Total Bellas: Brie Bella struggles with fears about giving birth after first emergency C-section

Brie Bella struggled with her fears about giving birth on Thursday’s episode of Total Bellas.

The 36-year-old WWE wrestler and her twin sister Nikki were both pregnant at the same time, and since Brie was already a mom, she tried to prepare Nikki for what childbirth could be like.

Since her sister would be giving birth in Los Angeles, 372 miles away from her home in Phoenix, Arizona, she brought out all sorts of vivid educational tools that she thought might help.

Delivery worries: Brie Bella struggled with her fears about giving birth on Thursday’s episode of Total Bellas

She handed Nikki a fake mucus plug, talked to her about postpartum undies, and had her daughter Birdie, three, spray Nikki’s chest with water to mimic the feeling of leaking milk.

‘You guys are going to be amazing parents, but I just want you to be fully prepared that stuff can go wrong,’ Brie told Nikki, who was engaged to dancer Artem Chigvintsev, 38.

Brie then showed her sister her own birthing video, in which she moaned and hummed while her wrestler husband Bryan Danielson, 39, held her.

‘I was so tired,’ Brie said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Second child: The 36-year-old WWE wrestler and her twin sister Nikki were both pregnant at the same time, and since Brie was already a mom, she tried to prepare Nikki for what childbirth could be like

Second child: The 36-year-old WWE wrestler and her twin sister Nikki were both pregnant at the same time, and since Brie was already a mom, she tried to prepare Nikki for what childbirth could be like

Birthing video: A birthing video captured Brie's long labor and tough delivery

Birthing video: A birthing video captured Brie’s long labor and tough delivery

‘I remember at 3 a.m. walking into the hospital, honestly thinking that I would be holding my daughter at 7 a.m.,’ she recalled in a confessional. ‘I just thought it was gonna be fast, and quiet and different.’

In the birthing video, Bryan supported her and Nikki held one of her legs as she pushed.

‘I was crowning, and every push I thought she was gonna come out; I could see that she had blonde hair,’ Brie said of her daughter. ‘And then all of a sudden, Birdie’s heart rate dropped—like, ”We gotta get Brie out of here.” And I remember I just started bawling crying, and they’re like, ”You’re in the danger zone.”

Not easy: 'I remember at 3 a.m. walking into the hospital, honestly thinking that I would be holding my daughter at 7 a.m.,' she recalled in a confessional. 'I just thought it was gonna be fast, and quiet and different'

Not easy: ‘I remember at 3 a.m. walking into the hospital, honestly thinking that I would be holding my daughter at 7 a.m.,’ she recalled in a confessional. ‘I just thought it was gonna be fast, and quiet and different’

On the video, someone told her, ‘I promised I’d tell you when it’s time. I’m so sorry, but I want to get you a healthy baby girl.’

‘I didn’t think I’d be laboring for 22 hours, to push for three hours, to end in an emergency C-section,’ Brie told the cameras.

She prayed that this time the baby would come ‘after five big pushes,’ no C-section needed.

Healthy girl: On the video, someone told her, 'I promised I'd tell you when it's time. I'm so sorry, but I want to get you a healthy baby girl'

Healthy girl: On the video, someone told her, ‘I promised I’d tell you when it’s time. I’m so sorry, but I want to get you a healthy baby girl’

‘Can we just talk about how Matteo already has a really big penis?’ Nikki asked, looking at the sonogram of her son, whom she’d already named.

Nikki and Brie then joined their partners for a hypnobirthing class, streamed over Brie’s TV.

‘I’m really nervous about birth,’ Brie admitted. ‘Everything I went through with Birdie, how exhausting it was, the pain. I just get really scared. I don’t wanna go through that with this one.’

Hypnobirthing class: Nikki and Brie then joined their partners for a hypnobirthing class, streamed over Brie's TV

Hypnobirthing class: Nikki and Brie then joined their partners for a hypnobirthing class, streamed over Brie’s TV

She stepped outside mid-class, and Bryan followed her.

‘I feel like the breathing techniques aren’t really important for me,’ she explained to him. ‘I think of how much I prepared with Birdie to have this natural birth, and I fought hard, but just the way it ended… and then I think of this pregnancy, and I just like… I don’t even really get to do what I want, and if I do, I’ll take a huge risk. And it just really scares me.’

Bryan reassured her, saying, ‘If you want to do a vaginal birth… let’s prepare for that. But also for the health of the baby and the health of yourself, sometimes a C-section is the way to go, and you can’t feel bad about that.’

‘That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this process,’ he went on. ‘The breathing techniques could help you even more, because you could be doing it for a mentally different reason.’

Supportive spouse: Bryan reassured her, saying, 'If you want to do a vaginal birth… let's prepare for that. But also for the health of the baby and the health of yourself, sometimes a C-section is the way to go, and you can't feel bad about that'

Supportive spouse: Bryan reassured her, saying, ‘If you want to do a vaginal birth… let’s prepare for that. But also for the health of the baby and the health of yourself, sometimes a C-section is the way to go, and you can’t feel bad about that’

A somber Brie hoped that Nikki would get to experience the birth ‘exactly how she wants.’

Later that week, Bryan came up to his wife with a computer and said, ‘I know you’ve been a little bit demoralized after watching the birthing video, but you never made it to the end, to get to the good part. So I think we should watch that together.’

As the two of them peered at the screen, Brian jumped a little as he saw Birdie being pulled out of Brie’s body, and then started laughing, admitting, ‘I’ve never seen this before.’

They watched as Birdie was put on Brie’s chest after her birth, and Brian offered, ‘You need to focus on the end result. I know it was really hard, but at the end of it, we get something every bit as amazing as Birdie.’

