It’s supposed to be a joyous occasion, but the current birthing restrictions and lack of support due to isolation from loved ones has meant that many new and expectant mums are struggling during the ongoing pandemic.
A Babies in Lockdown report – a survey of over 5,000 new mothers – has revealed that almost seven in ten feel their ability to cope with their pregnancy or baby has been impacted by COVID-19, with nine in ten parents saying they were more anxious as a result.
Other findings included mums-to-be feeling a lack of support from digital health appointments and fearing going to their birthing experiences, as it meant mostly doing it without their partner. Although the rules have recently changed to allow partners to be present during a hospital labour, there remains a ban on home births, and several standalone birthing units have been temporarily closed to make way for intensive care units.
Most baby and toddler groups – a valuable source of support and friendship for new mums – have also been cancelled or moved online.
But while new motherhood can seem like a lonely place right now, these brave celebrity mums have shared their own experiences in the hope of letting others know that it’s okay not to be okay.
Cara: ‘I can’t pretend everything’s perfect when it’s not’
She announced her second pregnancy, with daughter Delilah, in March last year, just a week before the country went into the first lockdown, and later admitted, “I’m really not enjoying this pregnancy… I feel robbed of being able to enjoy this amazing time with my family and friends.”
Now Cara De La Hoyde says she is finding the third lockdown – in which she’s raising her five-month-old daughter and son Freddie, three, who she shares with fellow former Love Islander Nathan Massey – equally difficult.
Posting a make-up-free snap of herself, Cara, 26 – who suffers from anxiety and was on anti- depressants during her pregnancy – wrote on Instagram earlier this month, “This lockdown has got to me, it feels like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. I can’t pretend everything’s perfect when it’s not, and I think most of you appreciate the realness.”
But she added that she gains strength from her children, saying, “These two are depending on [us so] we have to put on a brave face and get through the day. I’m trying to cherish this time, because soon we’ll be back to normal life and craving this family time we’re forgetting to enjoy.”
Check out: TOWIE kids - the next generation of Essex stars
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1 of 20Amy Childs
The first of the really big names to come from TOWIE, Amy quit the show in 2011 and welcomed her first daughter, Polly, in 2017. She also has a son from a different relationship who she's kept out of the limelight, but accidentally revealed his name was Ritchie in an interview.
2 of 20Georgina Cleverly
Georgina Cleverley – née Dorset – was only on the show for two series and went on to have a two sons with her footballer hubby Tom, who she keeps off social media.
3 of 20Sam Faiers
Sam is mum to daughter Rosie and a son called Paul, who she named after her husband, also called Paul. "We always wanted him to be named Paul after his dad," she said."It's traditional and we didn't have any other names on the list, so he's Paul, and his middle name is Tony after Paul's brother, his Uncle Tony."She's made a household name for herself and her family with her hit reality show, The Mummy Diaries.
4 of 20Billy Faiers
Sam's lookalike big sister Billie is also a mum to two kids of her own, sharing daughter Nelly (five) and son Arthur (three) with her husband Greg Shepherd.
5 of 20Kirk Norcross
Despite being TOWIE's original bad boy, Kirk has overhauled his image in the last few years to be the ultimate family man. He's dad to son Harry, three, and daughter Violett, four - although Violett doesn't feature on his Instagram after her mum made it clear she didn't want her in the public eye.
6 of 20Maria Fowler
Maria is mum to four-year-old Evie who she shares with husband Kelvin Batey, and earlier this year revealed on Instagram that they were preparing to welcome baby number two.Back in 2018, Maria revealed she had suffered a miscarriage, writing on Instagram, "I feel silly even referring to it as a baby as we were really early in the pregnancy and had not yet had a scan but I did grieve and I did feel like I had lost something very special."I feel it is such a cruel twist of fate to get such happy news and then have it taken away. Just like that. No explanation."
7 of 20Chloe Sims
Chloe was already a mum when she joined the cast of TOWIE back in 2011. Her daughter Madison is now 15, and largely stays out of the public eye, although last year Chloe finally revealed Madison's dad was still a close pal, posting a picture to Instagram and writing, "So lots of people have always been interested in who is Maddie's dad, well, here he is..."I was 18, he was 24... all you nosy f--ckers who wanted to know, here he is!"
8 of 20Dan Osborne
TOWIE lothario Dan Osborne already had a son, Teddy, with ex Megan Tomlin when he joined TOWIE. After he was booted in 2015, Dan married EastEnders star Jaqueline Jossa and they have two daughters together, Mia and Ella.
9 of 20Lucy Mecklenburgh
Lucy Mecklenburgh quit TOWIE all the way back in 2013 and since then has had success as an influencer and fitness guru. In 2020 she welcomed her first child with her fiancé, Corrie actor Ryan Thomas, a son they named Roman.
10 of 20Lydia Bright
How cute is this? Long-term best pals Lucy and Lydia were both pregnant at the same time and gave birth just weeks apart. Lydia is going it alone as a single mother to baby Loretta, after splitting with Loretta's dad Lee Cronin during her pregnancy.
11 of 20Ferne McCann
One of TOWIE's most high profile mums, Ferne McCann welcomed her daughter Sunday in 2017following a difficult few months. Shortly before announcing her pregnancy Ferne's boyfriend Arthur Collins was arrested and charged with an acid attack in an East London club that left two victims blind. And weeks before Sunday was born he was sentenced to 20 years.
12 of 20Mario Falcone
TOWIE OG Mario left the show after 15 series, and in 2018 welcomed a son, Parker Jax,with his fiancée Becky Meisner.
