Laura Anderson’s Candid Account of Bonnie’s Birth

Former Love Island star Laura Anderson, aged 34, recently opened up about the birth of her daughter, Bonnie, describing it as a “horrendous” experience.

She welcomed her first child with ex Hollyoaks actor Gary Lucy, aged 41, earlier this month. Laura’s birth story was marked by challenges, including a vaginal tear and a postpartum hemorrhage that took a significant toll on her, resulting in a loss of 1.6 liters of blood.

A Difficult Journey to Motherhood

Taking to Instagram, Laura shared the details of her birth journey. She revealed that she had undergone four sweeps, a procedure to initiate labor, followed by excruciating contractions after receiving a non-hormonal cervical balloon to induce labor.

Laura expressed her frustration, stating that when she arrived at the hospital, she was only one centimeter dilated, and she felt like no one was taking her condition seriously.

Intense Contractions and a Long Way to Go

Laura described the intensity of her contractions, which were occurring every minute and a half. She also shared the mental anguish of knowing she had a long road ahead without pain relief because she wasn’t admitted to the labor ward until she was four centimeters dilated.

A Turning Point

As Laura reached the delivery room, she began bleeding, and within an hour, she had dilated from four to nine centimeters, relying on gas and air for relief. She eventually requested an epidural at 9cm, but it was too late.

However, when she finally received the epidural, it brought immense relief. Laura humorously mentioned that she even had a nap scheduled, with plans to begin pushing at half-past five.

A Joyful Moment Amidst Challenges

Despite the challenging experience, Laura shared a heartwarming moment when Bonnie was born after just three pushes. She described how Bonnie cried immediately and was responsive and alert, which brought immense joy.

Additional Challenges and Resilience

The challenges didn’t end there. Laura suffered a second-degree tear during delivery and required stitches. Five hours later, she experienced a severe hemorrhage, losing significant amounts of blood and clots, which made her feel extremely faint.

Laura, however, remained calm, attributing her composure to her experience as a cabin crew member.

Motherhood and Future Plans

Laura emphasized that despite the rollercoaster journey to motherhood, it wouldn’t deter her from having more children in the future. She expressed that it’s all worth it and that she would go through it again.

However, she did offer a piece of advice to expectant mothers: “Don’t be the hero – get the epidural at 4cm. You’ll just have a nice time.”