Tori Spelling Talks About Liam and His Early Arrival

We've been posting bits and pieces of Tori Spelling's interview with US Weekly as they have become available, now that the issue has hit the stands here's the rest of the details:

On going into labor in the middle of the night: I woke up in the middle of the night and felt warm water everywhere. Dean was sleeping in the living room with Jack, who was visiting us, so I didn't want to wake him. So I went to the computer, logged on to BabyCenter.com, and learned that my water could break before contractions even started. I woke up Dean, and we called my doctor, Jason Rothbart. He was like, "It's time." My hospital bag wasn't packed, but I grabbed my Dear Johnnies nightgown and left.

On her painful contractions: They induced me with Pitocin. I felt like I was being Tasered! As foolish as this sounds, I wanted to feel how bad it would hurt. But I think I let the pain go on a little bit long before I got the epidural. I called my friend and said, "You didn't tell me contractions were this painful." And she said, "Why did you wait seven hours for the epidural?"

On Liam's difficult birth: The baby's heart rate started dropping with each contraction. Plus, I stopped dilating - I only got to 6 centimeters and you need to get to 10 to deliver. So Dr. Rothbart came in with oxygen and explained that they had to do a cesarean section. I started crying since I was so terrified. But my mom told me not to worry because she had a c-section with me, and she said I should look at Dean. I also asked Dr. Rothbart if he'd do a good job, and he said, "Well Angelina didn't complain." So I was like, OK, if Angelina let him do a c-section on her in Africa, I am OK. I felt comforted by that.

On having mom in the delivery room: I was having a panic attack about the c-section, and I was crying out, "Mommy!" when they wheeled me into the operating room. I don't care how old you are: When you are going through something scary, you want your mommy! She was holding my hand and telling me, "It's going to be okay." I looked into her eyes and calmed down.

On finally meeting Liam: During the pregnancy, it didn't seem feel quite real, because I couldn't see or hold him. But when I heard the cry of a little human life, I felt so connected to him. I will never experience anything like that for the rest of my life. Then the nurses brought him over, and he was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. I was like, "I've been waiting to see you for nine months!"

On choosing the name Liam: When we went for the ultrasound, we thought for sure it would be a girl. I always thought I'd have a girl, because I'm such a girlie-girl. We were even calling the baby "she." Then the doctors were like, "It's a boy." We hadn't even thought of boy names. And Dean said there was one name he always liked - Liam. I was like, "I love that." Dean says, "I'm Scottish and I always liked it. When Liam Neeson came on the scene, I was like, "What a great name!" It always stuck with me."

On rumors that she had a schedule c-section: Someone wrote, "Of course she just scheduled one, that's what all actors do." But I would have much rather had a natural delivery! The recovery is so painful, and you want to be able to take care of your baby.




Who Does Liam look like?: I think he looks like Dean. [Dean interjects] I just saw a pic of Tori at 1 week old, and Liam looks exactly like her. He uses his hands a lot, and Tori always talks with her hands. He's also opinionated, and that's both of us.

On not being able to share her pregnancy with mom, Candy: I felt that ache. When my belly was growing and I would talk to Liam, I would just think of my mom. I wanted to show her my belly. I wanted to experience it with her. I realized that the love I felt for him was the love that she must feel for me. Now I wonder, 'Why did this happen?'

How is mom, Candy, as a grandmother: She comes over every day and helps me so much. She drove to three Whole Foods looking for special bottles for Liam. They were sold out, so she called the company and had them ship them to us. She's been so cute.

On Candy's best advice: That Liam won't break! When I dress him or when he cries, I am so traumatized. But she told me she was scared when she first had me. Then she dived right in. You know, you only get one family, and you have to make it work.

On honoring her dad, Aaron Spelling: I miss my dad every day, but I don't feel sad; I feel like he literally brought Liam to us. When my dad passed last June, Dean and I conceived right after. It was like he sent us this little angel. It actually makes me feel happy, because I know he is watching over us. I believe that he gets to see him. I am only sad that Liam won't get to know my dad, because he was so wonderful and amazing.

On breastfeeding: That's our time together, and I can give him the one thing he wants: food. Dean took a photo of me nursing and I was horrified. I was like, 'Oh, this poor baby must be so scared of this giant thing coming at him!'

On what's been difficult: Mothers everywhere are going to kill me, but I have a really easy baby. He's 2 weeks old and sleeps 5 hours at a time during the night. He's not colicky, and he loves to eat. It's tiring, but I'm having a ball. Dean said he once heard me giggling at 5 A.M.

Dean as a father: From the moment we met, we did everything together, and it's no different now. We change him together, we feed him together - Dean is really good at burping Liam. I hand him to Dean, and Liam burps right away.

On their plans for more babies?: A week after I had Liam, I told Dean we should make more. And I want to do it soon, because I think it's important for children to be close in age and grow up together. My brother and I are almost six years apart, and we weren't that close when we were younger.

On losing the baby weight: In the movies, the belly goes away when the baby is born. That's not true. Still, I wasn't expecting to be as thin as I am now. I'm 5-foot-5 and I gained 40 lbs; I was huge! But I want to stay healthy. When the time is right, I will diet with Nutrisystem and work out. Dean is going to do it with me, so I'm excited!

On how motherhood has changed her: Before Liam, I was always stressed about a million different things. But when I had Liam, all that went away. Now, all that matters is my little man and my family.

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