Simone Holtznagel has revealed details of her “exhausting” two-hour labour to give birth to her newborn daughter Gia.
The 30-year-old model welcomed her first child, Gia, now four months old, with partner Jono Castano in March, and has now shared her birth story publicly with her fans.
The new mother said she thought she knew what to expect before going through an epidural and two hours of pushing to welcome her little girl into the world.
“I don’t know if it was misinformation or just my wires getting crossed, but I was pushing for about two hours and I just couldn’t do it,” she told Pregnancy, Birth and Recovery. Podcast.
“She was a big baby, eight and a half pounds, but she was fine. I think it would have been more stressful if she was in danger, but she was calm.”
Simone explained that her loving mother and partner Jono were in the room supporting her as she detailed the “exhausting” process.
“I didn’t think it was two hours of pushing, but I guess it was quite a while. I was exhausted and she appeared out of the blue,” she added to presenter Kath Baquie.
Simone welcomed Gia into the world on Easter Sunday and confirmed the news of her birth publicly just days later with a sweet Instagram post.
Simone Holtznagel has revealed details of her “exhausting” two-hour labour, telling how her daughter Gia was a “big” eight-and-a-half-pound baby, making it a difficult process.
Sharing snaps from the hospital, she announced: ‘On Sunday, March 31st we welcomed our healthy baby girl Gia Holtznagel Castano into the world.
‘We are totally and completely in love with her and are enjoying these special moments as a family of three.’
Since then, Simone has embraced motherhood and provided fans with regular updates on her family life with Jono and baby Gia.
She recently revealed the touching meaning behind her daughter’s name, saying it is a nod to supermodel Gia Carangi, who tragically died of AIDS in 1986.
The 30-year-old model welcomed her first child, daughter Gia, now four months old, with her celebrity personal trainer Jono Castano on Easter Sunday this year.
Carangi became one of fashion’s most sought-after models and a fixture at the legendary Studio 54 nightclub after moving to New York in 1977.
He was one of the first openly gay fashion icons, a frequent visitor to DCA, a gay club in the city where he met Sharon Beverley, one of his 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 their late mentor and Australia’s Next Top Model judge Charlotte Dawson, who died in 2014.
“Lottie was on our list, so if we have another baby, that could be it,” she told Stellar magazine.
‘After Charlotte passed away, I had a lot of her clothes, including this Camilla caftan.
“My mom’s best friend cut it up and made it into a blanket for me. She gave it to me at my baby shower and I cried my eyes out, so it’s super special.”
Simone and celebrity personal trainer Jono went public with their relationship in 2022 and confirmed they were expecting their first child together in October.