Gemma Atkinson opens up about 'traumatic' birth that had partner Gorka Marquez in tears

Gemma Atkinson has revealed that she nearly died during childbirth.

The former Hollyoaks and Emmerdale star and her partner Gorka Marquez have just welcomed son Thiago.

But things didn’t go as smoothly when they had their daughter Mia in 2019, with the Daily Mail reporting that doctors had to work to save Atkinson after she suffered a postpartum haemorrhage.

Read more: Gemma Atkinson shares the name of her baby boy

The star lost almost a litre of blood, leaving Strictly Come Dancing’s Marquez in tears.

“My first birth was a traumatic one,” said Atkinson.

“They gave me a form about blood transfusions that asked if one of us had to be saved, which one would it be.

“It could have gone very differently.”

Atkinson - who is going to be giving fans of her and Marquez a peek behind the scenes in new show Gemma And Gorka: Life Behind The Lens – said afterwards you do wonder if you could go through it again.

“Then you look at your child and think, 'I'd do it all again tomorrow’,” she said.

The star had an emergency c-section with Mia, and in the end had an elected c-section with Thiago.

Posting on Instagram after his arrival, she told her fans: “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.

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“Of course recovery is still tough, it’s a huge operation regardless, but I couldn’t be happier in the outcome of how he arrived.”

Watch: Gorka Marquez's emotional message to Gemma Atkinson (Channel 4)