Moms in the Lou this month catches up with Dr. Kimberly LeMoine, a very busy mom, wife, and OB/Gyn!
Tell us about yourself and your family!
I’m an Army brat and moved around a lot when I was a kid. I moved to STL when I was 15. I went away to college and then went to MIZZOU for Med school and came back to SLU for my OB/Gyn residency. I got married to my husband, Dave, in 2007, and we have 9-year-old triplet boys.
What do you love about your work?
I love taking care of women from a young age when they start needing gynecological care, through their childbearing years and then on through mid-life. I think the relationship a woman has with her gynecologist is very special.
Favorite spot in St. Louis to go with your kids? To go for date night?
My kids love anywhere they can be outside and run around. So we go to lots of different parks and trails. We’re in our yard more than anywhere, either playing family kickball or wiffle ball! Dewey’s and Red Robin are their favorite places to eat.
I’m not going to lie. Date nights don’t happen very often. More frequently, we get the kids to bed, order carryout, and rent a movie that isn’t animated. 🙂 The last place we went out was Mia Sorella on our anniversary.
In what ways do you think the US could improve in terms of postpartum care for moms?
The US lags far behind other countries in paid maternity and paternity leave. If we could change that one thing and allow moms (and dads) to stay home longer, it would benefit them and their infants, and I really think we would see a decrease in postpartum anxiety and depression as a result.
Craziest labor and delivery story?
There really aren’t words …. whatever you could possibly imagine, it’s happened. And more. I’ve delivered 4,000 babies during my career as an OB/Gyn!
Tell us about your side business – how did that come about??
It was a total fluke, really. There was a plastic surgeon that was retiring, and he and his wife apparently thought I needed one more thing to do! They offered to let me use some of their equipment and really pushed me to enter the field of aesthetics as something I could not only do now, but potentially after I retire from OB/Gyn. They said I would love it and they were right!
How do you balance marriage, being a mom of triplets, life as an OB/Gyn, and being a business owner all at once? You’re a superhero!
Well, I don’t know about that! I don’t sleep very much, that’s for sure. Balancing everything is always a daily struggle. I have a super amazing husband who definitely helps out, not only with the boys but also with everything house-related.
I think one of the big myths is that women can give 100% to everything we do. But in fact, there’s only one 100% of me. Some days I feel like I haven’t done enough in every area, whether at work, or with my kids, or in my relationship with my husband, or at the Med Spa. At the end of the day, I want to know I’ve done my best and for the people that matter to me to know that.
What advice would you give to a new mom?
RELAX. Learn to laugh at yourself. You aren’t going to do everything perfectly, and that’s ok. Everything is not going to go the way you thought it would in your head, and that’s ok. Being a mom is hard and very humbling. Not being able to control everything is hard. Asking for help is OK. But the joy outweighs the struggle, and the love you have for your child is like none other!
Dr. Kimberly LeMoine, MD, has been practicing medicine in St. Louis for 16 years. She is well known for her rapport with patients and excellent surgical skills. She went to medical school at Mizzou and completed her residency at St. Louis University. She currently works at Mercy Hospital, where she has a very busy OB/Gyn practice and is also involved in resident training.
