Showbiz

Bowman: 'Natural birth is too risky'

Published Wednesday, Feb 6 2008, 10:35 GMT | By Beth Hilton
Bowman: 'Natural birth is too risky'

Rex Features

Edith Bowman has revealed that giving birth could endanger her life after she was diagnosed with a heart defect.

The Radio 1 DJ is almost five months pregnant with Editors singer Tom Smith, but has been told a natural birth is too great a risk.

Bowman, 33, was told she had a bicuspid aortic valve - a condition which puts extra pressure on the heart - after suffering palpitations and fatigue during 2004's Glastonbury Festival.

She told the Daily Record: "I need extra scans and I'll have to have a Caesarean because no one, including my heart specialist, sees the point in putting my heart through unnecessary stress.

"Childbirth carries the risk of causing deterioration in a bicuspid valve, so it's not a good idea. But I'm not one of these women who is desperate for a natural birth, so I'm fine with it."

Talking about her reaction to learning of the condition, she said: "It was shocking, obviously. But once you get your head around it, you realise there's nothing you can do except try and get on with life.

"We get to find out the baby's sex later this month but I'm like, 'There are really more important things to worry about right now than the colour of baby clothes'."

Bowman recently admitted that she would snowboard naked if it raised enough cash for charity.
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