Family of Five

I started seeing a new doctor only two weeks before my scheduled c-section. I was happy with my doctor at CHC, but due to an emergency, she left island in mid-May and the only other OB had just left for her scheduled vacation and the temporary OB had not yet been signed on. What a conundrum.

My cousin Maecy is a nurse in the operating room and when I asked for her advice, she recommended that I see Dr. Taro. Great call. Dr. Taro took me on with only two weeks until my c-section. She is kind, gentle, competent, professional, and funny. I like her a lot. If only I'd seen her from the beginning of my pregnancy.

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I packed our hospital bags the night before my 6 a.m. check-in. I didn't even remember what all I was supposed to pack for baby. I didn't do any research or reading during my third pregnancy; there were no complications, so I just went with it.

James and I prayed with the kids before we left for the hospital. We checked in at about 6:15 a.m. My room was ready and the two nurses on the floor soon started prepping me for surgery. And let me tell you, prepping for an emergency c-section goes a whole faster than prepping for a scheduled one. I prefer the rush of the emergency scenario. You hardly know what's happening - a team of nurses descends upon you and suddenly you're in the OR. For a scheduled c-section, you feel every poke, prod, and wipe. Then the contractions started. They came every five minutes. They hurt. It was as if the c-section prep had triggered labor.

An OR nurse came in and wheeled me into the surgical wing where my cousin Maecy came and stayed by my side through my tears and contractions. James joined us just before Maecy left to get scrubbed up and he goofed around taking pictures of the two of us as I breathed out the pain of the contractions. My sister and my Aunt also joined us before the surgery. This Aunt has been present for the birth of all three of my children. I'm very glad she could be there that day too. She had four c-sections herself. Four!

Dr. Hart (Heart? Hardt?), the anesthesiologist, came over and asked me some questions and talked to me about what was going to happen. He was really great. I've found that the anesthesiologist sets the tone for the surgery. My anesthesiologist when Katelyn was born was very good, but the whole thing was such a rushed affair that we didn't have the the time to establish ourselves as doctor and patient before the surgery. But he was certainly very competent and he was very calming and reassuring to me as he was the only one in the OR who was not focused on the baby. My anesthesiologist when Jacob was born was kind of a jerk- I did not have a good experience and he ended up putting me to sleep after the epidural didn't fully work.

The whole team was great. Dr. Taro (OB), Dr. Hart (anesthesiologist), Maecy (nurse), Romy (nurse), and Jun (nurse). James was allowed to stay with me during the surgery, which was a first for us. Husbands are not allowed in the OR during emergency c-sections, which is what my first two were. James held my hand and talked with me. And when the doctor called out, "what do you want", we were both silent.

"It's a girl!"

Francesca Emeline was born on May 30, 2012, at 8 lbs 12 oz. My fairest baby of all with the darkest and fullest head of hair at birth.



James cut the cord for the first time. He carried our daughter from the OR to the nursery. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. God is good.

In the end, I really enjoyed not knowing the baby's sex until birth. I liked having that small connection to what pregnancy was like years ago, full of wonder and surprise. Unfortunately, the gender neutral clothes I bought made her look like a boy. Thankfully, I only bought a few things and I am very grateful for the girly clothes that were recently passed on to us. 

10 days old

Jacob and Francesca, 11 days old


Katelyn and Francesca, 11 days old