13 September 2023 , 07:05
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Reality TV star Laura Anderson, known for her stint on Love Island, recently opened up about the 'horrendous' birth of her daughter Bonnie, whom she shares with ex Hollyoaks' Gary Lucy. The 34 year old bravely detailed the traumatic experience to her fans.
New mum Laura recounted her full birth story, which included a vaginal tear and a postpartum haemorrhage that she said was "mentally quite torturous" for her. The harrowing ordeal resulted in a loss of 1.6 litres of blood. Thankfully, the star is now recuperating at home with the aid of medication. Laura shared an in-depth account of her experience on Instagram. She revealed undergoing four sweeps – a procedure believed to initiate labour – followed by "horrendous contractions" after receiving a non-hormonal cervical balloon to induce labour.
In a candid video, she expressed her frustration, saying: "I was in the hospital and I was only one centimetre dilated but I just felt no one was taking me seriously." She further described the intensity of her contractions, occurring every minute and a half, and the mental anguish of knowing she had a long way to go without pain relief as she wasn't admitted to the labour ward until she was four centimetres dilated.
Laura then revealed she began bleeding upon reaching the delivery room, and within an hour, she had dilated from four to nine centimetres, relying on gas and air for relief. Laura recounted: "When I was at 9cm I said, 'f**k this s**t give me the epidural I can't do this' and then they were like 'it's too late, we are going to give you something else'."
Laura Anderson revealed her birth story with fans (Instagram)
The Love Island star revealed she suffered a haemorrhage (Instagram)The star expressed her relief and gratitude, feeling as if the "gods were with me" when she was finally administered an epidural. "As soon as I stopped needing the gas and air I was like 'Hallelujah'," she continued. "I even had a nap, they scheduled me a nap and said, 'at half five we will begin pushing'."
Laura Anderson pregnant with first child with Gary Lucy as she shows off bump
After just three pushes, Laura welcomed her daughter into the world: "They got her out, she cried straight away, she was really responsive and alert it was amazing. I was talking to her, she really liked that." However, the ordeal wasn't over for Laura. She suffered a second-degree tear during delivery and required stitches. Five hours later, she experienced a severe haemorrhage, losing significant amounts of blood and clots, which left her feeling extremely faint.
Despite the terrifying situation, Laura remained calm, explaining: "I just stayed calm because I thought, 'I've got everybody around me that needs to be here doing everything they can' so I am a bit better in emergencies like that than like smaller things, if I stub my toe it's the end of the world." Laura then quipped, "It's weird - it must be the cabin crew in me," as she recounted a harrowing experience where she lost 1.6 litres of blood.
Laura went on to share she was heavily medicated during this time. Despite the ordeal, she maintained a positive outlook, stating: "Obviously it's all worth it and I would do it all again." However, she didn't shy away from offering some practical advice to others who might find themselves in a similar situation. "But I do think don't be the hero – get the epidural at 4cm. You'll just have a nice time," she advised.
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