In the months leading up to the birth of your first child, you might think you have everything under wraps. You read parenting guides, select the best doctor, tour the hospital, set up the nursery, and install the car seat, all while feeling quite confident as your due date approaches. Then, when labor strikes, chaos ensues. Seth Meyers can certainly attest to this, having welcomed his first child on Easter Sunday and sharing the wild adventure of his wife’s labor during a recent Late Night monologue.
Seth recounts how his wife, Emma Greene, unexpectedly went into labor two weeks ahead of schedule. In the early hours, he didn’t fully grasp the situation. “Around 11:30 or noon, my wife kept saying her back hurt every 10 to 12 minutes, and I would rub her back,” he remembered. “Had I been better at recognizing patterns, I might have realized those were contractions.”
Once they figured it out, they called their doctor. Just as they were preparing to head to the hospital, Emma’s water broke—Seth describes it vividly, saying it sounded “exactly like what you’d expect when water breaks; it’s aptly named.” They hopped into an Uber for the ride to the hospital, where Seth amusingly mentioned rolling down the window so his distressed wife could shout, “I don’t like this!” He quipped, “Only in New York could you drive like that without people thinking, ‘That woman is being abducted.’”
Finally arriving at the hospital, Emma gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Jake, with the hospital staff donning bunny ears in celebration of the holiday. As Seth reminisced about naming their son, he expressed the surreal feeling of becoming a parent. “I know every parent watching has felt this… It’s strange how one moment you’re not a parent, and then suddenly you are. It takes a little while for your brain to catch up.”
What Seth and Emma discovered—and what many of us come to learn—is that there’s no foolproof way to prepare for parenthood. From labor to the actual birth and the emotions that follow, the experience is filled with surprises. Reflecting on my own journey, I once thought there would be a definitive moment when I felt like a true adult or a legitimate parent. That moment never came. Parenthood is an unpredictable emotional rollercoaster, yet it’s driven by the profound joy and love we feel for our children. Seth and Emma undoubtedly share that joy, and it’s heartwarming to hear him share their birth story with such enthusiasm.
You may never feel completely “ready” for parenthood, but the experience is undeniably one you wouldn’t trade for anything. Welcome to the world of parenting, Seth and Emma!
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To summarize, Seth Meyers’ humorous recounting of his wife’s unexpected labor experience emphasizes that becoming a parent is a journey filled with unpredictability and joy.