Gemma Atkinson's daughter Mia is a happy and healthy toddler who is about to celebrate her first birthday, but one year ago her parents feared for her life. The Strictly Come Dancing star shared a throwback photo of herself heavily pregnant with Mia just days before she went into an early and complicated labour.
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Posing for a picture with her partner Gorka Marquez and their Strictly friends Aljaz Skorjanec, Giovanni Pernice and Johannes Radebe, Gemma explained in the caption: "A year ago today watching the boys on tour casually chatting like 'oh I’ve a while yet, probably another 4 weeks at least.' Cut to 3 days later and me walking around my bedroom after my waters broke repeating to myself 'you’ve got this. You’ve got this' whilst waiting for Gorks to get home from his show before I told him (I knew he’d drive like a mad man if I told him earlier).
Gemma shared a photo taken days before her surprise early labour with daughter Mia
Fans rushed to praise Gemma's courage during the traumatic ordeal, with one writing: "Amazing that you kept calm enough to not tell him until he got home. So sensible in a time when you really struggle to think rationally." Another added, "You were so brave," while a third noted how fast Mia is growing up: "Can't believe she's nearly one, where has that year gone!?"
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Shortly after Gemma and Gorka welcomed their daughter, who was a tiny baby weighing just 4lb 10oz, she detailed the experience on social media. The former Hollyoaks actress shared a beautiful photograph of herself cradling her newborn in hospital and wrote: "This picture was taken when Mia was 30hrs old. The weary smile on my face doesn't quite portray how happy I was inside as 30hrs earlier, things could have gone very differently."
Gemma revealed both herself and Mia's health struggles during labour
She revealed she was induced a day after her waters broke, but that led to Mia's health deteriorating. "With every contraction her heart rate dropped. On the 3rd one midwife Katie who was taking care of me at the time pressed the panic alarm & within 15 mins I was rushed out, prepped & delivered Mia via an emergency C section."
Two hours after the birth and she "suddenly felt extremely unwell." Gemma continued: "Gorka got a doctor and she took one look at me & again pressed the panic button. I was having a haemorrhage. A big one & I lost a lot of blood." Luckily, both herself and Mia recovered, with Gemma describing her daughter as "our little soldier."
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