Shawn Johnson Reveals She Was in Labor for 22 Hours Before Welcoming Daughter Via C-Section

Shawn Johnson East is getting candid about her daughter’s birth after it did not go to plan.

Three days after confirming that she and her husband Andrew East had welcomed their first child, the former Olympic gymnast opened up on Instagram about how she endured 22 hours of labor before doctors delivered her baby via a C-section.

Shawn, 27, admitted that she initially felt “guilty” and like she “had failed” for choosing to get an epidural and not delivering her baby naturally, but said her feelings soon changed once she held her daughter for the first time.

“22 hours of labor to end in a c section,” she began alongside a black-and-white photo of her family in the hospital. “I went in with such a stubborn mindset of thinking the only way I could bring our baby into the world was naturally. No meds no intervention.”

“At 14 hours when I chose to get an epidural I felt guilty,” she continued. “At 22 hours when we were told I had to get a c section I felt like I had failed. But after holding our sweet girl in my arms and being told everything went well and she had made it to us safely I could have cared less.”

RELATED: Shawn Johnson East and Husband Andrew East Welcome a Daughter: ‘You Are Our Everything’

“My/our world no longer has anything to do with us but everything to do with her,” added Shawn. “It’s all for her and I will forever do anything for this girl that I love more than I ever could imagine. A love no one can ever prepare you for.”

The new mother went on to gush about her baby girl, giving a sweet shout out to the doctors and nurses who helped deliver her. She also praised her husband for his love and support through this time.

“@andrewdeast I meant it in the hospital when I said you will forever be my number one but she will now forever be OUR number one together,” she wrote. “Thank you to the incredible doctors and nurses who brought our baby girl into the world safely and to the best husband/daddy in the world for being there every step of the way.”

Shawn and Andrew’s journey to welcoming their daughter was also documented on their joint YouTube channel.

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The video, which was also uploaded on Thursday, began shortly after a 40-week pregnant Shawn scheduled to get induced and continued until Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m. just before the former gymnast had her C-section following 22 hours of labor.

At one point during the long process, Shawn shared with her husband that the doctor was “a little nervous that the baby won’t fit” and described her contractions as the “worst period cramps you could ever have, every two to three minutes.”

Later in the video, after deciding to get an epidural, Shawn admitted that she felt “weak.” When Andrew, 28, asked why she was bummed to get an epidural, she told him, “I should be able to do it naturally!”

The professional football player then reassured his wife that she was doing great before sharing his excitement to start “a new phase of life.”

“I’m excited and freaked out all at the same time!” he said at the end of the video.

RELATED: Pregnant Shawn Johnson East Will Be “Good” If Her Child Isn’t An Athlete Like Mom and Dad

Since confirming that their baby girl had arrived on Monday, Shawn and Andrew have been soaking up parenthood.

Shortly after revealing that the baby had made her grand entrance, the couple gave the first-look at their daughter’s face on the Instagram account they created for her.

In the shot, the little girl looked up at the camera as she was swaddled in a white blanket with a pink hat on her head.

On Wednesday, the former gymnast shared a photo of herself and her husband giving their daughter a high-five, captioning the sweet shot, ““Hi five dad!” 😊 @theeastbaby @andrewdeast #family”

Shawn has also been documenting the many snuggles she’s enjoyed with her baby on her Instagram Stories.

“Just an update since we’ve been quite[sic]. Just enjoying, crying, sleep-depriving our way through these first couple of weeks with our most perfect baby girl,” she wrote on Thursday beside one shot of her daughter sleeping on her chest under a blanket.

“She is the most beautiful miracle we have ever been given,” Shawn added in a separate post.