Love Island star Paige Thorne opens up about painful birth and it's sparked debate about C-sections
Paige Thorne has opened up about the reality of giving birth for the first time, admitting she'd have opted for a C-section if she'd been given the choice.
The reality star, 29, recently welcomed her first child with boyfriend Drew Wedlake, but while the couple have been soaking up the newborn bubble, Thorne has now shared some brutally honest details about her labour.
And it's safe to say her experience has struck a chord with fellow mums, with her candid confession sparking a debate about C-sections and the realities of childbirth.
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Thorne announced the arrival of her baby boy on 1 October, sharing a series of adorable photographs of her little one and the new parents on Instagram.
"Fateley Hayes Wedlake, we never knew a love like this existed," they captioned a snap of their newborn.
The name quickly became a talking point online, with some social media users questioning their choice and drawing comparisons between Fateley's name and the word 'fatally'.
Thorne subsequently took to TikTok to share a fiery rant, clarifying how to pronounce her son's name and explaining that it's pronounced 'Fate-lee' and that they plan to shorten it to 'Fate'.
She also hit back at the negative comments at the time, telling critics to keep their opinions to themselves, while thanking those who had sent the family lovely messages.
Now, however, it's her birth story that's getting people talking, after the new mum opened up about the painful experience in a recent TikTok video.
Thorne began by recalling she spent six hours in a birthing pool in what she described as some kind of 'trance'.
She looked back on her struggle to keep her eyes open, revealing that her 'body seized up' and 'face went numb and tingly'.
"I really thought I was relaxed," the ITV2 alum explained. "I'd let my body do what it needed to do, and yeah."
Thorne went on to claim, however, she got to 7cm dilated in this time, 'with no pain relief whatsoever', having already gone in at 4cm.
"I think that just sent me the other way," she confessed. "I was in a hospital that was midwife-led - obviously there's no C-section stuff there.
"I was like, 'I can't do this anymore'; I was like, honestly, I can't be in this much pain."
Thorne went on to recall midwives recommended she rely on gas and air, followed by pethidine, which she agreed to.
Despite this, after the pain failed to ease up, the star reportedly informed staff to send for an ambulance to transport her to a hospital that would be willing to give her a C-section.
"So, yes, it was positive," Thorne looked back on her birthing story. "But there was a point when I thought I could not go on anymore - probably my own fault because I literally did not eat while I was in there."
Sadly, the ex-islander was forced to stay put and rely on gas and air to relieve her pain, despite her fear that it could spark nausea - a severe phobia of Thorne's.
"I had some pethidine," she went on. "And then I was just, like, sleeping between contractions. It took me ages to get to, like, 9cm and my waters still hadn't gone. So, they actually had to end up breaking my waters at 9cm because it was taking so long.
"My waters finally got broken, then I was pushing."
Eventually, her son was welcomed into the world - not without first giving his mother a fear of birthing pools.
"I think, next time, I just wouldn't go in the pool," Thorne confessed. "I think that just didn't do me any favours.
"I pushed him, no tears, nothing crazy - it was all the pelvic stretching I did. But that was the reality of it. If I could have had a C-section, if I was in a hospital that allowed it, I would have had one. One thousand per cent.
"So, I'm actually really glad that the hospital I was in didn't facilitate that at all."
Following her candid account, viewers have been sharing their own experiences of labour, with many relating to Thorne's admission that the pain became overwhelming.
One commenter wrote: "Asking for a C-section is so real, I remember screaming, 'cut me open now I'm going to die'."
Another recalled reaching the later stages of labour before changing their mind about pain relief, writing: "I begged for the epidural by 8cm, the anaesthetist came in, explained the risks, and I told her to gtfo - did the rest on gas and air lol."
For others, however, the experience of requesting a C-section was more complicated.
"I BEGGGGGED for a C-section at 9cm; they said no, did another 3 hours labouring and had to have an emergency C-section anyway," one person shared.
The discussion also saw people push back against the idea that a C-section is automatically the easier option.
"People thinking C-sections are easier….. from someone who got to 9cm and then had to have a C-section, I can confirm it wasn’t easier," another commenter wrote.
One mum also described the complications she experienced during her procedure, explaining that attempts to administer spinal anaesthesia were difficult and that she was left with lasting spinal damage.
"C section isn’t always the one," they warned, adding that the anaesthetic wore off at points during the operation, leaving them screaming in pain.
Meanwhile, another person summed up how quickly birth plans can change once labour begins, writing: "I think we all have a plan, but when that pain kicks in I'm like I want everything u got please nurse lol."
Topics: Love Island, Celebrity, Reality TV
Rhianna Benson