Simone Holtznagel reveals details of ‘exhausting’ two-hour labour with daughter Gia: ‘I just couldn’t do it’
Simone Holtznagel has revealed details about her ‘exhausting’ two-hour labour with her newborn daughter Gia.
The 30-year-old model welcomed her first child, Gia, now four months old, with her partner Jono Castano in March and has now publicly shared her birth story with her fans.
The new mother said she thought she knew what to expect before she was given an epidural and had to push for two hours to deliver her daughter.
“I don’t know if it was misinformation or if I just lost track, but I pushed for about two hours and I just couldn’t do it,” she told Pregnancy, Birth and Recovery Podcast.
“She was a big baby, she was eight and a half pounds, but she was fine. I think it would have been more stressful if she was in distress, but she was just chilling.”
Simone explained that her beloved mother and partner Jono were both in the room supporting her as she described the ‘exhausting’ process.
“It didn’t feel like two hours of pushing, but I think it was a long time. I was exhausted and then suddenly she was there,” she added to presenter Kath Baquie.
Simone welcomed Gia into the world on Easter Sunday and publicly confirmed the news of her birth a few days later with a sweet post on Instagram.
Simone Holtznagel has revealed details about her ‘exhausting’ two-hour labour, telling how her daughter Gia was a ‘big’ baby at eight and a half pounds, making it a difficult process
She shared snapshots from the hospital and announced, “On Sunday, March 31st, we welcomed our healthy baby girl Gia Holtznagel Castano into the world.
“We are completely in love with her and enjoy these special moments as a family of three.”
Since then, Simone has embraced motherhood and regularly gives fans updates on her family life with Jono and their baby Gia.
She recently revealed the poignant meaning behind her daughter’s name, which she says is a nod to supermodel Gia Carangi, who sadly passed away from AIDS in 1986.
The 30-year-old model welcomed her first child Gia, now four months old, with her celebrity personal trainer partner Jono Castano on Easter Sunday this year
Carangi became one of the most sought-after models in the fashion world and a fixture at the legendary nightclub Studio 54 after moving to New York in 1977.
She was one of the first openly gay fashion icons and was a frequent visitor to DCA, a gay club in the city, where she met Sharon Beverley, one of her first long-term partners.
Her life played out on screen 12 years after her death, with a young Angelina Jolie taking on the role of the troubled model in the 1998 film Gia.
Simone said the couple have not ruled out naming their next child after her late mentor and Australia’s Next Top Model judge Charlotte Dawson, who died in 2014.
“Lottie was on our shortlist, so if we have another child it could be that,” she told Stellar magazine.
‘After Charlotte passed away, I had a lot of her clothes, including this Camilla kaftan.
“My mom’s best friend cut it up and made me a baby blanket. She gave it to me at my baby shower and I cried my eyes out, so that’s super special.”
Simone and celebrity personal trainer Jono went public with their relationship in 2022 and confirmed in October that they were expecting their first child together.