THAT .
Thank you so much for sharing the information. I had my appendix out 2 weeks ago at 15 weeks pregnant. I only had paracetemol (tylenol) after the operation, but it was so emotionally overwhelming and scary. I was so glad to find that others have come through this experience with healthy happy little ones. For me the anaesthetic didn’t work properly for the first few minutes, so I was paralysed, but consious of everything that was going on! Thankfully I blacked out then!! Naturally my only worries are about the baby, but am still planning a natural homebirth for this my 3rd baby.
MY MOTHER HAD HER APPENDIX REMOVED WHEN SHE WAS CARRRYING ME THAT WAS IN 1945 SHE WAS 12 WEEKS SHE NEVER SPOKE ABOUT IT AND I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS A COMMON OPERATION THE DOCTORS MUST HAVE BEEN GOOD BACK THEN IT HAPPENED IN LONDON BEFORE THEY HAD THE NHS NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE SHE WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN TREATED SO WELL NOW WITH MRSA ETC BACK THEN HOSPITALS WEERE CLEAN
Heloo thanks alot this made me and my wife better now we are still in the hospital buti am not sure she has a twins and dr is so. Razy he said the baby will die so he just gave her pain killers and she in the 28 th weeks :( i hope we can find another good dr who can help us
I just wanted to thank u
Thank you for this info. My daughter is in hospital at the mo and in much pain because of the appendicitis which the doctors are still debating on…as there is so much fluid around it they cannot tell………….so its good to hear someone else’s story that everything went fine and the baby is and mother are well…….Praise the Lord! God is indeed Good!
My daughter is 28wks pregnant and in so much pain they are now looking at removing her appendix thaks for your story it is good to hear a happy end when you are worried.
i am reading this and was relief to find that appendix operation was normal during pregnancy. i had one with my first pregnancy, i was in my 7 month pregnancy when the operation took place. now my first daugther is 4 yrs old and is working to have a second one. find it a bit difficult to conceive this time. am so afraid the effect of appendix operation last time is causing this problem. worried.
i was operated when i was 15weeks pregnant,but i was taken for counselling that i might loose my baby since it was early pregnancy,at first the doctors thought i had eptopic pregrancy,so i had to go for scanning my baby was playing inside the womb thats when i was diagonised with appendix in pregnancy.i was so scared as my tummy have to grow every month but with god making everything possible i didnt feel any pain when my tummy was growing and during labour pains i was also scared thinking that the baby will affect my operation since it was new,but i delivered a baby bouncing boy normally.he is now 10 months and fit.i was also scared thinking my baby will be deformed somehow but he is normal.GOD IS GREAT GUYS
This story is absolutely amazing, and one which I think TSOAM should be doing more to promote. So glad it ended well, and the mother in this story sounds so positive. I loved reading the updated version too. Amazing.
My niece is 5 months pregnant and her appendix had ruptured 3 days prior to a dr finally figuring out what was going on. Yesterday they were able to get in and clean her out, the baby made it through the surgery. My niece is doing very well as of right now but still in critical condition. The Dr’s have told us that the baby has over an 80% chance of not making it. I wish I had known more about this in pregnancy.
i had my appentice remove also.iam seven months pregantand iam okay so is my baby
these days i am a bit nervous, cos my wife who is in her eight month pregnancy is also in a state of light pain at times.(appendix had been confirmed) earlier we had once approached to a hospital but the doc reminded us that the operation can’t be done now(it was then 4th month running). And truly during such a time your story gave me a bit strength but also at the same time making me a little nervous. This is the first time i am into becoming a father.
my daughter is just 11 weeks pregnant today and yesterday she had her appendix removed.She had just thought she was constipated and was in great pain for two days prior to being diagnosed,i think alarm bells started to ring when she started to vomit and a sky high temperature developed.WE are just hoping that all is ok with the baby as she had quite a lot of pain relief including morphine,but as she was asking for food this morning so i think she is getting there.
It is a sad state of affairs when we as grannys and mums have to go onto the internet to find answers to our questions as noone is ever available to talk to about these matters,thank god i came across this website,it has given me so much positive information.
My appendix burst at 29 wks had surgery and
Then went through 14 hrs of contractions before
Drs got things under control then got two infections
And digestive system packed up! After 2 wks in
Hospital lot of drugs and two more lots of contractions
I went home I am now 35 wks and feel pretty fit
Just dreading giving birth as had csection last
Time but drs don’t recommend another scar on
My tummy!
Apparently birth hurts less than burst appendix
Let’s hope so!
They believe this is what’s wrong with my wife who is 18 weeks pregnant. What’s different b/w our story and everyone elses is that she is carrying 2 girls…does any have any info on the effect the surgey will have on twins? Please any little bit would be appreciated.
Thank you for posting this I thought I was the only one I have 3 small scars nothing cool looking like that mine just look nasty. Im so terrified about the risk of miscarriage and now have a high risk pregnancy.
