Nadine, a mother-of-three expecting her fourth child, broke down as she recalled a harrowing ordeal from a previous labour during the first episode of E4's One Born Every Minute. She and her partner Lee went to Manchester's Saint Mary's Hospital for a planned C-section as they prepared to welcome their fourth child, already raising two daughters and a son.
The pair, who first met at a bar while Nadine was socialising with work colleagues, went through a distressing birth with their second daughter. Nadine described how she subsequently struggled with severe health anxiety following a significant scare. She told her surgeon she was really worried about history repeating itself, before revealing to viewers an ordeal that left her feeling like she was "dying every day".
A Traumatic Previous Labour
Nadine became emotional with the surgeon as she conveyed how worried she was about bleeding. She later told viewers that when she was in labour with her second daughter, at nine and a half centimetres, they realised she was not progressing.
"I was haemorrhaging and I remember saying to Lee, something's gone wrong. I was just getting weaker and weaker," she recalled. Lee added: "When I came into the room, she looked pale, thought she was going to die."
"I got rushed to an emergency section and that was just really, really scary," Nadine shared. "I was in hospital for like three weeks, but it's like I wasn't getting better." Her partner admitted: "I was scared because obviously I was thinking I'm going to lose you, plus the baby. It was a bad time, that was."
"I thought I was dying every day, to be honest with you. I didn't think I'd get out," Nadine said, in tears.
Reassurance and a Planned C-Section
In her hospital room, the surgeon acknowledged her concerns, offering reassurance that they were going to try and have as much control as possible this time around. Nadine had been scheduled for a planned caesarean section, with the surgeon providing further comfort: "We are going to try and have a little bit of healing today, we are going to try and have a nice birth experience out of this".
Speaking to the cameras before the procedure, Nadine said: "I just hope I am safe and I come out of it okay and it's not too traumatic." Later in the episode, Nadine underwent her planned C-section, which went perfectly according to plan. "If things do go well, it will mean everything to me", she told viewers beforehand.
"I'm just going to be really emotional, really ecstatic. I'd be so relieved that everything will be over and I can just be happy. I can't wait for that feeling." She welcomed a daughter, whom the couple named Indie, and she is happy and healthy, putting her siblings through their paces.
Other Stories in the Episode
Elsewhere in the episode, young couple Erin and Kalem arrived at St Mary's ready to meet their second baby. Meanwhile, Faye and Will were preparing to become first-time parents, something they once thought might never be possible due to Faye's previous miscarriage.
One Born Every Minute debuted in 2010 and audiences immediately embraced the glimpse into life within a maternity unit. The casting director, Nsofwa Nwannadi, told The Guardian she was surprised by how open people were about sharing their stories. Unlike reality TV, for which participants are cast for their personalities, "this is real life, we're reflecting what's actually there at the hospital", she said.
"It's been lovely to have been privy to a myriad of different stories, backgrounds and journeys. It's not a one-size-fits-all situation, and that's great, actually." One Born Every Minute airs on Sundays on E4 at 9pm.
