Thirty-five years after she made her own debut as a baby on the pages of HELLO!, Amber Le Bon is having a full circle moment as she introduces her own precious first-born to the world.
© Josh ShinnerCradling their gorgeous son Sasha Echo Le Bon Mercer in her arms, the model and DJ cuddles up to her boyfriend Ben Mercer as they join us for this exclusive interview and photoshoot at the Costwolds getaway of Amber's parents, Simon and Yasmin.
"I love looking back at those photos with Mama and Daddy and I wanted Sasha to have something like that," Amber tells us. "It's like a lovely snapshot of our little family and it feels like we've gone full circle and closed the loop."
© Josh ShinnerWith his shock of dark hair and bright blue eyes, little Sasha seems completely unfazed as the HELLO! team buzz around him and, when he's not looking inquisitively around him, he's snoozing on Amber's chest.
"I'm just so obsessed with him. I keep looking at him and think, ‘how on earth am I ever going do anything ever again? And all I want to do is cuddle you and smell you," she says.
© Josh ShinnerSasha was born on 30 January, weighing 7lbs6oz, at London's Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where Ben and Yasmin were at Amber's side after a 40-hour labour.
"I couldn't have done it without the both of them there; they were amazing," she says. "Ben was absolutely brilliant, and Mama was there to help, because I think it is quite exhausting and traumatic seeing someone you love in pain like that.
"I put a thunderstorm on the speaker, and I was chatting and laughing with the midwives, having a really lovely time. And then the last 10 minutes got a bit hairy, and I was whipped over to the labour ward for a forceps delivery, because Sasha was quite tired by then.
"Ben cut the cord, and they put Sasha on my chest. I was in a bit of shock, and I couldn't quite believe it, but I had this hot little human being on my chest, and I thought, ‘Wow, he's really here'. But it took a while for it to sink in, and then I burst into happy tears and couldn't stop."
Amber and Ben, 38, an author and former rugby player, have been staying with Duran Duran frontman Simon and 1980s supermodel Yasmin while their London flat is being renovated, and the doting grandparents have been only too happy to help out, as have Amber's younger sisters Tallulah and Saffron, who has three sons of her own.
"They couldn't believe it's another boy – we've gone from all girls to being overwhelmingly outnumbered by boys," says Amber with a laugh. "Both my parents and Ben's have been amazing and hands-on; we've had so much help. Staying here has worked out perfectly because it takes that little bit of pressure off the day to day running of things, so that we get to kind of fall into being parents."
Instead of putting her feet up during her third trimester, Amber joined Simon on Duran Duran's US tour.
"It was the last time I'd be able to do it without having to think about anyone else, and we had such a lovely time," she says. "I was quite big and pregnant at that point, and I wore sparkly dresses to all the shows and looked like a little disco ball, so we ended up calling the bump ‘Sparkles', which was Sasha's name until he was born.
"Sparkles loves music - he's a mini-Durannie already. He was definitely kicking along to the older stuff.
"Sasha is the most super-chilled baby and he's good at sleeping and feeding; I'm sure he's just lulling us into a false sense of security and that it'll change. He looks exactly like Ben; he's like a miniature of him. I think he's got my lips and fingers, but his eyes are so blue, similar to my dad's. I know all babies have blue eyes but if they stay like that, they will be amazing.
"We had two names on our shortlist and when he came out, I said, ‘I think he's a Sasha'. I've always loved that name," Amber continues. "Echo is a name from Greek mythology, and we liked the way it flowed on from his first name."
To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
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