Gianna Maria

Baby G IV is a girl! Gianna Maria Gretencord was born to us on Friday, September 14, 2007 at 9:53am CST. She weighed 8 lbs 9oz and measured 20 1/4 inches long.

Namesake

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

St. Gianna was a physician, a working mom, professional woman, and a loving wife. Having chosen the vocation of marriage, she embraced it with complete enthusiasm and wholly dedicated herself “to forming a truly Christian family”. During her fourth pregnancy, she had developed a fibroma in her uterus. Rather than undergoing a surgical procedure that would terminate the life of the child, Gianna pleaded with the surgeon to save the life of the child she was carrying, and entrusted herself to prayer and Providence. A few days before the child was due, although trusting as always in Providence, she was ready to give her life in order to save that of her child: “If you must decided between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child – I insist on it. Save him”. The infant was born without any complications, yet despite all efforts and treatments the mother died. She was 39 years old. Gianna was canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 16, 2004. Reference.

Society of Saint Gianna

Birth Story

Sweet little Gianna was born on the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. For personal spiritual reasons, it was very fitting. My greatest anxiety and prayer during this pregnancy was having the physical and spiritual strength and grace to endure the cross of labor and offer it up in union with our Blessed Lord. With His grace, another stellar intersession from St. Gerard, and the coaching of my beloved husband, labor went wonderfully. I hope that those for which we were praying receive the graces we asked.

As you remember we like to have natural unmedicated births for our children. And indeed it takes a lot of physical preparation during the nine months of pregnancy. All my morning walks definitely helped…perhaps too much!

Friday morning I started feeling contractions around 4:45 a.m. I wasn’t sure, but something told me this was it. It was still early and they didn’t feel intense or close together so I didn’t get anything to time them until 5 a.m. By 5:45, I knew this was it. By 6:30 a.m. my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart lasting 40 – 60 seconds so we called our friends the Ceys as they were first in line to come and watch the kids. Misty said they would be here by 7:30 and were very prompt.

For that hour waiting for the Ceys, Adam didn’t deem I was “serious” enough even though I suggested we go ahead and leave for the hospital to get through Friday morning traffic. When they arrived, the kids started waking up and I wanted to say bye to them and let them know the baby was coming. Then the contractions started spacing out and weren’t consistent which threw the Coach for a loop. He was not expecting that. So we stayed home longer.

I recall thinking that the baby I was hoping to hold by lunch time might not make it until dinner if my contractions start subsiding. By 8 a.m. we called Dr. Love’s office and told them I was in labor. By 8:30 the contractions were coming back at full force and lasting quite a bit of time: 1 minute, then 90 seconds, then up to 2 and a half minutes. Adam was perplexed. I was in pain! And 9:15 rolled around and we left for the hospital. At the car door I had another long contraction and told Adam to call 9-1-1 because I had to push!

Somehow though I managed to get in the car and we were off to the hospital. It was the longest drive and this baby was coming. I was fearful that we were going to have to pull over and have the baby on our own. I needed to push and I started feeling that I was bearing down. All Adam could say was “Relax, breathe, don’t hyperventilate!” And all I could say was, “I need to push!!!!!!” The contractions were coming so hard I was shaking and my mind was reeling.

We arrived at St. David’s and Adam didn’t even park the car, but left it outside the admitting area. We went in and all I could say was, “I need to push!!!” The lady at the receptionist desk calming directed us to the 3rd floor. And a kind woman held the elevator for us. And I REALLY REALLY needed to push in the elevator! We got to the 3rd floor and I’m still walking saying, “I need to push!!!!” The nurses were trying to get me to Labor and Delivery. One even offered a wheel chair, but I told her “I can’t sit down. I NEED TO PUSH!!!” So half way down the hall in front of the waiting area I felt the baby’s head and I dropped my shorts! Yes, all modesty goes out the window when a baby is coming out of you. So sorry if this is scandalous to some of you. About 5-7 nurses and Adam were trying to get me to a room.

They ended up getting me into the triage room where they prep women for c-sections and the such. Leaning against the bed despite their efforts to get me to sit or lay down, I was still standing and one push later at 9:53 a.m., Gianna was born! The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck and they had to gently untangle it. But she was fine and still got 9’s on her Apgar.

Dr. Love walked in and said, “I heard that you came in and said you needed to push and I ran out of the office.  We were expecting you a bit earlier. What happened?”  He kindly laughed at our story and delivered the placenta.  While the nurse was finally “admitting” us to the hospital, she laughed as she said, “The paperwork will say you were admitted at 9:51 a.m. and the baby was born at 9:53 a.m.”

I was fine for a while and then started to bleed more than normal.  That was not expected and I ended up needing an IV and oxygen after getting some medication to stop the excessive bleeding.  This was a little glitch in the birth plan, but I recovered from it quickly and by the next morning my hemoglobin count was good.

This was probably the easiest and most exciting labor we’ve had.  And the recovery was equally as smooth. By Sunday, when we left the hospital I felt like I had the week before, only slightly sore.

Thank you dear and merciful Lord for hearing all our prayers and the prayers of our friends and family for sweet little Gianna Maria.  Thank you for Dr. Love and all the wonderful St. David’s hospital staff in their kindness and generosity in taking such good care of us–please bless them immensely.  Thank you good St. Gerard.  You have never failed us in our novena dear brother in Christ.  And very special love and thanks to Misty and the entire Cey family for taking care of Therese and Fulton and allowing Adam to spend the time with me welcoming our Gianna into our family–you are a gift from God.