We all know TV presenter Alex Jones from BBC1 programme The One Show, where she lights up our screens on weeknights with her co-host Matt Baker. Alex returned from maternity leave with her second child, Kit, in January following his birth in May 2019. While many celebrities keep their personal birth stories very private, down-to-earth Alex is one of the few stars who has spoken publicly about her own experience of childbirth. The mum-of-two had quite a traumatic time when she welcomed her first son, Teddy, into the world. Read on to find out what happened…
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Alex Jones' son Teddy
Little Teddy Thomson was born in January 2017, and while his birth went to plan, poor Alex was not at all well afterwards, resulting in her being rushed into emergency surgery. The TV star previously told Christine Lampard on Lorraine of the ordeal, which also affected her husband Charlie.
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She said: "I think people really forget how traumatic it can be for dads. Charlie was an immense birthing partner. Of course, when you go into it, you don't know what to expect and he came through it more than I can tell you. Somehow he became this sort of hypnobirthing expert and we just got through it together.
"Of course, as soon as Teddy was in my arms and my maternal instinct came in and that's all that worried me. He was out in the world safe as far as I was concerned the job was done.
"Charlie, from his perspective, could see what was happening and I lost a lot of blood. We were in the birth centre and everything was nice and quiet and, suddenly, we were up in the emergency room and there was a team of doctors and he was left holding this new little baby thinking: 'Oh my goodness is she going to make it? Am I going to be a single dad?'
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"That 12 hours of labour, it was such a roller-coaster for him, the end bit being really, really difficult. For the first eight weeks, it took him a while to adjust. I mean Charlie was meant to be a dad. It's really his calling in life. He loves it, he's fantastic. But it's very different. The men can only be supportive bystanders. All the focus is on the women. I think we forget sometimes how difficult it is for the men."
Alex and husband Charlie
Alex Jones' son Kit
Alex and Charlie welcomed their second son Kit in May 2019, sharing the happy news on Instagram: "And then there were 4!!! Little Kit Thomson arrived safely and very speedily last Monday at 2.21am weighing a healthy 7lbs 3. Teddy, Charlie and I are absolutely besotted by baby brother and are enjoying this special time as we get used to being a foursome and generally breathing in that lovely newborn smell!!! A huge thank you to the midwives at the birth centre, Queen Charlotte Hospital for everything you did for us. #nhsheroes."
News of the arrival came shortly after Alex confessed she was "slightly terrified" about having two young children. Speaking candidly on the podcast I See What You're Saying, Alex explained: "Everybody has nerves about being a mum and being a parent. Pregnancy for any woman is a period of excitement, also slightly terrifying as you don't know what to expect. Even with your second, it's like: 'How am I going to do two?'"
She added: "Mum was amazing at the beginning, when we first had Teddy, for the first three weeks, thankfully. I don't know how we would have done it without her."