“This past week, I found out that a wife of a Marine at my husband’s shop had gone into labor and her husband was in San Diego for training to become a recruiter. I immediately asked her if she needed me there because I knew she was new to Yuma and didn’t have friends here and this was her first baby. She immediately said ‘yes’ and told me she was scared because her water had broken at 35 weeks, and because it was early and she was not progressing at all, they wanted to do an emergency C-section.
![Woman lies in dark hospital room in bed talking to someone on iphone](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A3875-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
There was no time to wait for her husband to get here from San Diego, so myself, another marine from the shop and her husband’s best friend who is a Marine that works with him rushed to be with her.
![Marine puts on scrubs in hospital room](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A3949-2-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Marine wearing scrubs adjusting his mask in hospital room](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A3959-2-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
When we got there, she was so emotional and scared. We reassured her that everything would be okay and rejoiced with her that she would be meeting her baby very soon, even though we also didn’t know what the outcome would be.
![Marine walking down hospital hallway behind pregnant friend and nurses](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4051-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Pregnant woman lying in bed staring at her iphone](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A3990-2-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
Everything happened so fast. The nurses came in and started prepping her for the C-section and told her that she needed to pick someone to be in the room with her during the C-section. She asked if we could both be with her because I was going to capture the birth for her husband, but she really wanted her husband’s best friend to cut the cord.
![Pregnant woman lying in hospital bed with oxygen up her nose before c-section](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4292-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
The nurse said they would only permit one and that she needed to pick one of us immediately. You could see the emotions weighing her down and that she couldn’t choose. So, I said, ‘I will just set my camera to the settings I think will work and give Sgt. Rod a crash course on how to take pictures, and then he can do both.’ Rod looked at me like I was crazy, and she looked relieved.
![Close up of pregnant woman's hand with IV's attached to it](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A3894-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
As they prepped her, I showed him examples of birth photos he could take and what to do. I showed him how to work my camera and how to adjust to the lighting in the operating room. HE DID AMAZING.
![Marine stands in hospital room holding up a camera](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/cell_phone_scrubs_camera-e1519409558247-1600x1200.jpg)
He captured the birth, cut the chord and then followed their baby to the NICU immediately.
![Nurse holds up newborn c-section baby with bloody head in white cloth](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4084-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Close up of nurse holding up newborn c-section baby who is crying with hand in air](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4133-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Close up of nurse holding swaddled newborn c-section baby in blanket covered in teddy bears](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4167-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Woman who just had c-section holds new born baby swaddled in blanket close to her chest](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4193-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Close up of woman who just had c-section holding her newborn tight to her chest](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4183-2-Edit-5a905ade51ba5-1600x1200.jpg)
Then, he came out and handed me my camera and I took over until dad walked in a while later.
![Nurse pushes baby who was born through c-section down the hospital hallway on cart with baby bed on it](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4301-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Newborn who was birthed via c-section lays on hospital bed while nurse attaches wires to its body](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4469-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Husband leans over to hug wife in hospital bed who just gave birth via c-section](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/Screenshot-2018-02-23-13.32.05_edit-1600x1200.jpg)
I captured the baby in the NICU and dad seeing the baby for the first time.
![Father of newborn who was birthed via c-section watches baby sleep in NICU](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4506-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Father stands over newborn baby and holds it's hand in NICU](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4516-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
![Father of newborn leans over baby and touches it's chest in NICU](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4522-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
Everything went so smoothly and they welcomed a beautiful 6-pound, 6-ounce baby boy into the world who is strong and healthy. It truly was amazing.
![Close up up father touching newborns nose in NICU](https://lwm-a2.azureedge.net/uploads/2018/02/246A4527-Edit-1600x1200.jpg)
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Kayla Mattox Photography in Yuma, Arizona. Submit your story here.
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