Gemma Atkinson has confessed that she was unable to give birth vaginally to her second child.
The actress, 38, and her Strictly Come Dancing pro fiancé Gorka Márquez, 32, had their first child, a baby boy, on July 19.
They subsequently stated that their son’s full name is Thiago Thomas Marquez, and he is the younger brother of Mia, born in 2019.
Gemma, who met Gorka on Strictly in 2017 despite not being paired together, has now offered an update on her delivery, joking that she’s’still intact and nice’.
The radio host took to Instagram to post a happy photo she took from her hospital bed.
‘Lots of you have asked if I got my much hoped for VBAC….’, she wrote, referring to a Vaginal Birth after Caesarean, the term used when a woman gives birth vaginally, having had a caesarean birth in the past.
She added that the shot was taken on Monday, July 17, three hours after an elective C-section had been performed.
‘I didn’t get my vaginal birth. My waters broke and I went into labour and stayed at home for as long as possible (it helped that the Wimbledon men’s final was on!)’, she joked.
‘My contractions got down to every 6 mins or so and then slowly just stopped. We headed into the hospital 24hrs after my waters broke as they had changed colour a little. Thiago had opened his bowels. Thanks son! Already s****ing on me 🤦🏼♀️😂’, she added light-heartedly.
Gemma went on to say she was ‘given the choice of the artificial hormone to induce labour again or a section.’
‘Weeks ago we said if it came down to that we would 100% go with the section. I had the hormone injection with Mia and it was awful 😩 plus after that it ended up in an emergency C-section and PPH (postpartum haemorrhage) anyway.
‘This time was SO much more relaxed. It was actually a wonderful experience and it just so happened that the same surgeon who delivered Mia was on shift. So she delivered Thiago as well 🥹❤️’
She stated that her recuperation from the “huge operation” is still “tough.”
She, on the other hand, ‘couldn’t be happier’ with how things turned out.
‘It felt like somehow it was meant to be this way,’ she explained.
As Gorka is away practising for the new series of Strictly, Gemma’s ‘incredible mum’ has moved in with her and the children to assist out.
‘I have to keep reminding her to stop buying me pastries!’, she quipped.
The former Hollyoaks star ended with a witty remark.
‘As I always do with every situation I’ve sat back and looked for a silver lining, which in this case, is after two babies, Gorka’s favourite pub is still very much intact. 😉😉
‘I take my hat off to any which way our babies are born. Vaginal or a section, theres no easy way. Pregnancy, labour and the 4th trimester is tough! But so are we 🙌🏼’
Taking to the comments, Spanish dancer Gorka was full of praise for his other half, writing: ‘❤️❤️ my super Mum’.
Her Strictly pals were also full of praise, with mum-to-be Janette Manrara commenting: ‘You are a superwoman, regardless of how he came into this world! So happy that he is well as are you! CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN!! ✨🤍’
Fleur East wrote: ‘Yes!! 👏👏👏 amazing! You are blessed ❤️’
Gemma has kept her fans up to date on her second pregnancy, recording both the highs and the humorous lows.
She recently made a really unpleasant breast milk mistake.
The presenter had a major spill over the weekend, but not everyone was upset.
‘I spilt so much breast milk this morning’, she wrote on Insta.
‘Guess I didn’t clean it as well as I thought’, she added, alongside a clip of their two dogs happily licking the remains up off the floor!
