Welcome, Jill Devine! This mom of two girls, and a well-known radio personality, is featured as our next Mom in the Lou!
Where are you from? If STL, where did you go to high school?
Born and raised in St. Louis. Francis Howell High School (AKA The Original Howell)
How did you get into radio?? Tell us about your job!
I originally wanted to teach, but it wasn’t the path for me. I wanted something creative and outside of a “9-5” job. My Aunt worked for a radio company in town and I literally (NO JOKE) woke up one day and thought radio would be fun. I had no desire to be on-the-air. I was all about the behind-the-scenes jobs.
I got an internship at the Top 40 station in town, and my career started. I was then hired part-time in the marketing department … fast forward … I left there with the title of Music Director and Mid-Day On-Air Talent. I worked for four more stations in town until December 2019. I’m VERY fortunate to have worked in my hometown for my entire radio career. I’m not sure what my future holds with radio, but never say never!
Tell us about your family.
My husband, Brian, was also born and raised in St. Louis. He went to Francis Howell, but he’s a couple of years younger than me, and we didn’t know each other in school.
Louise “Lu” Christine was born on 9/19/16, and Charlotte “Charli” Ivy was born on 12/14/18. We like nicknames that happen to be boy names, so when we talk about our girls with people that don’t know us, they think we have boys, lol.
What are your birth stories?
I had gestational diabetes with Lu, so my doctor wanted to induce early. Lu wasn’t too big, however, so my doctor was going to let me go to my due date. Since the due date was a Tuesday, she said we might as well start the week off right and induce on the 19th. I went in around 8 am to begin the process, they broke my water around noon, and I got my epidural around 4 pm. I dilated to a 10 about half an hour after the epidural, which surprised everyone, including myself. I pushed for two hours and got sick a couple of times.
Lu’s head was right there, but she wasn’t coming out. Her heart rate would drop, and my doctor said she would try a vacuum extraction, and if necessary, a C-section. I’m a Type A personality, and I did lots of reading to prepare for labor and delivery, but the one thing I didn’t prepare for was a C-Section. The vacuum didn’t work, and a C-Section was declared. It was around 9 pm on 9/19/16 when Lu made her appearance!
Charli’s due date was December 25. I got a lot of comments about that because her birthday would compete with Christmas. I thought it was a glorious due date! It’s Jesus’ birthday! What a gift it would be to share a birthday with Jesus, and I intended to teach her that outlook. I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes again, and my doctor insisted we induce a week early. We scheduled another C-section. I called first thing the following day and booked the 18th; however, I started to feel some discomfort. I thought it was because my baby was running out of room, plus I didn’t experience contractions with Lu, so I didn’t know what to expect.
On December 14, while at work, I had some bleeding, and panic ensued within me. I called my doctor’s office, who told me to stay calm and go on bed rest until the 18th. My mother urged me to call the hospital to get their opinion, and they said it wouldn’t hurt to come in. It turns out that I was having contractions. Ironically, my doctor was already at the hospital with another patient. They moved quickly, and Charli arrived around 10 pm!
What is the hardest part of motherhood?
The emotional roller coaster. The number of emotions that can be had in less than a minute is confusing and very hard. The easiest? Loving my girls unconditionally. They own my heart.
Red wine or white?
Red – Pinot Noir all day and night!
Favorite STL spot for moms?
Please tell me the best spots for STL moms, lol! I consider myself a relatively “new” mom, so I’m learning about all the connection groups and outlets. I welcome all suggestions!
Favorite STL food specialty?
That is tough! Ok, is Gooey Butter Cake an STL specialty? If so, I’m going that route. Want to know something crazy? I don’t like cream cheese! I know, I’m weird. I had no idea gooey butter cake had cream cheese in it and I still love it! If that’s not an STL specialty, I will go with the BBQ pork steak!
A St. Louis native (she went to Francis Howell High School), Jill Devine is best known for being a radio personality. She spent 21 years on the St. Louis airwaves at a variety of radio stations. Jill is married to Brian, and they have two daughters, Louise “Lu” (3) and Charlotte “Charli” (1). Once Jill became a mom, she noticed things about being a working mom … things no one was talking about. It led her to create and host her podcast, “Two Kids and A Career.” The podcast is an outlet to escape the stresses of everyday life, while also tackling tough conversations most are afraid to have. Jill loves supporting local businesses, as well as giving back to the community. 
