Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola is finally a mom. Honestly, if you grew up watching the original Jersey Shore run, seeing Sammi find her "happily ever after" feels like a personal win for the fans who watched her go through the ringer in her early twenties. But the road to her son, Vincent Keith May, wasn't just some glossy reality TV montage. It was actually a pretty grueling journey involving IVF, a devastating loss, and a lot of needles.
She didn't just wake up one day and announce a "Baby May." It was a years-long struggle.
What Really Happened with Sammi from Jersey Shore Being Pregnant
The news first broke on February 23, 2025. Sammi and her now-husband (then-fiancé) Justin May shared a joint post on Instagram that literally stopped the "Shore" corner of the internet. They'd been keeping a secret for months.
"After struggling through years of infertility, this is the absolute greatest blessing we could ever possibly ask for," Sammi wrote. You could feel the relief in her words. It wasn't just a pregnancy announcement; it was the end of a very long, very quiet storm.
The IVF Reality
Sammi was surprisingly open about the process once the secret was out. She had actually frozen her eggs back when she was 35. Smart move, but it didn't make the actual process of getting pregnant any easier. On Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, viewers got a raw look at what her life looked like behind the scenes:
📖 Related: How Old Is Breanna Nix? What the American Idol Star Is Doing Now
- Self-administered hormone injections.
- The emotional "rollercoaster" of doctor appointments.
- The constant fear that the next round wouldn't take.
She admitted that she felt "weird" sharing such a private thing on camera. Who wouldn't? But she did it because she wanted other women going through the same thing to feel a little less alone in the waiting room.
The Heartbreak Before the Joy
One detail that often gets glossed over in the headlines is that Sammi suffered a miscarriage before this successful pregnancy. She revealed this during a 2024 episode of the show. It was devastating.
"Just the thought of even being pregnant was such a magical moment for me, and just to have that taken away—it’s devastating," she told the cameras.
That is why she calls her son her "rainbow miracle baby." For those who don't know, a rainbow baby is a child born after a loss. It represents the light after a storm. For Sammi, Vincent wasn't just a baby; he was the answer to years of prayers and medical procedures.
👉 See also: Whitney Houston Wedding Dress: Why This 1992 Look Still Matters
Meeting Vincent Keith May
The big day arrived on August 20, 2025.
Vincent weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20 inches long. When Sammi finally shared those first photos of him swaddled in a blue-and-white blanket, the "Shore" family lost it. Snooki, JWoww, and even Mike "The Situation" were all over the comments. It was a rare moment of pure, unadulterated wholesomeness for a cast that usually makes headlines for drama.
Who is the Father, Justin May?
People were naturally curious about Justin. He isn't some huge Hollywood star. He’s a guy from Jersey who used to be a bouncer at Karma—yeah, the same Karma the cast used to party at back in the day.
They started dating in 2021, and Sammi has basically called him her "breath of fresh air." He stayed by her side through every injection and every tear. They actually got married on December 4, 2025, at the Park Chateau Estate & Gardens in East Brunswick.
Basically, the timeline went:
✨ Don't miss: Finding the Perfect Donny Osmond Birthday Card: What Fans Often Get Wrong
- Engagement (March 2024)
- Pregnancy Announcement (February 2025)
- Vincent’s Birth (August 2025)
- The Wedding (December 2025)
Why This Matters So Much to Fans
Let's be real. We spent years watching Sammi in a relationship that was, to put it lightly, not great. Seeing her now, glowing in Pine Beach, New Jersey, running her boutique (Sweetheart Coast), and raising a healthy baby boy... it's the redemption arc nobody saw coming but everyone wanted.
She isn't just "the girl from the boardwalk" anymore. She's a business owner and a mother who fought hard for her family.
Practical Takeaways from Sammi's Journey
If you're following Sammi's story because you're on a similar path, here’s what we can learn from her transparency:
- Egg freezing is a valid tool: Sammi doing this at 35 gave her options she wouldn't have had otherwise.
- Support systems are everything: She constantly credited Justin for being her "rock" during the IVF failures.
- Privacy is okay: She waited until she was well into her pregnancy to announce it, protecting her peace after her previous loss.
Sammi’s story is a reminder that the "Sweetheart" we knew is a lot tougher than she ever got credit for. She's living in that "baby love bubble" now, and frankly, she earned it.
If you are currently navigating your own fertility journey, remember that even after the darkest storms, rainbows actually do happen. Just look at Sammi.