Four Cesareans

My first pregnancy took place from October '83 through July '84. Everything went according to the book. It couldn't have been a more perfect pregnancy. However, I was very thin at the time of conception and that weighed heavily on my mind. Our Lamaze instructor stated that approximately half of those in the class would end up having cesarean births. I just knew she was talking about me. My original due date (according to the dr.) was July 3rd, my ultrasound said June 27th. I just knew that I was carrying a little firecracker. I chose July 4th! My water broke quite abruptly the morning of July 3rd. (Oh no, my doctor was going to be right!) I went through 20+ hours of labor. Through those hours, it was clear that I was not dilating the way that I should be. After 16 hours I was only 2 centimeters. The fetal monitor was showing us that our little baby was in slight distress but nothing serious. By 11pm on the 3rd, the heart rate was going from 145 down to 90 and back up very erratically. We knew at that point that there was no question, it would be a cesarean birth. Our beautiful daughter was born at 12:56am on the Fourth of July (I had won the bet!) She was very healthy, weighing in at 7.14. We were very happy.

Our second child was due to be born approximately March 15th, 1986. Of course, having had the vertical c-section, and still not being very large (I weighed 117 at 8 months pregnant) it was planned to deliver this child in the same manner. We set the date for February 26th. However, the child had other plans. I went into labor very early in the morning on February 25th! Apparently the baby didn't want to wait another day. Our first son was born, very healthy, weighing in at 8.15. Through both of these deliveries, I had had no problems. It was routine recovery all the way. I had been knocked out for the actual delivery because I was extremely tired and they felt that this was best.

Our third child was due around September 12, 1988. We set the date for surgery to be on my husbands' birthday, August 29th. I fully intended to teach Sunday School the day before the baby was to be delivered. On Saturday, August 27th, I went into labor and our second son was born at 1:02am on August 28th. I called my pastor's wife to let her know that I couldn't possibly teach that morning. She asked why and I basically told her "It's a boy!" You could hear the shriek for miles! Again, I was still very small at this point in my life. I weighed 105 the day after this child was born. (I'm also 5' 7" tall) I was extremely thin!!! This child was also very healthy, weighing in at 7.10.

My fourth pregnancy, however, was different from the start. We had trouble pinpointing an actual due date because every time that I was measured, it seemed like I was bigger than I should have been. This child was due sometime around the end of February or first of March. We sort of planned on a Valentine's Day baby. However, again, this child had other plans. While watching Designing Women on January 1st, 1990, I went into labor. This was not good. I immediately went into the hospital to try to stop the contractions. I spent four days in hospital on medication and we thought we had it under control. Twelve hours after being sent home, I was in HARD labor and on January 6th, 8 weeks early, I was delivered of a beautiful baby boy who weighed in at 5.3. (I shudder to think what another 8 weeks would have added!) My son was immediately sent to a NeoNatal Unit two hours away by ambulance. I, having had surgery for the fourth time (and having the flu on top of that) had to remain in the hospital in my home town. Thank God for my mother who went with my son. I praise God through all of this because this child, who is now 9 years old, is in perfect health. His first week of life was a rough one. He had to be in the incubator, on a ventilator, he had a collapsed lung, but through it all, he was a fighter. After spending ten days in the neonatal unit and then another ten days in the nursery in our own hospital, he came home. Yes, we had the monitor and all the paraphenalia that goes with premature children. At the age of five months, he was declared to be in perfect health. Today, he is in the fourth grade, almost a straight A student and is as normal as they come. Things could have been so different if I had lived my life in a different manner. I have seen the results of what drugs and alcohol can do in premature births.

I have four healthy, happy children, who drive me nuts and I love every minute of it.

I hope that this story can encourage someone out there. Natural birth is great but Cesarean births can be great, too. It's all in how you look at it. If I hadn't had that option, I probably wouldn't have any children today.

The children in this story are named (in order) Stephanie Marie, Daniel Robert, Jonathan David, and Frederick Cecil.

My name is Laurie Bartlett and I am from Houlton, Maine. If anyone needs someone to talk to, feel free to email me.