Gwyneth Paltrow 'almost died' giving birth to daughter Apple

Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed she "almost died" while giving birth to her daughter Apple.

The Oscar-winning actress opened up about giving birth to Apple, now 17, and son Moses, 15, via Caesarean section during an appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast on Monday.

"My daughter was an emergency, it was crazy, we almost died. It was like not good," she shared. "Anyway, there's a big scar across your body, and you're like, 'Oh wow, that didn't used to be there.' And it's not that it's bad or you want to judge it, but you're just like, 'Oh, my God.'"

The 49-year-old went on criticise social media for putting pressure on women to bounce back to their pre-baby body as soon as possible after giving birth.

"Thank God there wasn't Instagram when I had babies because now it's like if I see someone, 'Oh, I just gave birth two weeks ago and I have a completely washboard stomach,' and I'm like, 'Wow that's not what I (looked like)," the star stated. "And like great, more power to the lady with the washboard (abs), but that is totally the exception and then now we're being fed all of these other images of what we're supposed to look like all the time - babies, no babies, whatever."

Paltrow shares Apple and Moses with her ex-husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.