Georgia Kousoulou has revealed that she lost a baby after experiencing a miscarriage at 12 weeks of pregnancy.
In an Instagram post, The Only Way Is Essex star, 31, shared a photograph of herself in a hospital bed to announce the news with her husband and co-star Tommy Mallett.
“Our 12 week scan to be told our baby had not survived and I needed an op,” she captioned the post.
“Twelve weeks of feeling every emotion , hoping and praying but in the end, nothing else we could have done.”
She continued: “We don’t really have the words to say right now except we are lucky to have amazing family and friends around us.”
“Most importantly we are blessed to have our beautiful brody who we couldn’t of got through this without him,” she said of her one-year-old son, Brody.
“We will have the words soon but right now we are taking time for us as a family.”
Fellow reality TV stars expressed their condolences in the comments, with Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague writing: “I am so so sorry. Sending you so much love.”
Dani Dyer, who also appeared on the ITV2 dating show, added: “Sending you so much love babe, I’m so sorry this has happened to you all.”
TV presenter Stacey Solomon wrote: “Sending you so much love and strength. I’m so sorry.”
Kousoulou has previously opened up about feeling “ashamed” of post-natal depression following the birth of her son Brody.
Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on her podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby, she revealed that she thought she would have an “instant bond” with her baby.
“I looked at [Brody] and loved him, but I didn’t have that, ‘I’m a mother, I know what to do[moment],’” she said.
“I genuinely thought it was going to happen and this was going to be an unbelievable experience. I sat there one day and took myself into the bathroom as my house is full of people and I felt I couldn’t be sad.
“I remember sitting there thinking, ‘Why is everyone so happy about this child and I am not?’”
Despite Kousoulou trying to hide her feelings from Mallet, the businessman decided to intervene.
“I was downstairs after and my midwife was there, my mum was there and Tommy said, ‘Georgia is not happy, something is going on.’
“At the time, I was like ‘what had he done’ and I was so angry, but it was the best thing he did and I burst out crying. I said all my emotions for the first time and I felt instantly better,” she said.
Postnatal depression is a common issue that affects more than one in every 10 women within a year of having a baby, and can also affect fathers and partners, according to the NHS.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
