The couple welcomed their first child together earlier this month.

The Block’s Steph and Gian have shared an emotional and deeply personal account of the birth of their daughter, Ilaria, an experience that left them shaken but grateful.

Opening up on Instagram, the pair described it as “a two-week rollercoaster of emotions that led us to you,” a journey they felt ready to share only now that their beautiful girl is safely in their arms at home.
The couple announced the birth of their daughter on November 9.
For Steph, labour began with a surprising sense of beauty and closeness. “There’s something beautiful about labour and the connection I felt with Gian in those moments,” she wrote on Instagram, recalling how their bond felt unbreakable as they braced themselves for parenthood.

But the peaceful anticipation soon gave way to a terrifying turn of events. After hours of labouring, Steph’s temperature began to climb rapidly, forcing doctors to make the quick decision to perform an emergency caesarean. As the situation escalated even further, the medical team told her she needed to be put under general anaesthesia immediately. Steph remembers looking at Gian, whispering “I love you,” and trusting him with everything that would follow.

She wouldn’t open her eyes again for 12 hours.
Steph found herself in the ICU following a complicated birth.
When she finally woke, she found herself in the ICU, hooked to tubes, bruised, swollen, and with no baby beside her. Ilaria had been born shortly after Steph was put under, healthy and perfect, while doctors urgently fought to stabilise her mother. Gian was the first to hold their daughter, comforting her while specialists directed their attention to saving Steph’s life.

In a devastating series of complications, Steph developed DIC, a rare but dangerous blood-clotting disorder. She experienced severe hemorrhaging and required a massive transfusion. “I received 15 litres of blood,” she revealed. “Without the blood donors, the incredible practitioners that worked tirelessly on me, and modern medicine, I wouldn’t be here.”

For three nights, Steph remained in ICU. For another three, she stayed in a separate ward recovering, still unable to meet her baby. She made the heartbreaking decision not to look at any photos of Ilaria, waiting until she felt strong enough, clear enough, and emotionally ready to recognise herself again before meeting her daughter.
Steph has revealed she didn’t meet her daughter till days later.
Meanwhile, Gian took on the role of both dad and devoted caregiver, racing between hospitals with colostrum, tending to Ilaria during her tests, and checking on Steph at every chance. Miraculously, Ilaria remained completely unaffected by the stress surrounding her birth, a gift Steph calls “nothing short of a blessing.”

Still disoriented and exhausted, Steph clung to the thought of finally meeting her little girl. “Healing mentally and physically from the trauma felt impossible,” she admitted. “I genuinely can’t talk about this without breaking down. But this man—my husband, my soulmate—kept me going.”

And then, at last, the moment came.

As she was wheeled in to meet her daughter for the first time, Steph felt something shift inside her. “I had this overwhelming certainty that everything was going to be okay,” she shared. “She gave me time to recover for us to come together again, stronger.”
The couple shared details of the traumatic experience on Instagram.
The instant Ilaria latched onto her mother, the fear and pain began to melt away. It was the beginning of a bond that now feels unbreakable. “She is the light,” Steph shared. “We’ve been inseparable since.”

Leaving the hospital after their harrowing week, Steph and Gian were overcome with gratitude for their families, for their friends, and for the dedicated team of doctors, specialists, midwives and nurses at Mater Private Hospital who guided them through their darkest hours.

“It was one of the hardest weeks of our lives,” they reflected, “but we left with an abundance of gratitude and perspective—and above all, unwavering love.”