Good part: Later that week, Bryan came up to his wife with a computer and said, 'I know you've been a little bit demoralized after watching the birthing video, but you never made it to the end, to get to the good part. So I think we should watch that together'

Good part: Later that week, Bryan came up to his wife with a computer and said, ‘I know you’ve been a little bit demoralized after watching the birthing video, but you never made it to the end, to get to the good part. So I think we should watch that together’

Brie remembered that the moment she got to see and hold Birdie, everything went away: how hard the labor was, having a C-section, everything.

‘None of it mattered because she came into the world healthy and safe,’ she said. ‘And at the end of the day, all I want for this baby is for it to come into this world safe. And if it’s having a natural birth or a C-section, I just wanna hold this baby.’

On August 1, Brie gave birth to a son, Buddy, by C-section, the day after Nikki had her boy, Matteo.

Tender moment: Brie remembered that the moment she got to see and hold Birdie, everything went away: how hard the labor was, having a C-section, everything

Tender moment: Brie remembered that the moment she got to see and hold Birdie, everything went away: how hard the labor was, having a C-section, everything

In the press, she described it as a completely different experience because of how alert and prepared she was versus the first time.

As Brie struggled, Nikki was discomfited by the changes going on in her own pregnant body.

It was particularly galling for her not to be able to exercise the way she desired when she saw that Artem was biking his way into shape.

She didn’t want him to be lonely, so she paired him with her mom Kathy Laurinaitis, 56, who was not quite the cyclist he was.

Bicycle exercise: It was particularly galling for her not to be able to exercise the way she desired when she saw that Artem was biking his way into shape

Bicycle exercise: It was particularly galling for her not to be able to exercise the way she desired when she saw that Artem was biking his way into shape

‘Nicole feels this need like, I shouldn’t be by myself,’ Artem said in a confessional. ‘I’m totally fine cycling by myself. It’s not like I’m like, ”Oh, I wish someone would cycle with me”.’

The next day, Kathy rode up to Artem outside on a beach cruiser, all the while worrying that wearing a helmet would make her look like she had a double chin.

After the pair spent a fun morning together, they decided to meet again and go hiking, too.

Cycling partner: 'Nicole feels this need like, I shouldn't be by myself,' Artem said in a confessional. 'I'm totally fine cycling by myself. It's not like I'm like, ''Oh, I wish someone would cycle with me'''

Cycling partner: ‘Nicole feels this need like, I shouldn’t be by myself,’ Artem said in a confessional. ‘I’m totally fine cycling by myself. It’s not like I’m like, ”Oh, I wish someone would cycle with me”’

During their walk, Kathy and Artem talked about giving Nikki a baby shower, but acknowledged that she would want her father there.

Kathy intensely disliked her ex, as did the twins’ brother JJ Garcia, 34.

‘I think it would be uncomfortable for everyone involved if I go [and] he goes,’ Kathy told Artem. ‘And this isn’t about making the twins uncomfortable. So I would bow out gracefully.’

Baby shower: During their walk, Kathy and Artem talked about giving Nikki a baby shower, but acknowledged that she would want her father there

Baby shower: During their walk, Kathy and Artem talked about giving Nikki a baby shower, but acknowledged that she would want her father there

When Nikki heard that, she said, ‘I have so much to stress about. The last thing I want to stress about is family members that don’t wanna kick it with each other.’

Nikki and JJ also had fallen out over a political conversation they’d had, and things were tense.

To help the situation, Brie and Nikki video-chatted with family therapist Tracy McMillan.

Family therapist: To help the situation, Brie and Nikki video-chatted with family therapist Tracy McMillan

Family therapist: To help the situation, Brie and Nikki video-chatted with family therapist Tracy McMillan

‘Sometimes I don’t agree with how family members act,’ Nikki said to the cameras. ‘It can feel very negative. I don’t want my son around it.’

Tracy said people sometimes got embroiled in discussing politics or other controversial topics because it was ‘a way to discharge anger and resentment…and not feel it at the same time.’

She suggested that Nikki ask JJ to stay away from thorny subjects, and that if he refused to do that, let him know that she would have to leave the conversation.

Good point: Tracy said people sometimes got embroiled in discussing politics or other controversial topics because it was 'a way to discharge anger and resentment…and not feel it at the same time'

Good point: Tracy said people sometimes got embroiled in discussing politics or other controversial topics because it was ‘a way to discharge anger and resentment…and not feel it at the same time’

Rather than trying to alter JJ’s behavior, Tracy emphasized, Nikki should simply make him aware of her personal line in the sand.

‘I get so protective already that maybe I come off controlling, instead of just saying, ”This is what makes me feel good”,’ Nikki realized.

She understood that if she were able to set boundaries for herself, a baby shower might be possible after all.

Overly protective: 'I get so protective already that maybe I come off controlling, instead of just saying, ''This is what makes me feel good'',' Nikki realized

Overly protective: ‘I get so protective already that maybe I come off controlling, instead of just saying, ”This is what makes me feel good”,’ Nikki realized

Kathy and Artem meanwhile went golfing and had a grand old time.

The twins got jealous when they saw on social media how much fun the pair were having.

They ‘disguised’ themselves under small hats, picked up some non-alcoholic beer, and went to throw pebbles at Artem when he swang his club.

Golf buddies: Kathy and Artem meanwhile went golfing and had a grand old time

Golf buddies: Kathy and Artem meanwhile went golfing and had a grand old time

He soon busted them hiding in the bushes, and invited them to come putt on the course.

The twins afterward stole his golf cart and peeled away.

Total Bellas will return next week on the E! network.

Golf cart: Artem soon busted the twins hiding in the bushes, and invited them to come putt on the course before they rode off in his golf cart

Golf cart: Artem soon busted the twins hiding in the bushes, and invited them to come putt on the course before they rode off in his golf cart