Madeleine West details the 'traumatic' birth of her seventh child at the age of 47: 'I've never felt pain on that scale'
Madeleine West has shared candid details about the 'traumatic' birth of her seventh child.
The 47-year-old former Neighbours actress penned a column for this week's Stellar magazine, explaining how she 'felt her C-section'.
'My baby's birth was capital T traumatic. I still choke up talking about it. But talk we must, because when things go pear-shaped... we don't do ourselves any favours,' she wrote.
Madeleine, who gave birth last month, said she refused to be put under anaesthetic as she underwent a Caesarean section because she wanted to be 'present for my baby's first breath.'
'Suffice to say I've never felt pain on that scale... between passing out, gritting my teeth, and dropping the odd F-bomb, I did my best to make it appear tolerable to avoid sedation,' she continued.
'Immediately my body went into shock. Organs started to fail, and I swelled to Michelin Man proportions with extreme oedema.'
'But my mind proved hardest to wrangle. It replayed the sensations on an endless loop, and tries to still, striving to make sense of the incomprehensible.'
Madeleine said she delivered a health baby but this was 'tarnished by pain and an utter loss of control.'
It comes after Madeleine shared a touching tribute to her seven children on Mother's Day.
The former Neighbours actress posted a throwback Christmas picture of herself posing with her six eldest kids to Instagram on Sunday.
A smiling Madeleine can be seen sitting alongside Santa as she hugged one of her children.
The actress used a smiley emoji to obscure the identity of each of her kids in the picture in order to protect their privacy.
The TV star—who shares Phoenix, 19, Hendrix, 16, Xascha, 14, Xanthe, 12, and twins Xalia and Margaux, 10, her ex partner Shannon Bennett added a lengthy message to her children including her newborn in the post.
'My darlings...My magnum opus SEVEN times over!' she began.
'My crazy, cantankerous, curious, clever, chaos of children (collective noun trademarked!)
'Thank you. The woman I've become, as your mum, is the best version of myself I could ever wish to be....
'Thank you for your trust when you reach out for me. Thank you for your forgiveness when I don't have all the answers. Thank you for the love in your eyes when you call my name,' Madeleine said.
'I don't always get it right, but thank you for your patience as I try to do my best.
'The journey has not been easy, what journey ever is?
'It is an honour to bear witness to your trials and tribulations every day, and to witness the incredible people you are and contribute to become,' she continued.
'Please know I love you, now and forever, more than words can say.
'Who knew the human heart could hold so much? And who knew that love could continue to grow, expand and flourish.
'I'm so blessed to be a Mother of Many (even if you lot are a lot harder to train than dragons).
'My babies always and forever. Just call, I'm always here.'
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