The Saturdays star Una Healy and her England rugby star fiancé Ben Foden have given an exclusive interview and photos to HELLO! magazine following the birth of their first child, daughter Aoife Belle Foden. Speaking for the first time since Aoife's arrival on March 13, they reveal all about the birth and how the baby has transformed their lives. And they talk for the first time about a health scare endured when the baby was just 24 hours old.
Besotted new mum Una tells HELLO!: "There hasn't been a dull moment since she was born, what with the feeding and the changing and the visitors and the hours we spend just gazing at her, taking in every little expression. "During the night, I'll wake up, even when she's sound asleep, and sneak a peek. "She'll be lying there, with her tiny hands up by her face – she's so ladylike – and my heart could burst with love for her. "In the interview, Ben reveals that he cried when he met his daughter for the first time. "I'm not one to blub, but I did well up the first time I set eyes on her," he says. "Mainly, though, I just felt really, really excited.""I'm usually really laid back, but when Aoife was being lifted out, I really couldn't contain myself. "I couldn't wait to hold her. I felt a bit bad because I just kind of abandoned Una and went rushing over. I cut the umbilical cord and that was really special." But the couple also revealed that their tiny daughter had a health scare just 24 hours after being born. "Aoife had some fluid stuck in her lungs and when we fed her, she kept bringing it up, but on this occasion it was forcefully. Then she started choking and was holding her breath," explains Ben.
"We went into panic and pushed the emergency button and the next thing we knew, our baby was whisked away and there were alarm bells ringing and staff running around." "I was screaming," adds Una. "It was the worst moment of my life. There's this precious little person who you would die for and you just can't bear to think of anything happening to her." Thankfully, the fluid was released and Aoife was fine.To read more of the interview, including what Una’s bandmates bought for the baby, her thoughts on losing the pregnancy weight and the inspiration behind Aoife’s traditional Irish name, pick up the latest copy of HELLO!, out now.