by Elizabeth Rogers

Created on: June 16, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I gave birth to four live children, all by c-section. The miscarriage I had was the most "natural" of the experiences and it was painful on several levels. My four healthy children came into this world safely and without any major problems to speak of, and the ones that did arise were taken care of to the degree that I am alive to tell this story and my kids are here to read it along with anyone else who might have a mind to do that.

A week or two before my first child was born, it became clear that something was not quite right. Thanks to technology, my doctor found out that I had a large, benign fibroid tumor growing in my uterus along with the baby and it was in a place that was going to make a natural birth impossible. I resigned myself quickly to the fact that the classes and breathing exercises my husband and I had been so diligent about were going to be unnecessary. When a well-meaning young man in my church came up to me and told me that he would pray with me and if I only had faith I could have my baby naturally, I assured him as kindly as I could that I thought God could be in on the miracle of medical advances as well as the miracle of new life. I was very content to be thankful that we knew what was going on and that my child, husband and I were unlikely to face a death (or two) in the beginning of family life together.

She came out perfect! Her Daddy was at my side and very much a part of the process. In fact, he was so curious about everything that the doctor had to tell him to sit down on his stool. This was in the early days of allowing fathers in the room during c-sections and there was some concern that he might faint. He did not faint. He fell in love with a blond haired, blue eyed babe, and I was not jealous at all.

Two more healthy births and then I had the fibroid removed. My doctor recommended a hysterectomy, but I declined the night before the surgery when I found out that I had other options, even as he suggested that I have no more children. I took a more conservative approach. It is hard to explain to anyone else that I knew I had another child coming, but that was how I felt. I also had another doctor coming; one who did not schedule choices for me without giving me all of the information I might like to have up front.

Six years later, our miracle child was born. He is a miracle because if something had not stepped in to stay a doctor's intended hand, he would never be here. He is one of the most happy-go-lucky people you would ever want to meet. He has a generous heart and a willing smile. In a week, he is going on a mission trip to help people who are less fortunate than himself. He wants to make the world a better place. I had to have him by c-section as well, simply because I had had so much surgery on that one part of my body and it was the safest route.

Giving birth is about having children. I had very positive experiences in the hospital with kind and caring staff. My children were all healthy and I won't complain about knowing when I was going to have them. If I could have given birth naturally, I would have done that. Then again, giving birth is the most natural thing on earth, and I DID give birth. If I had not already had my family, I would do it all over again.

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