Staff Sgt. Jeremy Staten, 437th Airlift Wing quality assurance inspector, soothes his 1-month old son, Silas, June 18, 2013, inside the baby’s nursery at Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. Silas was born in the back of a van outside of JB Charleston – Air Base, while Staten, and his wife Cara were on their way to the medical birthing center. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Airman 1st Class Tom Brading)
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. —
Jeremy and Cara wanted a natural birth for their second son. But, they never imagined how natural it would be.
"The baby's coming," Cara said to her husband, as she experienced contractions around 7 a.m. on May 18, 2013, at their home on Joint Base Charleston - Air Base, S.C.
Cara's husband, Staff Sgt. Jeremy Staten, 437th Airlift Wing quality assurance inspector, remained as calm as his wife's contractions, which at the time were very minor. The mild nature of the morning was deceptive for the events to come.
"It's important to prepare as much as you can before the birthing process," said Cara, a native of Chotaw, Ok.
But, the Statens learned some things you simply cannot be prepared for.
Preparing to leave for the birthing center, the Statens brought their 2-year old son, Liam, to a friend's house, met up with their doula and called their midwife to meet them at Trident Health Pregnancy Birthing Center in Summerville, S.C., where they had planned for a natural water birth. However, the couple and the doula never made it to the medical facility. (A doula is a nonmedical labor coach that assists the mother and her partner before, during and after the pregnancy by providing information, physical assistance and emotional support. The midwife is a health care professional that assists in a similar fashion.)
Before they left the base, Cara's contractions spiked and continued to amplify with every passing moment. It was around 9:45 a.m. on that Saturday morning when Jeremy pulled the car off the road and into the grass, down the road from the Rivers Ave. gated entrance to the Air Base.
The doula told the Statens the baby was coming and the head was visible. From the backseat of the van, Cara began pushing harder. Jeremy was assisting his wife with techniques they had learned from coaching and relaxation classes they had taken.
While helping his wife remain relaxed, assisting the family's doula and talking to emergency responders on the phone, Jeremy's world changed forever.
"I was lost in the moment," said Jeremy. "None of it felt real, but it was all really happening."
At approximately 9:55 a.m., less than 20 minutes after they left the house, the Statens welcomed their 7 lb.,13 oz. son Silas into the world.
Once Silas was born, Jeremy continued following directions from the EMS operator on the phone. Jeremy properly tied his shoelace around the umbilical cord four inches from the baby, then again two to four inches away from the first knot. He then cut the cord between the two ties.
Shortly after, the emergency personnel arrived and checked Silas and Cara's vitals, and determined they were both healthy and doing well.
"The Air Force has trained me to remain calm in any situation," said Jeremy, a native of Picayune, Miss. "Obviously, the birth of my son wasn't the type of situation I trained for, but my training kicked in at the right moment."