PREGNANT Married At First Sight UK star Amy Christopher has opened up about a nervy hospital visit after growing worried about her unborn baby’s lack of movement.
The sports broadcaster, 39, fell pregnant earlier this year, just eight weeks into her relationship with boyfriend Darren, 43 — though they had been friends for 23 years.
MAFS UK star Amy Christopher is expecting a baby with her boyfriend Darren Credit: thatsportspice/Instagram
Amy had a scare earlier in the pregnancy but was reassured by midwives that everything was fine Credit: thelondoncornishgirl
Amy said she was especially anxious at the beginning of the pregnancy after tragically losing twins while pregnant seven years ago.
She describes the care she received from a London hospital first time around as a s**t show, but has nothing but praise for the midwifery team looking after her now in Cornwall.
Her recent scare came at the same time as a routine check-up where she told her midwife that her baby wasn’t moving much and she was concerned her bump was undersized. She was immediately triaged and tests were carried out.
“I just said, ‘I can’t feel her moving’. I was like, ‘she’s moving on the screen, but I don’t feel that’,” she told The Sun in an exclusive interview. “And I said, ‘is it because my placenta’s anterior?’ So it’s on the front where my belly button is.
Sports broadcaster Amy used to be a glamour girl Credit: thatsportsspice/Instagram
Amy starred in Marred At First Sight in 2021 but it didn’t lead to lasting love Credit: Olivia West
“I was just, like, a bit concerned because I’ve been here, there, and everywhere.
“I think once you say you felt reduced movement, it’s their duty of care to make sure that they follow up on that. Obviously if anything had happened, then they would feel awful.
“I was stuck to this machine for two hours. It was quite a long time. And then I had to press the little button every time she moved.
“I think she only moved three times in that two hours. But they said that her heart rate and everything was okay. And then when I got home, of course, she didn’t stop moving.”
Amy’s daughter is in the 50th percentile, which means she’s measuring right in the middle of babies at the same gestation period. Amy was only 5lbs when she was born three weeks late, so she isn’t concerned if her baby is on the smaller side.
The Racing TV star told the tragic story of her first pregnancy on Mafs back in 2021.
One of her twins died and the second had to be medically terminated due to complications. Amy said the heartbreaking ordeal “absolutely broke me”.
Reflecting on how she feels about the losses now, she says: “It never really goes away.”
She continued: “Like certain things will come up and trigger you on the daily, really. But it’s not as bad as it was, obviously, going through it.
“Definitely in the beginning, I was really worried. And as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I did all the paperwork and whatever they have to do to then get put through to the midwives. And I said to them, ‘I had this happen to me before, so I just want to make sure that everything’s fine. Can you get me in for a scan asap?’ And all of this.
“And they were great. They were really good. Because the first time around, when it was with the twins, and I was living in London, the experience I had was dreadful.
“They lost my paperwork. They gave my paperwork to somebody else. It was just a s**t show, basically. I just didn’t feel supported. So I was really scared of not having that support again. And I was going through that on my own as well, because I’d split up with the dad. It was just horrendous.
“But with this, I’ve had Darren supporting me right from the start. And the midwifery team down in Cornwall have just been absolutely amazing.”
Amy has her heart set on having a water birth when the time comes.
A self-described Cornish water baby, Amy wants a zen labour complete with fairy lights, soft music and electric candles.
And her friends have been instructed to bring her a sushi platter on their first visit post-birth as pregnant women have to avoid raw fish, which poses risks to an unborn baby.
“Everyone’s got to talk to me calmly,” she said. “I don’t want any interventions. They can check me when I come in to see how dilated I am, and then I just want them to leave me alone.
“Whether that happens or not is obviously another matter. Everyone’s, like, ‘you can’t be too set on what you’re going to do. You have to go with the flow’.
“I’m, like, ‘okay’, but I genuinely will be gutted if I don’t get my water birth.”
When it comes to naming her daughter, Amy has a couple of options that differ greatly from one another.
One thing she is settled on is the middle name, which will be Rose and Jeanne — the latter a tribute to both her grandmothers whose names are Jean and Anne.
“We’re still stuck on the first name,” she said. “We want something elegant that could be timeless. But I also want something that’s a little bit out there.
“One of them is very traditional. And then the other two that I love are a little bit more out there. We’ll just have to see. I’ve just got to see what she looks like.”
Horse racing mad Amy still has lots going on before then. She’s got the small matter of the baby’s nursery to finish and has a few racing meets to attend and promote too.
She’s championing Great Yarmouth Ladies’ Day this weekend with the best dressed in with a chance of some big prizes.
“It’s just a really good day,” said Amy. “And if you get there early, then they have offers on drinks and stuff. That’s the day that everybody wants to come out and they always have entertainment as well. It’s just a fabulous day.”
Amy will also be attending Southwell Racecourse in Nottinghamshire and plans to fully embrace the Robin Hood lore of the surrounding area.
“It’s going to probably be a boiling day and I’m going to be so hot, like what am I wearing?” she laughed.
And she’s keen to see a good turn out for Green Dress Wednesday promotion at Lingfield Park next month, which will see BBC Radio 2 DJ Vernon Kay behind the decks for Ladies’ Day.
It’s particularly fitting as Vernon created the viral Green Dress Wednesday trend on his radio show as a fun community trend and it’s been adopted by the course’s groundsmen who recently slipped into slinky dresses to carry out their duties on site for a hilarious video.
Anyone dressing in green on Ladies Day on August 22 can expect a discount and a complimentary glass of fizz — though Amy will have to wait a little long before she can get her hands on some bubbly.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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