Paige Thorne Details 17-Hour Labor

Paige Thorne, known for her appearance on 'Love Island,' has shared an account of her 17-hour labor while welcoming her first child, a son named Fateley, with boxer boyfriend Drew Wedlake.

Thorne, 29, detailed the experience on Instagram, stating that her body went into "some sort of shock" during the prolonged labor. She described feeling as though she was in a "trance" and unable to communicate effectively, noting that her face felt numb and her hands clenched involuntarily.

According to Thorne, her labor began with a "gut feeling" that she was going to go into labor. Her day included pelvic stretches, meditation, colostrum harvesting, and a 10.5km walk. After consuming a McDonald's meal, she stayed home as long as possible, preparing for birth by doing her hair, taking an "everything shower," and finalizing her hospital bag. She experienced "tightenings," an early sign of labor, and expressed concern about reaching the hospital in time as her contractions grew closer together.

Upon arriving at the birthing center and being informed she was in active labor and 4cm dilated, Thorne stated she has little memory of the subsequent events. She described the experience in the birthing pool as entering an "out of state trans" despite her efforts to remain relaxed. She reported feeling "unbearable to be around," unable to speak, open her eyes, or tolerate touch or breath. She refused gas and air, food, and drinks due to fear of sickness.

After seven hours, she was re-examined and found to be only 7cm dilated. At this point, Thorne recalled losing composure and requesting a transfer to a hospital equipped for C-sections due to her fear of continuing the pain for an extended period with little perceived progress. She accepted pain-relieving medication but still felt disoriented.

The medication reportedly relaxed her significantly, leading her to fall asleep and further slow the labor, though she noted she became "nicer" to be around. She eventually reached 9cm dilation, at which point medical professionals broke her waters, and she began pushing within 30 minutes. Thorne described this pushing phase as "painless," even as her pethidine wore off.

Fateley was safely delivered after the 17-hour labor. Thorne expressed that the pain and duration of the labor were quickly overshadowed by feelings of "intense gratitude and love." She concluded her post with a picture of herself breastfeeding Fateley during golden hour, a period of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact.

Thorne and Wedlake made their relationship Instagram official in July of the previous year, and Thorne relocated to Bristol after three months together. She announced her son's arrival last month, captioning photos of the baby: "Fateley Hayes Wedlake, we never knew a love like this existed."