I also had my appendix removed during pregnancy my experience with the hospital was awful though. After I came round from the operation they had moved me on to a different ward. They had also lost my notes, so when I kept demanding they check my babys heart beat they was trying to convince me it was the anaesthetic talking. No one believe me I was 23 weeks pregnant as well. It was only until my family came to visit me later on in the day that they believe I was pregnant, I was petrified. Then several weeks after that I was diagnosed with gall stones. I was induced then at 38 weeks and gave birth to a healthy 9lb 15 oz baby girl . Took them several weeks after that though to remove my gall bladder.
I just had my appendix removed 2 weeks ago! I was 30 weeks prego i was in so much pain i had to call 911 i really thought either it was a gas bubble stuck or i was going into premature labor then i started throwing up & running a fever! My symptoms got worse within hrs… They did ultrasounds tons of blood tests , then they transferred me to another hospital just incase they had to deliver the baby and remove my appendix… They did a chest xray that didnt show anything so they did a cat scan which showed a possible infection but couldnt tell because my stomach was all baby! So they did an emergency surgery to remove my appendix it had ruptured! I was in the hospital for 4 days so they could monitor my contractions and baby! Im home now and in pain but my recovery has been getting better i just had my staples out a few days ago
oh yes,my wife is still there in ICU,last tuesday morning.she’s under observation till now.
thank u my sister has just been rushed in she havin contracton and they think its her appendix a surgon is seeing her in the morning was so scared but feel bit calmer after reading ur story xxx
These comments are all so interesting and helpful, scary at the same time :( I’m 28 and 16 weeks pregnant with my second child and fairly certain the pain I have/ am having is my appendix. I’ve had pain on and off for quite some time now, a couple of nights I’ve actually been in so much pain I can’t breath, stand, feel so nausiated, my morning sickness wore off about a month ago. just 4 days ago I actually thought I was going to die, I turned in bed the pain was so severe, my right side felt so swollen and tight, it burnt to touch the skin and felt like stabbing inside, the severe pain went on for about 3 hours, I tried to stay calm and didn’t move, partly because I couldn’t, I’d got my phone beside me incase I needed an ambulance and my partner was next to me the whole time, it’s worn off quite a lot but had it again last night, I’m not a wimp wen it comes to pain, had an operation on a hernia years ago on the same side but I no for certain it’s not that, even more painful. I no people are probably wondering why the hell I’ve not gone to a and e but I’m so scared something will happen to my unborn baby and my partners self employed and we have a just turned two year old, sure I will have to do something soon but god I don’t want to have to go through with anything like this during pregnancy :(
when i was 31 weeks pregnant i started getting pain at the top of my bump, fort at the time it could be trapped wind, the pain got gradually worse through out the day n started travelling down my belly, that night i went to hospital but got sent home and told to ring back in a few days to see if i had a water infection, the next night the pain was unbearable i fort i was gunna pass out so i went back to hospital, the pain was coming in waves n at its peak was realy bad, they gave me gas n air n pethadine n started my steroids incase i was in labour, in the morning i was sent for a normal baby scan everythin was fine, the pain had eased of, my partner came to see me and we walked to the hospital shop, the pain started again but loads worse they gave me loads of pain killers even morphene, nothing eased the pain for ages, that night was sent for another scan to see if it was gallstones it wasnt, the next day blood results came back n they said the infection rate ( or whatever it was ) was like some one being in a car crash, they sent me for another scan where ur hole body goes in a tunnel sort of thing, they couldnt see my appendix but could see a pool of fluid, later that day they took me down for surgery to see if they could find out what it was, it turned out to be gangrene appenicitas, had my stitches took out 10 days later the scar goes from the top of my belly button downwards its all stretched, the pain up untill my baby was born was realy bad i couldnt get comfy or sleep properly, my stomach was stappled n it was weeping at the bottom so they had to take 2 staples out n the hole needed to be packed wiv dressing every day up untill about 4 days b4 i was due, my little girl was 9lb 10oz, they must hav sown my belly in to some of the inside tissue cos all where the scar is dints in, i call it my udder belly like a cows,n where the hole was looks like a second belly button x
Hi, I’m 6 weeks pregnant and just went through this 2 days ago. I was feeling this pain in my upper right side for a couple of days but it started to get much worse and it felt like almost the same as it did when I had my missed miscarriage, so I went to the hospital and they did 3 ultrasounds and found the baby’s heart beat, so they kept me in hospital cause the exspected my appendix but couldn’t see it on ultrasound and my white cell count was normal, but the pain continued so the we’re pumping me with morphin and gravel for 2 days and then decided to do the surgery, it was microscopic do I only had 3 small incisions, when they got in there the seen that it was very inflamed so it was removed. I haven’t heard about my baby yet, I’m waiting for an ultrasound to check. Hoping it all worked out for me.
