Hollyoaks actress Ali Bastian was forced through an "emotional roller coaster" couple of days prior to giving birth to her second daughter Isabella in February.
Opening up to OK! as she and actor husband David O' Mahony's 8lb little girl approaches eight weeks, the on-screen star, 41, reflects on her turbulent Caesarean section and health concerns.
The couple – who already share three-year-old daughter Isla – went to hospital as planned on 9 February but the operation kept being delayed due to emergencies taking priority.
"It was an eye-opening first-hand experience of how under pressure the NHS is," says Ali. "The staff were all incredible and so apologetic."
Ali, who had gestational diabetes during both pregnancies, and also gave birth to Isla by Caesarean, didn’t make it to theatre that day.
But as she waited, she tells us, "My blood sugar levels really dropped so they kept me in for the evening until my blood sugar and blood pressure settled."
Doctors then advised the couple to go home and rescheduled the Caesarean for two days later.
"We went home and walked in the door and Isla was like, ‘Where is my baby sister?’" says Ali. "The way I explained it was that the doctors told me she needed to cook for another couple of days in the mummy oven."
Ali and David, 40, returned to hospital on the Saturday, and emergency procedures took precedence again.
"We still weren’t sure it was going to happen," says Ali. "Then I went hypoglycemic [when the level of blood glucose is abnormally low], just as the midwife was walking through the door.
"She was like, ‘I think I might test your blood sugar.’ I just felt like I was going under water at that point. The midwife gave me sugar basically, straight into my veins.
"She straightened me out and was like, ‘Right, now it’s your go,’ and I was rushed through to theatre."
But there were further complications.
"Isabella was in a really awkward position so it was quite a struggle to get her out," explains Ali. "She was a little bit black and blue when she came out. She had bruises on one side of her face and a little cut on the other side from the forceps.
"And then I had a haemorrhage. I lost more blood than they were happy with but they treated me for that and got it under control quickly."
However, Ali looks back on it all quite calmly.
"When I lost blood, I was like, ‘Do I need a blood transfusion, what are the next steps?’ In moments that feel like a crisis, I go a bit focused and in the zone. Luckily, I didn’t need a blood transfusion.
"The midwife said we were several steps away from that. And the flip side of all of that was that I had my baby in my arms."
And in the meantime, the happy couple’s latest arrival has brought them extra contentment. Says Ali, "We do feel like our family is complete."
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