Navy scores cuteness title after tough birth
The youngster crowned the region’s cutest baby by Geelong Advertiser readers made a dramatic entrance to the world. Navy James Bellis’ mum Ella Marin, 17, thought she was going to die during his birth on January 16.
The St Leonards resident was in early labour from Christmas Day and found out the day before giving birth she had severe pre-eclampsia, which made for a traumatic labour.
“I had this gut feeling I needed to get checked out because I wasn’t feeling well so I went in and my blood pressure was quite high and the protein in my urine was well over the limit,” Ms Marin said.
“They said I would need to have the baby really fast as my blood pressure was rising and my brain was at risk of seizing. “It was quite scary.” Ms Marin’s waters were broken at 3am, she had an epidural and then a hormonal drip, and Navy was born about 11am.
“I did haemorrhage nearly two litres of blood so that was rough,” Ms Marin said. Born at 37 weeks, Navy weighed 3.3kg.
“He was happy and healthy,” Ms Marin said.
“My blood pressure and my heart rate was not going down so I was in hospital for about a week.
“I thought during my birth I wouldn’t make it to see my baby afterwards. It was rushed and not how I wanted it.” Ms Marin said she experienced post-partum pre-eclampsia and post-partum depression.
“I did struggle a lot to bond with Navy,” she said. “It was pretty rough, but everything is OK now.
“I’m a single mum at 17 so it can be tricky.”
Ms Marin said Navy was very loved.
She said his name was her mum’s idea and she was unsure about it at first. “Then I started to like it and it stuck with me, every time I went to ultrasounds he just looked like a Navy,” she said.
Ms Marin said Navy loved Dorothy the Dinosaur from The Wiggles.
“He also loves to be outside and be in the bath, he loves the water,” she said.
“He is the happiest baby. I was excited when we found out he won cutest baby.”
Competition for the cutest baby title was fierce with more than 160 bubs nominated and a total of 710 votes cast.