Nick Viall and fiancée Natalie Joy recalled a scary moment during the birth of their daughter River Rose.
“I pushed three times … and she came out with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck several times, Joy, 24, said on the Thursday, February 22, episode of the “Viall Files” podcast. “Which I did not see until my mom showed us the footage that [she] took … and you just see [the nurses] unwrapping the umbilical cord.”
Viall added that the medical professionals “very calmly” aided River. While reflecting on the journey of River’s arrival, Viall noted that the process is “intense” for the baby, especially with all the ailments they can potentially get as a newborn.
“River came out and she had a bump on her head, but thank God Natalie prepped me for that,” he explained. “Because I knew what that was. Had I not, I probably would have been freaking out.”
Viall shared that his daughter’s bump ultimately vanished in a matter of minutes. When it came time to cut the umbilical cord, Viall revealed he was the one to accomplish the task. Once River was ready to be held, both her parents bonded with their little one by having skin-to-skin contact.
At one point, River started crying while doctors were looking over her and Viall stepped in to check on his daughter. While retelling the moment, the Bachelor alum got choked up.
“I went over by River and started just kissing her and she just stopped crying,” he said through tears. Joy added, “She recognized his voice and she stopped crying.”
River ended up having to stay in the hospital longer than expected after the little one came down with jaundice, which is the yellow discoloration of a newborn baby’s skin and eyes, per Mayo Clinic.
“We had to stay in the hospital two nights after and she had to sleep in an incubator with blue lights on her,” Joy explained while noting that the newborn only wore an eyemask while getting treated. “Other than that, she passed all her tests.”
The couple welcomed River earlier this month and shared the sweet meaning behind her moniker. “River Rose Viall 🤍 2-2-2024 named after Natalie’s great grandmother and niece…the best part of life starts now 🦢🕊️☁️💗,” read the Viall and Joy’s joint caption.
Viall and Joy shared a series of photos of their daughter sleeping in her crib, sitting in a car seat and resting on her dad’s chest. In one sweet interaction, River grabbed her parents’ fingers with both hands.
