Our Birth Story

Hey all! Erin here. Thanks for checking out our birth story. Gerry’s addition to our life has meant everything, and we’re so thankful for the journey that brought him here.

2022 was a whirlwind, to say the least. We got married in February, honeymooned in Fiji, and bought our first house in May. We found out we were pregnant a little over a month after we moved into our house on August 30th. We began trying after the honeymoon and were over the moon for it to happen so quickly.

Pregnancy was truly one of the most enjoyable times in my life. I felt great through the vast majority of it, only experiencing minimal uncomfortable symptoms. Gerard and I made a point to double down on our healthy lifestyle through pregnancy, and this especially meant Gerard getting to experiment with cooking meals with nutrients to support pregnancy. All of which were fantastic. I am so lucky to have a incredible chef as a husband. Some memorable times throughout pregnancy were our almost daily walks around the neighborhood after work, talking about how we would soon be taking these walks with our son, and imagining how our life would change when he arrives. We had lots of date nights and made sure to celebrate holidays as milestones of our last ones as just the two of us before Gerry arrived.

Our medical team throughout was fantastic, especially our OBGYN, Dr. Katherine Schwab, MD, and our Doula, Kirsten Kime. They helped us feel supported and confident throughout. As we got closer to Gerry’s due date (May 7th), I went out on maternity leave April 8th, allowing me to have a month before to disconnect from work and really nest into the final leg of pregnancy.

I was already 1 cm. dilated and 75% effaced at our 36 week appointment , which made our OBGYN very excited. Gerry was already nested far into my pelvis, meaning he fit well, and was essentially ready to go. By our 38 week appointment I was 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced. At our week 39 appointment (May 2nd) I was 3 cm. dilated and fully effaced, and our OB asked if we wanted to sweep the membrane to induce labor. We decided to see if I could go into labor on my own, and with how far along I was already, she said that she would probably see us tomorrow. Oh boy, was she right!

After that appointment we went for our daily afternoon walk around the neighborhood, had dinner, and went to sleep early. At 4:30am on May 3rd, I woke up to go to the bathroom and my water broke. Just like the movies. I woke Gerard up and we started getting ready. Since contractions hadn’t started yet, I took a shower and got ready while Gerard packed the car, fed the cats, and we ate breakfast. At 5:30am, contractions started, and right off the bat they were pretty close together (~1.5 min.). I called the hospital and they told us to come on in. We arrived at Swedish Medical Center at 6:15am. We’re only a couple miles away and I was incredibly thankful for that short 8 minute drive, because at that point the contractions were pretty painful.

By the time I was in a bed in triage, the contractions were incredibly painful, and I could no longer talk. I was 7 cm. dilated and fully effaced, so they prepared the labor room and called the anesthesiologist. Gerard alerted our family and friends and was my voice as I labored through the most pain I’ve ever experienced. We got into our labor room at 8am, at which point our doula, Kirstin, arrived. Our Labor and Delivery nurse, Sam, was incredible, and helped us feel ready, supported, and brought levity to the situation throughout. Her energy was infectious and even though I was in silent pain with my eyes closed, she helped make me feel like everything was going to be okay. The anesthesiologist arrived at 8:30 to administer the epidural. Due to the strength of the contractions, I didn’t notice the epidural going in, or frankly, him even really being there. It began to take effect almost immediately, and they placed a peanut ball between my legs and rolled me on my side for it to absorb. I was shocked with how quickly it happened and soon came out of that pain fog. At this point I noticed where I was and said hello to everyone in the room, since to this point my eyes had been closed for literally hours.

Our OB’s shift started by the time we got into the labor room, which was incredible. She came by at 9am to check me, at this point I was 8 cm. dilated and progressing nicely. She had a resident with her, Dr. Bear, who would be joining us as well. At this point, my parents had arrived as well. Dr. Schwab said it would be a good time to take a nap before, anticipating an early afternoon delivery. She came back at 9:45am to check again, and I was 10 cm. So the plan changed to, “Well, do you want to have this baby right now?”

At this point, everyone got into their positions, Kirstin and Gerard were at my side, Sam ran me through what was going to happen on my other side, and Dr. Schwab and Dr. Bear were at the end of the bed. The team coached me through each contraction, where I would push for 10 seconds, 3 times during each one. During the few minutes between each contraction I rested and they provided me with the progress I was making. Even with the epidural, I was able to feel some pressure which helped immensely when it came to pushing, and I began to get into a pretty good rhythm halfway through. Gerry was crowning almost from the beginning, so the majority of the pushing was scooting him through the very last leg of his journey. They asked if I wanted to see. If you had asked me this before labor I would have said no, but in the moment with how supported and powerful I felt, I said hell yeah!

Gerard was an incredible coach at my ear and was truly part of the delivery team. They were so impressed with him, and I was so thankful to have him there communicating to me how I was progressing in a way that helped me orient where I was in the process. I’ll never forget him telling me this would be the last push and truly believing him that we would meet our bud in a matter of seconds. During that last push, Dr. Bear pulled his head out and placed him on my chest, and I looked up at Gerard with absolute disbelief and love (and probably every other human emotion on steroids).

Gerard LeConte IV was born at 11:05am on May 3rd, at 5lbs. 13oz., and 19”. I pushed for exactly one hour, and thanks to the careful care from our birth team, I had a safe and healthy birth, with only had one minor tear on the side (2 stitches). About 15 minutes after Gerry joined us, I looked at Dr. Schwab and said “Well, I had a great time.”

Birth was truly the most magical experience I’ve ever had. I enjoyed it so much, even the painful parts. Being in a room full of incredible women delivering life hit me hard, and I still get weepy thinking about it. Gerard and I are so thankful to this team and we will truly never forget them and the experience they gave us.

Welcome to the world Gerry! We love you more than anything and love being your parents. We can’t wait to watch you explore the world.