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Olivia Bowen breaks down in tears as she reveals she was rushed to hospital with a major health incident while giving birth in the first episode of her reality show.
The couple, who met on Love Island in 2016, are sharing an insight into becoming parents to their second child together on Olivia & Alex: Parenthood.
Olivia, 31, and Alex, 34, are already parents to their three-year-old son Abel and announced they had welcomed a baby girl named Siena Grace in August.
In scenes set to air on Sunday, Olivia shares her near-death experience as her bladder fell into her cervix before hemorrhaging after giving birth.
Viewers will see Olivia attempting a home birth with a birthing pool before she began to struggle so much with the pain that an ambulance is called to take her to hospital.
Next, Alex is holding the baby crying in the hospital and the pair reflect on the birth and Olivia discusses nearly dying once they are back at home.
Olivia Bowen breaks down in tears as she reveals she was rushed to hospital after finding a lump in her vagina during labour as she recalls the terrifying experience in the first episode of her reality show
The couple, who met on Love Island in 2016, are sharing an insight into becoming parents to their second child together on Olivia & Alex: Parenthood
She tells the camera: 'We had a plan but it didn't come off. I felt something that didn't feel right. I was only 5cm dialysed after 10 hours but I was determined to push through, I then felt a lump in my vagina and we made the decision to go to hospital.
'My bladder had fallen down into the cervix and was obstructing the baby, so there was no possible way I could give birth naturally. So, we had to make the decision for a c-section. Thankfully, she came out crying, it was incredible as they gave me Siena.
'But then I felt dizzy and out of control and the nurse started calling out how much blood I was losing. It was so scary they were shouting on the tannoy 'major haemorrhage', I felt sick and dizzy, I had to give Siena to Alex as I couldn't hold onto her anymore feeling the blood drain out of me.
'We were so scared. The doctors were incredible the NHS was amazing, I literally feel that they saved my life.' She cries & then says 'I just feel so lucky we're both here.'
Alex then says: 'Seeing Liv the way that she was on that table scared the life out of me. People have the most beautiful births and there were moments that were but…' he sighs and holds back tears.
'You're bringing life into the world, you've done that together it's a beautiful thing but we had a traumatic way to get there which makes you realise how much you love your partner and I love Liv more than anything.'
Liv says:'I feel like I'm not as affected this time around as Alex but he's more traumatised seeing me nearly die.'
'After Abel's birth I felt like I'd failed but this time, everything I did to prepare, prepared me for what happened.'
In scenes set to air on Sunday, Olivia shares her near-death experience as her bladder fell into her cervix before hemorrhaging after giving birth
Viewers will see Olivia attempting a home birth with a birthing pool before she began to struggle so much with the pain that an ambulance is called to take her to hospital
Next, Alex is holding the baby crying in the hospital and the pair reflect on the birth and Olivia discusses nearly dying once they are back at home
'I'm trying to be the happier one where he's struggling but it doesn't always feel like it's working. He does it for me sometimes too, we're a team'.
Olivia had months of recovering at home which she said was made harder by having to also look after her older child.
Just after the birth source told The Daily Mail of what happened: 'Olivia could have died during birth if it wasn't for the incredible team at her local hospital.
'She lost nearly three litres of blood needing an urgent blood transfusion and emergency c-section.'
Sharing her birth news on Instagram in August, Olivia wrote: 'I can't even find the words other than to say our beautiful girl Siena Grace is here, and we are all bursting with love.
'It wasn't an easy ride but every second worth it a thousand times over. I love my babies.'
Both Olivia's pregnancy and difficult birthing experience are covered in the couple's ITV2 reality series.
The couple revealed in March that they had been expecting twins, but sadly lost one of their babies eight weeks into the pregnancy.
Olivia, 31, and Alex, 34, are already parents to their three-year-old son Abel and announced they had welcomed a baby girl named Siena Grace in August
The couple revealed in March that they had been expecting twins, but sadly lost one of their babies eight weeks into the pregnancy
Olivia broke down in tears on Loose Women as she recalled her excitement at finding out they were having twins just before Christmas, when they attended an early six week scan.
She said: 'We had that two week period we were looking at cars, looking at car seats, planning bedrooms... and something happened called vanishing twin syndrome.'
She explained: 'One of the babies just basically didn't have a heartbeat but I'd had no symptoms, no pain, no bleeding to tell me that was what we were walking into. We were floored, we were expecting to have these two little babies.'
Vanishing twin syndrome occurs when one twin passes away in the womb and 'vanishes' and studies suggest happens in roughly 36 per cent of twin pregnancies.
Olivia heartbreakingly revealed that 'the one beautiful part of it' is that the babies do 'absorb back into your body' and that's what the couple have been 'holding onto'.
The reality star continued: 'We were floored but talking about it helps, every little part is becoming easier by speaking to other women.
'I haven't seen many men talk about it and we want to change that perception of not being able to talk about miscarriage openly.
'The baby had completely absorbed into my body at 14 weeks, just completely gone which is tremendously sad knowing they're still in there.
'I am so lucky to have experienced that moment of possibly having twins, it's something that not everyone gets to feel so even having those two little babies at that time.'
Alex then emotionally chimed in with: 'I built this scenario up in my mind, I was thinking of the future.
'I thought it was 100% happening and I had come to terms with it. I never really had a big family, I'm an only child and have no contact with my dad so it was an amazing thing for me.'
Olivia and Alex met on season two of the popular ITV dating show in 2016, finishing as runners up, and have become one of the show's biggest success stories.
Olivia announced they were expecting baby number two in February with a heartwarming video of the pregnancy so far and wrote in the caption: 'A moment, a love - baby no2 - we're waiting for you.'
Olivia & Alex: PARENTHOOD airs Sundays on ITV2 and ITVX at 8pm
