Love Island star Olivia Bowen ‘nearly died’ during traumatic birth of her newborn daughter Siena after losing LITRES of blood

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Olivia Bowen came very close to dying during the birth of her second child with husband Alex, due to severe blood loss.

The famous stars from Love Island, who are currently parents to their three-year-old son Abel, shared on Instagram on Monday that they have welcomed a new addition to their family – a beautiful daughter named Siena Grace.

Olivia, aged 31, and Alex, aged 34, were overflowing with affection as they happily posted heartwarming family photos together, making them a delightful quartet.

But they implied that the delivery wasn’t straightforward, since they mentioned that it was a difficult journey.

Recently, it’s been disclosed by a reliable source that Olivia experienced a near miss during childbirth. This required an immediate C-section delivery and subsequent blood transfusion.

The Daily Mail was informed that Olivia’s life might have been in jeopardy during childbirth, had it not been for the exceptional care provided by the medical team at her local hospital.

‘She experienced heavy blood loss, approximately three liters, requiring immediate blood transfusion and an emergency C-section.’

It’s great news that Olivia seems to be making a good recovery following the distressing event. She appeared radiantly happy when holding baby Siena for some touching family pictures, beaming with joy.

In a heartwarming moment, she grinned ear-to-ear at Alex, as Abel tenderly embraced his newly acquired sibling. The quartet then snuggled together comfortably on the bed.

The image depicted a custom-made knit sweater adorned with Siena Grace’s name and a variety of flowers, as they were elegantly embroidered on it.

Excitedly conveying the wonderful news to their followers, Olivia expressed it by saying: ‘I’m at a loss for words, but I must share that our precious baby Siena Grace has arrived, and our hearts are overflowing with love.’

‘It wasn’t an easy ride but every second worth it a thousand times over. I love my babies.’

In their forthcoming ITV2 reality show, scheduled for broadcast later this year, the series will delve into both Olivia’s pregnancy journey and the challenging birthing experience she faced.

This month, news emerged that the broadcaster had greenlit a fresh six-episode reality show focusing on the couple expanding their small family from three to four members.

Olivia and Alex: Their journey through parenthood will provide an intimate look, capturing the emotional impact they experienced following the heartbreaking incident of vanishing twin syndrome.

In March, it was shared that the couple was anticipating twins, however, tragically, they experienced the loss of one baby after eight weeks of pregnancy.

On the show Loose Women, Olivia became emotional as she reminisced about learning they were expecting twins right before Christmas, during a six-week prenatal checkup.

During a two-week span, she mentioned they were exploring various cars, car seats, and designing bedrooms. Suddenly, an occurrence known as ‘vanishing twin syndrome’ took place.

She shared that one of the infants didn’t have a heartbeat, and she hadn’t experienced any symptoms, pain, or bleeding to indicate this situation. They were shocked, as they had been preparing for the arrival of their two new babies.

In about 36% of twin pregnancies, a condition known as vanishing twin syndrome takes place. This happens when one twin dies in the mother’s womb, leaving no trace behind.

Olivia sadly shared that one comforting aspect of their situation is that the babies return to your body, and this is something they’ve found solace in holding onto.

The reality television personality added, “Discussing the situation has been a great help, making each piece seem less daunting as I converse with other women.

We rarely observe open discussions among men about miscarriage, and our goal is to shatter this norm and foster a more open dialogue on the topic.

At 14 weeks, the baby was fully integrated within me, vanished entirely – an incredibly heartbreaking realization given that I could still feel them inside.

Oh, what a miracle it was to be in that position, where I might just welcome twins into the world! It’s an experience not every soul gets to have, and knowing I would cradle two tiny bundles of joy at that moment was simply indescribable.

Later on, Alex expressively added his thoughts, mentioning that he had been envisioning various possibilities for the future.

I truly believed that event was going to take place without a doubt, and I had already accepted it. To be honest, I don’t have much of a family – I’m the only child, and I haven’t been in touch with my father for a while. So, this was a truly special prospect for me.

In 2016, during the second season of a widely recognized ITV dating program, Olivia and Alex crossed paths. They didn’t win, but they came close, making it to the finalists spot. Since then, they’ve been one of the show’s most celebrated successes.

In February, Olivia shared a touching video about her upcoming second baby, highlighting the journey so far. She expressed her anticipation in the caption: “A moment, a love – Baby Number 2 – We can’t wait for your arrival.

The delightful compilation depicted the instant when the couple discovered they were expecting, complete with a scene of Abel planting a kiss on his mother’s belly and donning a t-shirt proclaiming him as ‘big brother.’

In 2016, Olivia, previously a sales executive, and Alex, initially a scaffolder, gained widespread recognition as they became contestants on the ITV2 reality show. Notably, Olivia was one of the original cast members, while Alex joined later and garnered significant popularity.

Following their departure from the villa, their relationship flourished, with Alex proposing marriage to them in New York City during December of 2016.

