Tennessee Mom Gives Birth to Hospital’s ‘Largest Baby’ in Years After Experiencing an Unimaginable Loss (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Shelby Martin had her birth plan meticulously mapped out — but life had other plans in store for her
• The Tennessee-based mom’s son entered the world in July, weighing nearly 13 lbs., becoming the “largest baby” delivered at HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital in years
• The happy news comes one year after the boy mom experienced an unimaginable loss on her birthday

Shelby Martin had her birth plan meticulously mapped out — but life had other plans in store for her.

The Tennessee-based mom, 30, tells PEOPLE that she had the “perfect birth plan” in place for the delivery of her fourth baby. She wanted skin-to-skin contact right after birth, delayed cord clamping, and most of all the “vaginal delivery I’d always imagined.” However, that all changed when she was 36 weeks and she and her partner Joshua Thomas, 27, found out their baby on the way was measuring big.

“There was a real risk he could get stuck during delivery. That changed everything,” she says. “I knew the safest choice was a C-section, and thankfully, I had an amazing OBGYN and care team at TriStar Centennial who I trusted completely.”

“Sure, I grieved the loss of my ‘perfect birth plan,’ ” she adds, before continuing, “but looking back, I’m just so grateful.”

Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now!

https://people.com/embed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40shlbmrtn%2Fphoto%2F7556260664298310943%3Fis_from_webapp%3D1%26sender_device%3Dpc%26web_id%3D7532528669105915405&id=mntl-sc-block_12-0-iframe&options=e30%3D&docId=11833164

Martin delivered her son Cassian at HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital in Nashville on July 29. The newborn entered the world weighing 12 lbs. and 14 oz. — the largest newborn delivered at that location in three years, according to hospital personnel.

“We had a heads up that he was going to be big, but I would have never guessed almost 13 pounds,” Martin tells PEOPLE. “Looking back on bump pictures, I probably should have known.”

The boy mom of four says when her little one was born, everyone in the room “lit up.” While she admits that she was nervous before laying eyes on her newborn because it was her first C-section, Martin says that the moment her baby boy arrived, the energy in the room shifted.

“Everyone was amazed by his size! He made such a big impression that nurses and doctors from all over the hospital came by the NICU just to meet him,” she shares. “He quickly became a little celebrity during his stay.”

“Every time we visited, someone from the care team was already snuggling him,” she adds. “They truly adored him, and as a first-time NICU mom, that meant everything to me. Knowing he was so loved and cared for brought me so much comfort.”

After delivering her baby boy, Martin shares with PEOPLE that she was “relieved,” adding that at that moment she believed that the “hard part was over.” However, when her little one had to spend several days in the NICU, the newly minted parents had a “tough” time.

“We are very grateful his stay wasn’t as long as some,” says the mom of four. “My heart is truly with all NICU parents.”

The newborn had to stay in the NICU for 10 days before being able to return home to his family. Martin explains that while most people might assume baby Cassian was overdue because of his size, he was actually born early, his lungs were still a little underdeveloped and his glucose levels weren’t steady.

“He went to the NICU almost immediately after the c-section,” she shares. “This was my first NICU experience, so having to ask permission to hold him and seeing him attached to tubes and monitors was all so new to me. Coming home without him was the hardest part of it all.”

Related Stories

Florida Mom Gives Birth to Hospital’s ‘Biggest Baby’ in Its 10-Year History, Shocking the Nurses and Doctors

Couple’s ‘Gender Reveal’ Party Started Small. Then Wife Learned She’s Expecting Family’s First Girl in Over 100 Years

Now settled at home, Martin tells PEOPLE that her son is “the brightest rainbow” that the family has been waiting for, as the happy news came one year after she experienced a pregnancy loss.

“We woke up so excited to see our baby. It was my 29th birthday. We planned to get smoothies and go to the Parthenon after. The sun was bright,” she explains. “When we were told that there was no longer a heartbeat, my entire world lost color. We walked out to a dark, rainy parking lot and just had to carry on because, unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop around you.”

Her son Cassian entered the world a year later on her 30th birthday, which Martin says brought back the color that the family had been missing.

“He truly is the brightest rainbow we had been dreaming of,” she says. “Of course, we still mourn our angel we lost, but being able to get him Earthside has filled something in all of us. His brothers are over the moon.”

The new addition joins Martin’s older sons Jonah, 7, Waylon, 8, and Elijah, 9, completing their family of six. Since welcoming her son and bringing him home, Martin says that it has been “absolutely incredible.”

“He truly fits right in,” Martin says. “He was our missing link.”

She tells PEOPLE that baby Cassian’s older siblings are “obsessed” with him, which came as no surprise to her.

“His three older brothers are obsessed with him, but I knew they would be. They have waited a long time for him,” Martin says.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

With fall approaching, Martin tells PEOPLE that she’s most excited to experience all of the autumnal things with her little one.

“I’m most excited for all of the fall things! His first pumpkin p