In his ABC series Anh’s Brush With Fame, comedian, author and artist Anh Do interviews famous Aussies as he paints their portrait. And he never fails to bring out a side of these high-profile people that we don’t always see.
Wednesday night’s interview with Megan Gale was no exception. We’re used to seeing the model looking polished and flawless on runways, TV shows and social media, but speaking to Anh she was candid and warm.
When the conversation turned to the birth of River, her first child with partner Shaun Hampson, she recalled the story of his birth with both humour and tears.
"[It was] painful... until I had the epidural," she began.
"I caved. I was so, like, 'Argh!' I wanted to do it without anything. I'm such a determined little thing."
The 41-year-old, who is currently pregnant with her second child, went on to explain she experienced an "incoordinate labour" — something nobody had told her about in her birthing preparations.
"Usually your contractions will start, and they'll gradually get closer, and you'll know it's time to go to the hospital. That didn't happen," she said.
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"They started at five minutes apart, and that's when you're meant to be in the hospital. So that was a shock."
After Megan had been in hospital for six hours, enduring those contractions, her obstetrician examined her and apologetically informed her she'd only dilated half a centimetre. She was expecting eight.
"I felt so ripped off. And I had this birthing plan, super organised me, which I'd made 10 copies of for everyone. It stayed in my bag as well as my essential oils and my crystals. They were useless," she continued.
"So I had the epidural, they said he was fine, he was healthy. And you just go, 'oh, thank God'. That's all you want to hear."
Describing the moment little River was placed on her, she was overcome with emotion.
