Desiree Hartsock and husband Chris Siegfried have slightly different memories of son Asher’s October 19 natural birth.
“It was unique and fun to watch when the baby came out,” the new father, 30, says in the latest issue of Us Weekly. Replies the Bachelorette season 9 star, 30, laughing, “Fun to watch?! Oh, man!”
Though her labor only lasted two hours at Seattle’s Center for Birth, Hartsock still calls it one of “the most painful things you’ll ever feel.” Luckily, she had help from a midwife, doula and her husband.
“Chris was such a savior to be honest,” says Hartsock. “It was just nice to know he was there.”
The mortgage banker didn’t only provide emotional support — he sat behind his wife and propped her up during the delivery. But Hartsock kept her eyes closed the entire time. “That’s how I was getting through everything,” the My Fairytale Wedding author adds. “It helped me and also, I called it a growl, but it wasn’t a growl.” Siegfried explains, “She was moaning and breathing.”
The pair do agree on one thing: Their infant resembles Dad. “I’m just happy he’s got a good hairline,” Siegfried jokes. “And he’s definitely going to be tall.”
With an October birthday — smack in the middle of MLB playoffs season — Asher has a middle name in tribute to Siegfried’s former profession as a Chicago Cubs minor leaguer.
“Chris was like, ‘What do you think about Cubby?’” says the wedding dress designer, who eventually agreed to Wrigley, after the 2016 World Series contenders’ ballpark. “When he said Wrigley it felt right.”
Now back home with their son, the pair, who dated for 20 months before their January 2015 wedding, are getting to know their firstborn. “He’s pretty calm,” shares Hartsock. “But he hates being changed. It’s the end of the world! And when we took him in the car for the first time, it was absolutely terrible!”
Despite the struggles in their infant’s early days, Siegfried says Hartsock is a natural at motherhood. “She instantly figured out what to do,” he gushes. “Right when he was born, Des just kicked it into a different gear. She does everything and watching her, I’m impressed.”