13 of 20Chloe Lewis
Chloe quit the show in 2019 after revealing she'd found herself a new relationship and it wasn't long before she and new man Danny Flasher announced they were expecting. They welcomed a healthy baby boy, Beau Lewis, in October 2019.
14 of 20Jake Hall
Meanwhile, Chloe's TOWIE boyfriend Jake Hall went on to have a family of his own. Despite an at times messy relationshipwith Real Housewives of Cheshire's Misse Beqiri, the couple welcomed a daughter in 2018, who they named River.
15 of 20Billi Mucklow
Billi Mucklow, who left TOWIE in 2013, must certainly have her hands full with her huge blended family with footballer fiancé Andy Carroll. The couple are raising Andy's kids from a previous relationship, Lucas and Emilie, and have two of their own together, Arlo and Wolf. In early 2020 they announced they were expecting AGAIN. Phew.
16 of 20Danielle Armstrong
Danielle Armstrong welcomed her first child with long-term pal Tom Edney in May 2020 after being "pregnant forever" and begging fans for tips on inducing labour. She took to Instagram to update followers on the birth, writing, "My world Is complete ud83dudc76ud83cudffcud83dudc95 Orla Mae Edney Born May 26th at 16:30pm, weighing a healthy 8Ibs11".
17 of 20Lauren Pope
Lauren quit TOWIE in 2019 after a staggering nine years on the show. In July 2020, she and her boyfriend welcome a little girl called Raine Anais Keterman.
18 of 20Sam Mucklow and Shelby Tribble
After a whopping three-day labour, Sam and Shelby welcomed their first child, a boy, in November 2020. "Shelby and our beautiful baby boy are both well and healthy," he wrote on Instagram. "Shelby didn't have a straightforward labour so she has been in hospital for five days. She has been an absolute soldier."
19 of 20Georgia Kousoulou and Tommy Mallet
TOWIE's power couple Georgia Kousoulou and Tommy Mallet welcomed their baby boy Brody on 5th May, 2021. They even reveal that "Mallet" is not actually Tommy's surname, when they introduced baby as Brody Fordham.
20 of 20Lauren Goodger
After years of dreaming of being a mum, Lauren finally welcomed her first child, a daughter called Larose, In July 2021. Sadly when Larose was just a couple of months old, Lauren split from the baby's dad Charles Drury, but is smashing being a single mum.
Helen: ‘Homeschooling is hard and I feel sick all of the time’
Her third baby with footballer fiancé Scott Sinclair is due in March, and Helen Flanagan admits she’s struggling to homeschool her five-year-old daughter Matilda alongside caring for her two-year-old Delilah and battling crippling morning sickness.
“I keep feeling so nauseous – just sick all of the time,” the former Corrie actress, 30, said on Instagram last week. “I’m so grateful the nurseries are open, because it’s so hard trying to homeschool with a one or two year old.”
It’s an exhausting schedule that many women are finding themselves undertaking right now, and Helen says she’s sought out the help of a hypnotherapist in preparation for her lockdown birth.
“I’ve always had a bit of a fear about giving birth, and I have been scared before each labour, though I’ve been really lucky to have two really good, positive labours,” she said. “I’m trying a hypnotherapy course this time around, [because] I work myself up in my head, which is way worse than the actual labour.”
Kate: ‘My emotions are at an all-time high’
Posting a Christmas snap of her newborn son, Cree, being doted on by his older siblings, Kate Ferdinand described the scene as “what dreams are made of”.
But just two days later – and 11 days after being rushed to hospital for an emergency C-section – the first-time mum bravely opened up about feeling “overwhelmed and wiped out”.
Kate, 29, touchingly revealed how her husband Rio’s eldest children – whose mum Rebecca passed away in 2015 – had posted a note under her door reading, “Pls stop crying, I love u.”
Kate told her followers, “Just when I thought the screaming baby would drown out the sound of my tears, I get this through the door – as if I wasn’t emotional enough. To new mums, mums, stepmums… and anyone who is struggling in lockdown, I feel you! A mix of the new baby, lockdown, kids at home, and lack of sleep have well and truly got me.”
She added, “Some moments I’m feeling amazing and full of love, but I’m too often left feeling low, like I can’t escape. My emotions and anxiety are at an all-time high.
“I am sharing how I’m feeling for anyone else feeling the same, I hope how I’m feeling can give you some comfort that you are also not alone.”
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‘Look for groups that can provide support virtually’
Sarah McMullen, director of impact and engagement at leading parent charity National Children’s Trust (NCT), says, “Becoming a new mum or dad can be stressful at the best of times, and COVID-19 has left many parents struggling to cope with the isolation and anxiety. We’ve seen a surge in questions and concerns from parents throughout the recent lockdowns.
“Some parents have reported silver linings, such as more time together and a slower pace of life. But most families have really missed the social and practical support from friends, family and peers. They’ve also found it more difficult to access the usual checks and services. We’ve got lots of information on our website about what to expect during COVID-19 and how to look after yourself at this difficult time.
“For new parents who are feeling isolated, it’s worth looking for groups that can provide support locally, even if it’s only virtually. Thousands of parents have joined NCT Walk and Talk groups over the winter, providing a chance for mutual support in a safe, socially-distanced way. Volunteers are also running online activities and groups to help parents connect. You can check our website or your local NCT Facebook page to see what’s happening near you. Our Infant Feeding Line (0300 330 0700* option 1) is also open 8am to midnight every day for support on feeding your baby.”
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.