Gemma Atkinson has been candid about her birth stories with her daughter Mia and son Thiago, which she emphasised were very different experiences.
The former Strictly star, 39, who met her fiancé Gorka Marquez, 33, on the dancing competition in 2017, took part in a Q&A on Thursday where fans asked more questions about how she felt about her two C-sections.
While the birth process was the same for both of Gemma and Gorka's children, the Hollyoaks actress explained that she was "scared to death" during Mia's unplanned Cesaerian on 4 July 2019, while she was "calm" the second time around on 15 July 2023.
Next to a photo of the new mum sitting in a hospital bed in a T-shirt and circulation socks, cradling her newborn in between her legs, she replied: "With Mia, scared to death as it was an emergency section [and] out of my control. BUT it was the only way to bring her here safely so I tried to put the fear aside and just focus on Mia being in my arms.
"With Tio, it was completely different. A lovely experience as it was my choice (I tried for a VBAC but it wasn't possible) so my options were induction or C-section. I chose the section and it was so much more calm 2nd time. I guess I got to experience both sides of a C-section."
Gemma's hesitation to have an induction with her son was likely because she had a traumatic experience with Mia. She had previously shared the same throwback photo from her first birth and explained it was taken when Mia was just 30 hours old, following an eventful two days of labour.
"Mia was a tiny baby, 4lb 10. With that in mind, the midwife was concerned she wouldn’t be strong enough to open my cervix. My water broke on a Tues [and] we gave her the benefit of the doubt but by the Wednesday evening despite her being in the perfect place [and] so low down, she still hadn’t managed it," she said, before detailing the resulting induction and emergency C-section.
"The decision was made to induce me to help her along but she disliked that even more," she said.
"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 [and] delivered Mia via an emergency C -section."
However, Gemma's birth story did not end there; two hours later she "suddenly felt extremely unwell" due to a big haemorrhage.
"I don’t remember much other than having around 9 doctors in the room, some injecting me, hooking me to drips, physically pulling clots out of me [and] one comforting Gorks who was beside himself in the corner," she said.
"I woke in another room with Gorks [and] my family there, Mia sleeping soundly [and] a lovely midwife named Di who was checking my notes. The trauma was over [and] thanks to our NHS [and] incredible hospital staff we were ok."
Speaking to HELLO! after Thiago was born four years later, Gemma gushed: "This time was so much more relaxed. It was a wonderful experience. It just so happened that the same surgeon who delivered Mia was on shift, so she delivered Thiago as well."
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