“I’m a 3rd shift pipe welder for Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay WI. My wife April is now a stay at home mother with our first child (Rosalía Lupita Valentina Neubauer).
April and I wanted early skin to skin contact. The doctors had been monitoring her for about a month because of high blood pressure. Monday, June 25, 2018, we came in for a stress test and we were in labor already. April had very high blood pressure and the nursing staff said, ‘You’re not leaving, y’all are having a baby!’ So, the high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia was very concerning.
Doctors broke her water and did everything they could to fix the pre-eclampsia (have the baby). She was about 9 1/2 cm dilated then about midnight she had a seizure, becoming eclamptic. Once that had passed the doctors decided emergency C-section. I had the opportunity to gown up and go in for the procedure. Right before I was going to go in, I heard a code called. April had Seizure number 2. So, I had to stay out while they finished her surgery.
Then at 1:16 a.m. on June 26, 2018, our little chalupa was delivered. A nurse came out with our beautiful baby girl 7lbs 15 oz. 19 inches long. We went to the nursery, I sat down and took off my shirt for some skin to skin time. She said we needed to get her a little formula and do some finger feeding; other options and such. Just something to get her started. Then she asked if maybe I would like to throw a nipple on and do some ‘real breastfeeding.’ Me being a big joker and the ability to try just about anything once, I said ‘Sure, why not.’
The Nursing staff were giggling and jumping for joy. So, I got a nipple shield with a syringe tube and hit the road running. Nurse helped a lot. I mean I’ve never breastfed or even thought in a thousand years I would. I was the first to breast feed the baby!
My mother-in-law walked in with her father. She said, ‘Only you Maxie… I didn’t believe the nurses, my God, only you!’ Shaking her head ha-ha. Great Grandpa didn’t have anything to say. Very old school guy just kind of looked at me funny. He came around in the end.
I felt a connection the minute I saw my little girl. I got to hold her and help her get use to breastfeeding I hope. I really did it just to be a good dad and be a hero for the nursing staff because they are superheroes. You couldn’t ask for anyone better. Don’t forget those moms, though, I did it for them too.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Maxamillian Kendall Neubauer, of Iowa. Submit your own story here, and subscribe to our best stories in our free newsletter here.
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