Ethyl kennedy had 5 csections,  including Rory who was born after Bobby’s assassination.

I had 3 sections. Elisabeth was huge, and transverse/diagonal, never would have made it. Rebecca was ordinary size but at 5 months, I ruptured my uterine ligaments and had 4 months bedrest. Soooooo c section. Then James was a section, since I’d had 2 and I nearly died  from the anesthesia. Damn that was scary. I heard numbers go lower and lower and the dr saying push fluids and everything swirled around me.. so got my tubes tied before I left the OR. 

I get the impression the Bontrager marriages are semi-arranged. Marlin and the other patriarch decide two of their kids would be a good match, tell the kids to pray about each other as potential mates, and start planning the wedding. I don’t think Marlin would force his kids to marry anyone they didn’t get along with, but he sees parental approval as more important than romantic love. 

10 minutes ago, 4boysmum said:

Vba3c births (vaginal birth after 3 c-sections) are not common in the USA, but my doctor and I are pretty confident that it was a good choice for my situation.

Michelle Duggar is very pro-VBAC (having had C-sections with the two sets of twins) and it worked well for her.

I (not a medical professional, but have had 6 children and spent a fair amount of time chatting with OBs) was told that 3 c-sections is a tipping point where, after that, future pregnancies will have higher risk of placental complications.  I understood it as more scar tissue = less favorable places for a placenta to implant in subsequent pregnancies and if it attaches to scar tissue it can cause serious problems.  I know some other posters here work in the field so maybe you can explain it better.

With that said, I have had 3 c-sections and nobody told me to avoid pregnancy after the last one.  When I did get pregnant again I was all set to have a 4th c-section and no one seemed terribly concerned other than they did look at placenta placement carefully on ultrasound and said it was fine.  If it had not been fine they said I would have been transferred to Boston (which is fortunately just 45 minutes away) as a higher risk patient.  If a woman gets pregnant the baby has to come out one way or another.  It's not like they can force it to stay in forever because you already used up your allowed 3 surgeries, and the doctor said she had operated on women having at least 5 c-sections.

I did not have the 4th c-section.  I changed doctors and pushed hard for a chance to vbac.  I have gone the vba3c route twice now, in an excellent hospital in Boston with an amazing doctor.  Vba3c births (vaginal birth after 3 c-sections) are not common in the USA, but my doctor and I are pretty confident that it was a good choice for my situation.

14 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

 

No Abby, your children are not constantly running everywhere.. You on the other hand.. *cough* New York, Canada, Europe *cough*