Rebecca Adlington has opened up for the first time about the arrival of her baby son, Albie Bennett Parsons.
Becky, 32, reveals to HELLO! that he was born less than two hours after she arrived at Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport on 4 March.
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"We went to hospital at 4am and he was here just before 6am," Becky tells us of Albie, her first child with partner Andy Parsons and brother to her five-year-old daughter Summer. "I had a natural birth, it was all straightforward. We are all so besotted with him."
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With just the help of gas and air, little Albie was born weighing a healthy 4kg. Andy was by her side throughout. The two have been a couple for three years, having first met on dating app Bumble. After falling in love, Andy moved from Liverpool to Manchester to live with Becky and Summer.
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"I think Andy's hand was crippled afterwards as I was squeezing it so hard. He had fingerprint marks where I was digging in," says Becky.
The swimmer gave birth earlier this month
No-one was happier to welcome them home later that day than Albie's big sister Summer, Becky's daughter with ex-husband Harry Needs. "She is just besotted by him, it's so cute," Becky, who won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympics and two bronze medals at London 2012, says.
"I always knew she was going to be good with Albie; she is very loving and has got a natural maternal instinct about her. She gives him a kiss and always says goodbye to him before she goes to school."
Becky is also the proud mum to Summer
The baby's middle name was taken from Becky's grandparents' surname, Bennett, while his first name was one both she and Andy liked as it was "so cute". "He'll tell us when he doesn't like something, he's not shy at screaming," she laughs. "But he's good the rest of the time. He's super-chilled."
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