Texas Moms: Jennifer McGehee

Paul, Jennifer and Molly McGehee

Jennifer and Paul McGehee hope newborn daughter Molly will grow up to share their love of horses.

They have 30 of them, after all, on McGehee Ranch in Lipan, Texas, where Paul is ranch manager.

They also have 425 cows. (They seem to accumulate, Paul says.)

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s wonderful!” Jennifer says of ranch life. “We hope she has an interest in it – she’ll be immersed in it!”

Thirty-year-old Jennifer, who says she was blessed with the “world’s easiest pregnancy,” gave birth to her first child Molly at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth on September 29. Like many other newbie moms, she says she’s gotten plenty of advice from family members on mama-hood throughout her pregnancy. Lucky for her, it’s a family full of physicians – her father is an OB/GYN, Paul’s mother is a practicing breast surgeon at Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth (Dr. Helen J. Bussey) and his father is a retired heart surgeon.

“We’re very lucky that way,” Jennifer said. “It’s always nice to have a second set of ears.”

Jennifer’s advice to new moms? “Enjoy every minute of it, because it goes by so fast. I’m trying to remember to spend every minute with her, because you’ll blink and suddenly she’ll be in kindergarten!”

I asked her why they’d drive over an hour from their country ranch in Lipan to give birth at Texas Health Southwest. “We love our doctor,” she replied. (Their physician is Dr. Adrianne Deem.)

Paul echoed that sentiment. “Make sure you go with a physician you like and trust. It really puts your mind at ease and you know they’ll be there for you.”