Back in February, Joy-Anna Duggar welcomed her first child, a boy named Gideon Forsyth.
Joy-Anna happily shared her joyous news with fans, and her family assured Duggar nation that the new mom was resting comfortably at home.
But it wasn’t until Monday night’s episode of Counting On that fans learned certain key details about the process of welcoming Gideon into the world.
For one, the boy is quite large — the largest Duggar yet, in fact.
On top of that, Joy’s delivery was far from easy, and fans watched with bated breath as the entire process unfolded in one of the most dramatic episodes of Counting On to date …
The Happy Family
Joy got pregnant almost immediately after marrying Austin Forsyth, and the young lovebirds are now parents to a bouncing baby boy.
Say Hello to Gideon
Gideon Martyn Forsyth entered the world on February 23 at 3:39 p.m. But it was the stats having to do with his size that really left fans impressed.
One Big Baby
Gideon tipped the scales at an impressive 10 pounds, 3 ounces on the day of his birth. And it seems welcoming the large lad into the world was no easy feat.
A Complicated Pregnancy
Joy-Anna experienced complications throughout her pregnancy, and we now know that Gideon’s birth was a long and difficult one.
A Change In Plans
Joy originally planned to give birth at home with the help of a midwife, as is customary among Duggar women.
Calling an Audible
She was forced to welcome her child in a hospital, however, after learning that baby Gideon was breach.
A Frightening Moment
Joy was rushed to a nearby hospital at the advice of her birthing coaches. Fortunately, she made it in time.
A Bump In the Road
“When the midwife came and told us that the baby was breach and that we had to go to the hospital, I was kind of discouraged because she had labored for so long and we were really hoping that we could just have a home birth,†Austin admitted.
At Last
After 20 hours of grueling labor, Joy gave birth via emergency C-section. It was perhaps the most dramatic Duggar birth ever caught on camera.
Happy Day
“I was ready to get the baby here any way possible,†Joy said on last night’s episode of Counting On.
One Seriously Big Boy
In addition to his impressive weight, Gideon was big by just about any measure. The boy was 22 inches long, and the circumference of his head was an astonishing 15 inches.
Makes Sense
As many have joked, with dimensions like those, it’s no wonder Joy-Anna agreed to an emergency C-section.
The Grandparents Sound Off
“His head circumference was 15 inches,” said an awed Jim Bob Duggar. “My biggest was 14 inches,” Michelle added.
Austin Opens Up
In one of the episode’s most memorable moments, Austin opened up about just how frightening the experience was as a by-stander.
The Hardest Part
“I’ve seen people die, but seeing my wife in pain that was pretty hard,†he said. “That was the hardest.â€Â
All Worth It
After the baby arrived, however, Austin was all smiles, offering one of Counting On’s most memorable moments when he opened up about holding his son for the first timel.
Nothing Like It
“You’d have to do it to know what it was like,†he said of that moment. “There’s nothing like it in the world.â€Â
Joining the Club
And with that, Joy became the latest to Duggar woman to welcome a child while still very young herself.
Up Next
Her sister Jinger Duggar welcomed a daughter in July, and fans are assuming it won’t be long before we get all the details on that birth via Counting On. Congrats to the ever-expanding Duggar clan!