In a picturesque wedding ceremony held in Essex during September 2018, they exchanged their vows. Subsequently, they welcomed a new addition to their family when their son, Abel, was born in June 2022.

Following the end of the performance, the duo garnered a substantial income from endorsements and subsequently launched their own television series, titled “Olivia and Alex Said Yes,” on TLC in 2018.

After giving birth to her first baby, Olivia openly shared that she found it incredibly challenging to accept her postpartum body. In fact, she felt such intense dislike for herself that it seemed almost unbearable.

As I sat down for a heartfelt conversation with Giovanna Fletcher on her Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in November, I shared my personal journey post-pregnancy. I confessed that I anticipated having difficulties accepting the changes in my body after giving birth, finding myself frequently measuring up to other new mothers.

Talking about her post-pregnancy body, she admitted, “I had always anticipated that having a baby might be something I’d find difficult to accept afterwards. And indeed, I do continue to grapple with it.

However, following a deep loathing for myself, far more intense than you could imagine. A significant struggle with my self-image, especially concerning my body. Yet, during pregnancy, I cherished every moment of it. And then, almost instantly after giving birth to Abel, my perspective on myself shifted dramatically – a transformation that seems illogical.

During pregnancy, you might admire yourself in the mirror and feel a sense of awe at your own beauty, thinking, ‘Wow, I’m incredible! I’m growing this baby.’ However, afterward, it seemed like I started judging myself based on how I measured up to other women who were also pregnant around the same time, but who were in the public eye.

This paraphrase attempts to preserve the original meaning while making the language more natural and easy to read by using a more conversational tone and simplifying some of the sentence structures. It’s important to keep the main idea intact, which is that the speaker felt good about themselves during pregnancy but started comparing themselves unfavorably to others after giving birth.

As a star-struck enthusiast, I couldn’t help but gaze upon them, breathlessly exclaiming, “Wow, you look absolutely stellar!” My self-conscious thoughts were momentarily silenced as my focus turned solely on their radiance. And there I was, determined and motivated, yearning to emulate that captivating energy, vowing to regain my own vibrancy and shine.

After concluding that she wasn’t as appealing as others, Olivia started an intense workout regimen, a decision that ultimately had harmful consequences for her body.

She shared that due to the intricate nature of her delivery, she sustained some injuries. Eagerness to avoid any perceived imperfections led her to start running prematurely.

In my pursuit of reestablishing fitness by indulging in an early horseback ride, I unfortunately overstepped my limits and aggravated myself, leading to the premature rupture of my healing stitches. A valuable lesson learned, reminding me once more about the importance of gradual progress when resuming physical activities post-recovery.

In simpler terms, I managed to injure myself pretty badly while trying to recover quickly.

However, the influencer admitted that, although it resulted in bodily discomfort, she likely would repeat similar actions if given another opportunity with a new child.

She expressed: “It felt like… and even to this day, I believe I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Truly, if I had to go through it once more… If it happened again, the second time around… Knowing full well, I would have done it repeatedly, should I get pregnant again.

Even though that wouldn’t make a difference, I suppose it’s because I work in social media that I can’t help but feel envious when I see so many women looking fabulous. It’s hard not to compare myself and feel like I don’t measure up.

Experiencing something so challenging was truly disheartening. For me, who’s always proud of my physique, encountering such a change left me feeling unfamiliar and lacking respect. It’s indeed a sorrowful situation.

While Olivia struggled with her body image, she also faced a battle with postnatal depression.

Sharing with Giovanna about not instinctively feeling like a mother upon Abel’s birth, she recalled jotting down in her diary around the time when Abel was approximately three months old, expressing she didn’t desire to be perceived as a mom.

Though I have a baby and adore him dearly, I don’t identify myself as a mother. It makes me uncomfortable when others address me as such or look at me in that manner. Honestly, I disliked it intensely.

After Giovanna mentioned she felt ‘overwhelmed’ due to the traumatic birth, Olivia clarified: “I believe it’s similar to feeling lost afterward. You see, postnatal issues are incredibly common, yet often unnoticed. I personally faced intense anxiety and severe depression in the aftermath.

Indeed, I strongly feel that I was subconsciously avoiding the idea of becoming a mother, as I wasn’t prepared to let go of the person I was prior, and it seemed like I had lost my entire identity. To be honest, I was utterly confused about who I truly was.

Reflecting on a conversation with friends, I found myself expressing something along the lines of, “Frankly, I’m at a loss when it comes to knowing my own identity.” It was as if I couldn’t provide even a single detail about myself, and experiencing such profound self-uncertainty was truly unsettling.

Furthermore, since I never wanted children, I’ve always seen being a mother as something positive, but simply not something that aligned with my identity.” This version tries to maintain the original meaning while using more natural and conversational language.

If this story has impacted you, you may find support and guidance at the Miscarriage Association (www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk) or Tommy’s (www.tommys.org). Alternatively, you can reach out by calling 01924 200 799.

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2025-08-19 19:11