A bitch can easily free whelp a first or second litter but can run into trouble in any whelping where a c-section is required. Conversely, a C section first time out doesn't mean a c-section will always be required. My decision to try a second breeding in both cases I shared was the result of consulting with my Veterinarian (two different ones) and it was felt they could free whelp. When we realized they wouldn't be able to, they were spayed.
I am not sure if your comment How I can continue to do this? was directed at me as I am not continuing to do anything. As I said I have had a total of two (2) different bitches in 10 years of breeding, first one was in 1995. The second bitch almost 10 years later, had her first section in 2004 and when I tried breeding her again in 2005 it became obvious after that failed free whelp resulting in a section that a section would happen if she were bred again and neither were when it was obvious they won't be able to freewhelp.
As I said before, one c section does not mean for sure they won't freewhelp and a free whelp does not in any way ensure there won't be a csection next breeding or somewhere further down the road. If there were no doubt a second pregnancy would require a csection I would never have entertained a second pregnancy. I have no interest in putting my bitches through a csection if I know that will happen, I have had free whelpers and a section is hard on a bitch.
So I am not sure if I am clear in what I am saying. A free whelp is no assurance that it will always be so; a csection can sometimes be a one time thing and a freewhelp can follow the next time a breeding takes place. Certainly you can decide after a section not to breed again. I would never recommend more than a second try, two sections are quite enough for a bitch to go through.
Also, don't be lulled into thinking a free whelp is assurance that a bitch will be fine after delivery. That may not be so and there is risks involved that the puppies may not all survive after live birth either. Anything can go wrong in that first month or two even after whelping and there is always a certain risk to both the mother and the pups in any breeding/whelping.
After a free whelp there is still risk of sudden haemmoraging, if you don't know what low calcium looks like and some are predisposed to the problem, you can lose your free whelping bitch very quickly, if the uterus wasn't cleaned out well enough after whelping pyometria can set in and bring her down real fast and you can lose her if you don't know what is happening. those are just a few examples of what can go wrong, c section or not.

Looking at the original date (12-3-05) of this thread, I was scratching my head :confused: trying to understand how it could be..then when I saw my post, I remembered it was on the Poll Forum.

I also started this thread 1-3-06 about c-sections it opened up a whole lotta conversation..it's a must read ;) if it were a book, it would be on the Best Seller's List for sure!

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27132

WOW! Lorraine, thank you for all that info.

This is how we really have to think about "what can go wrong, c section or not".

The link to the thread I started has no where near this information.