Lucy Devine
Chloe Madeley has recalled the moment her baby daughter's heart rate dropped during labour, explaining she was 'really scared' over what was happening.
Chloe, 35, welcomed baby girl Bodhi on 10 August via caesarean section, although she had hoped to have a water birth.
Chloe explained that after going six days overdue, her waters broke at home and she was induced at hospital 24 hours later.
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"I would say every time they tried to up the hormonal drip to try and push me into really established labour, transitional labour, to the point where I’d have to push, her heart rate plummeted and all the alarms started going off, and all the midwives would run in. That was terrifying," Chloe told OK! Magazine.
“I could see James was getting more and more nervous as the hours were getting on, I think it happened four or five times over the course of eight hours, and it kept happening, and it was scary."
After hours of labour and little progress, doctors advised Chloe she would need an emergency c-section and she was wheeled off into surgery.
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She continued: “They wheeled me to the theatre and I cried like a baby the whole time, if James hadn’t been there I don’t know what I would have done. I was really scared - scared this thing was happening to my body that I had no control over.
"I was scared for my baby - it was just a lot."
Discussing the surgery meanwhile, James added: "I'm not particularly squeamish but seeing my wife cut open wasn’t on top of my agenda, but before I could back out, they pulled the sheet down and I saw the head come out of her stomach and then the body came out, and they sat her on Chloe’s chest.
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"And I didn’t bat an eyelid, I just thought, ‘There’s my daughter!’ I cut the umbilical cord and held her while Chloe was being sewn up and just burst into tears."
Last week, Chloe opened up about her daughter's birth on social media, thanking medical staff and husband James for all their support and for being a 'dream' birthing partner.
Chloe wrote: "Here is my deepest, most heartfelt thank you to all the midwives out there who pull long shifts, have to make difficult decisions under pressure, have seen a hell of a lot of good and bad, and exercise compassion and reassurance every single day for those under their care.
"Also to the obstetricians who are exactly where they need to be, exactly when they need to be there, and who manage to see the whole thing through with what seems to be complete ease.
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"And @jameshaskell, after I nearly fired you from your post for fear you would be at another DJ gig when I went into labour, you were the DREAM birth partner. I couldn’t have wished for anyone better to hold my hand and talk me through everything from start to finish... thank you... I love you... we DO make cute babies."