Kim Dong-hyun's Wife Is Pregnant With Their Fourth Child as Doctor Warns, "The Uterus May Have to Be Removed"

Kim Dong-hyun, a broadcaster and former mixed martial arts fighter, accompanied his wife to an obstetrics and gynecology examination while she was pregnant with the couple's fourth child.

On June 6, the YouTube channel Donghyeoninet uploaded a video titled "Why We Are Worried About the Fourth Birth (High-Risk Mother)." In the video, Kim explained the situation before the consultation, saying that they had not yet chosen a hospital and wanted to ask whether they should look into a larger hospital because a fourth cesarean section was said to carry some risk.

During the ultrasound examination, the medical staff checked the sex of the youngest child, whose prenatal nickname was Makdungi, and examined the baby's hands and feet. The staff member said they were checking for issues such as cleft lip and added that everything looked fine.

In the consultation that followed, the doctor said abdominal pain was an important sign to watch for. Because this was the fourth pregnancy and delivery, the doctor explained that the risk rises as childbirth is repeated. The doctor said that during the third delivery, Kim's wife's uterine wall had become very thin, and the main concern now was an increased risk of uterine rupture. Although it did not appear likely to rupture easily, the doctor said the chance of labor pains would increase as time passed, and if labor began, an emergency operation would be necessary.

The doctor continued that, for safety, it would be better to perform the surgery as soon as she reached full term. At the same time, the doctor said they could not take the baby out too early when there were no labor pains. Since a pregnancy is considered full term after 37 weeks, the doctor said the baby would not face a major problem coming out then. Because the risk would rise if labor started, the doctor advised that once enough time had passed, they should not wait much longer and should set a surgery date quickly to deliver the baby. The doctor said that for another expectant mother, the advice might be to wait about a week and check again later, but this was a special case. Although the due date was in October, the doctor advised that, if possible, delivery should take place in September.

The doctor also explained that postpartum bleeding was one of the main concerns. Repeatedly opening the abdomen can cause adhesions, and the doctor said the issue of concern was not so much adhesions elsewhere as placental adhesion. The doctor stated clearly that the risk of postpartum hemorrhage is greater with a second child than with a first, and greater with a fourth than with a third. The doctor added that there is research showing the risk can rise sharply depending on the surgical circumstances. Since this would be Kim's wife's fourth operation, the doctor said there was risk and that the team would need to be fully prepared. If there were heavy bleeding, a transfusion could be required. In the worst case, the doctor said, the uterus might have to be removed. The doctor added that because the mother did not plan to have more children, that specific loss of fertility might not be the key issue, but it would still make the procedure a major surgery. The doctor emphasized that this would be something that could happen after the baby was delivered first.

As Kim asked one detailed question after another, his expression gradually hardened. His wife, who had undergone the surgeries for their first through third children with the same doctor, tried to remain calm and said that as long as there was nothing wrong with the fetus, she wanted the same doctor to handle the birth, even if she had to be prepared for that emergency operation.

The doctor advised that prenatal testing suggested there did not seem to be a major problem with the baby and that the issue was the mother's condition. The doctor added that the husband needed to do well. Looking at Kim, his wife replied that he needed to do very well.