Thanks for all your info. I got on here trying to find aftercare for open appendix operation during pregnancy. I am 15 weeks pregnant and woke at 2am with chronic stomach pain all over. I was thinking miscarriage. I waited until 5am and it still didn’t go away so called an ambulance. I had two little ones still asleep in bed so left them. Was in emergency for the morning before the pain started to target just the appendix area. They would push one side and I would say it hurts near appendix on other side. Eventually when they would push near my appendix I would hit the roof. But like I said it was all over my stomach initially for hours. They said it may be appendix or right ovary or ligament pain but they would do surgery and eliminate the options. I didn’t realise that if it wasn’t appendix they would take it out anyhow in case of problems later on. In the end it was inflamed and pussy and ready to burst. They put me under a general and was in for 4 days on iv antibiotics. Slowly healing now but avoiding pain killers as they make you so blocked up it created more pain. Had to have a tanti to find out if baby was ok… that is what got me the most. You are monitored after op but baby… it will be fine. What I did find out though is the risk of miscarriage is gone after a few days when the general has worn off. Had a great mid wife who mananged to find the heart beat on a dopper because at 15 weeks I was not going to wait five weeks til scan or until I felt a kick. Stick to your guns and demand they check the baby for your own head space.
Hi all, Thank you for sharing you stories i only wish i had found this when it happened to me.
In 2011 i fell pregnant after 3 and a half years trying (i was now 23 and a half) and all was going well until i got GD at 30 weeks that wasnt so bad. I diet controlled for a few weeks but was put on insulin at 34 weeks, i took my first shot and within hours was spewing and felt bloated. My husband took me to hospital and we were told i must just be sick as insulin doesnt cause vomiting. About twelve hours later i had some small pain in my side but it was also where the baby had been kicking me for a week so i paid it of. The next day i couldnt move from the pain, i was admitted to hospital at 10am and doctors did blood tests and check the baby and organised a scan for 3pm earliest i could get in as they didnt know if it was appendix or not. After my scan they still didnt know so i was taken to be operated on at 7pm and was told “ït could be your appendix but we arent sure, depending what it is we may have to take the baby out too”. This was when i was 34 weeks and 5 days. I had never had an operation before, not even a broken bone, i was freaking out. I was put under and had already been given 3 shots of morphine during my 10 hours at the hospital. My appendix had burst before they cut me open. The doctor explained the next day that when they cut me the pus and stuff from the appendix was oozing out. I was monitored all night and had the heart rate monitor on bub, and having my BGL tested every hour. On my third day in hospital the doctor came to check my scar and 14 staples that run from nearly my belly button to my side, and discovered it was infected. He removed dome staples and i was told i had to stay. This happened nearly everyday for about a week until i was left with a 3cm wide open wound and only 2 staples. It really felt like i was in the hospital forever. Eventually the doctors said the infection was gone and they would stitch me up and send me home. I was given a local and then received 9 stitches, all on the ward. I had an ultrasound and was discharged. 14 days later i had my stitches removed by my gp, no one ever told me it would hurt to get them out. I had been telling everyone the baby will wait till the stitches are out before it will come. I got my stitches out at 10am i was 39 weeks and 4 days, and at 6am the next day i had tightening all over my belly. I showered to ease the cramps my birth plan was to stay home as long as i could, i was so over the hospital. It didnt take long and the pain was to much for me i was at hospital not 3 hours later and was already 7cm. I was given a pethidine shot and everything slowed down. I gave birth naturally, After pushing for nearly 2 hours at 1:52pm to a healthy girl who we named Harley Quinn May after the jokers girlfriend in the DC batman comics, hubby picked it cos of all the trouble she gave us.
Hi, I’m 20 weeks with twins. I was taken into theatre last night to have my appendix taken out. They put me to sleep, the scariest thing I’ve ever had to go through. I told them I didn’t want surgery because of the risks to my babies but the reply was that if I didn’t have it done it can be life threatening to me, hard decision putting myself before my unborn children but what use would I be to them if I died! I can barely walk or move today but so far everything is fine, I’ve heard both heartbeats so I’m less worried now. I am worried about the scar tho’ mines about 3-4 inch long- when my belly grows I’m scared I’m going to rip open if the wound hasn’t healed properly. How was your experience with the scar? X
I am 23 weeks pregnant with lower abdominal pain I was in the
hospital for 2 days they can’t figure out if its my appendix
If round ligament pains but I hurt really bad!
I am only 5-6 weeks pregnat my appendix burst today it has been removed and I’ve had a lot of drugs!!!!im do scared for my babies xxx please pray they will not be harmed please please pleas
I just had my appendix removed few days ago and I was only 30 to 31weeks before my delivery… reading your stories makes me worry free somehow… thanks… I was kind of worried with my upcoming baby and was afraid on any compilations.