Actor Kate Mara has opened up about the “disappointment” and “devastation” she felt after having an emergency caesarean section.
On 27 May, the House of Cards star revealed that she and husband Jamie Bell had welcomed their new daughter into the world by sharing a photograph of the newborn’s feet on Instagram.
Now, Mara has spoken about her birth for the first time, revealing that not everything went according to plan.
Speaking on a recent episode of Dr Berlin’s Informed Pregnancy Podcast, the 36-year-old revealed she gave birth after three days in labour at hospital, instead of the home birth she wanted.
Mara explained that she had to be induced almost a month early at 36 weeks after being diagnosed with the liver condition Cholestasis, which can cause damage to an unborn baby.
According to the NHS, Cholestasis occurs when bile acids are unable to flow from the liver to the gut and subsequently build up in the body.
Symptoms of the condition include itching, dark urine, pale faeces and yellowing of the skin.
As a result of the diagnoses, Mara said she developed a fever, prompting doctors to recommend an emergency c-section.
Speaking on the podcast, The Martianstar explained that while she understood many people have to undergo unplanned c-sections, it was something she found difficult to come to terms with.
“I kept really calm for most of those three days but right before I went in for the c-section, that's when I sort of felt the devastation of it and the disappointment of not being able to experience a birth any way that I had hoped,” Mara said.
”I was genuinely terrified of what that meant and what could happen and all of these things, and then of course just being tired made me that much more scared, I think.“
Mara added that the procedure itself was painless although she did feel a number of “terrible” side-effects from the pre-surgery medication, including shakes, her eyes rolling back and excess bleeding that led to her needing a blood transfusion.
Despite the difficulties, the actor said she ”wouldn't do anything differently“ with the birth because her daughter was born healthy.
”We really did do everything in our power to make it as peaceful and natural and easy for our baby to come out as possible,” Mara said.
In 2018, Tennis star Serena Williams revealed she “almost died” following the birth of her daughter, Alexis Olympia.
Writing for CNN, the 36-year-old said she was bedridden for six weeks from a series of complications, including a pulmonary embolism that led to multiple surgeries, after her daughter was delivered by emergency caesarean section.
“I am so grateful I had access to such an incredible medical team of doctors and nurses at a hospital with state-of-the-art equipment,” said Williams.
“They knew exactly how to handle this complicated turn of events. If it weren't for their professional care, I wouldn't be here today."
