‘I struggled at first, but now I can’t wait to meet my baby!’
Former TOWIE star Danielle Armstrong on her surprise pregnancy, mental health struggles and a whirlwind romance with her childhood sweetheart Tom
Posing with her neat baby bump on Closer’s photoshoot, Danielle Armstrong is the definition of glowing. The reality star – who burst on to our screens in TOWIE back in 2013 – is 19 weeks pregnant, and says she’s thrilled to be expecting a baby girl with her boyfriend Tom.
The 31 year old tells Closer, “I really believe this pregnancy has been a blessing. When you’re happy and content, everything just fits into place. The sickness has calmed down, I’ve got a lot more energy and I’m just excited to see my bump now.”
Danielle and Tom – who met at school and briefly dated when they were 19 – have only been together since the summer, but she says the pair agreed they wanted to become parents one day.
She explains, “It definitely wasn’t planned so soon, but we were thrilled when we found out. We’d said that children were something we’d want in a few years.
I’d always wanted to be a mum but, in previous serious relationships, it never happened. With Tom, we knew things would go quicker as we didn’t have to get to know each other. We were friends before becoming partners.”
For Danielle, who split from footballer Danny Spiller earlier this year, the romance has been a whirlwind, but she admits she’s never felt so certain about a relationship.
EMOTIONAL IMPACT
She says, “Out of all the relationships I’ve had, I can speak to Tom about anything. I feel very lucky.
“We went to school together and we’ve been friends for 20 years. We started spending more time together in the summer. I introduced him to Ferne [McCann] and she thought he was lovely. He ended up coming to Marbella with us, and the rest is history.”
And while she’s enjoying her pregnancy so far, Danielle admits the initial stages were tough physically and emotionally. She explains, “The first six to 12 weeks, I was really sick – morning, afternoon and night. I was struggling because I felt really tired and wasn’t excited and I felt guilty that
Tom was more excited than me. One day, I was crying on the sofa. I felt low and down – I didn’t know what was wrong with me because I’ve always wanted to be a mum.”
But when she shared her feelings on her YouTube channel, Danielle received an incredible response. “People don’t often speak about the downsides of pregnancy,” she says, “but hundreds of women messaged me saying they’re pleased I spoke out – it’s called prenatal depression and it’s really common.”
Fortunately, the feelings have subsided and Danielle, who’s due in May, says speaking out and having regular therapy has helped her deal with her emotions. She says, “The second trimester has been so much better. I’ve been going to therapy for a year now, because my anxiety was so bad and
I’d lost one of my closest friends [Sammy Brandon, who died from breast cancer in
June last year, aged 29]. When Tom and I started dating, I told him and he’s been really supportive. Now my anxiety has massively eased and I’m in a good place – but that doesn’t mean I should stop going to therapy.
“Speaking to a stranger definitely helps more than speaking to a loved one because you want a professional opinion, but also someone you can leave and come back to a week later. It’s really helped me.”
CHANGING BODY
While she’s feeling stronger than ever mentally, Danielle admits she’s embracing every aspect of her pregnancy body, too, despite feeling overwhelmed at first. She says, “I understand what the whole ‘you’re glowing’ thing means now – it’s like having a facial! And my boobs have doubled in size. I’m not even halfway and I’ve gone from a D cup to a full E! I keep saying to Tom, ‘Do my nipples look bigger to you?’ Everything’s changing!
“I did struggle for the first few weeks because I’d been living a healthy lifestyle and on my game for the last two years. Suddenly, I felt like I wasn’t in control and I was losing a bit of my identity. But I know lots of other people have been in that situation. When you start seeing the bump, you realise how amazing the human body is and you start accepting it.”
Fitness-lover Danielle is still gently working out, but only after checking with her midwife . She says, “I’ve had to change my routine slightly. Before, I was exercising three or four times a week and now I go twice. The workouts focus on strength – especially my back, because I have a tilted pelvis, which brings on lower back pain, so I’ve had to see a chiropractor and get sports pregnancy massages.”
While she admits to sweet cravings, Danielle’s also being sensible. “I’m taking Omega 3s, a multi-vitamin from my HerbaLife range and folic acid every day.”
And although alcohol is off the menu, Danielle doesn’t mind a sober Christmas. She adds, “I’ve done enough partying –
I’ve got TOWIE to thank for that in my twenties! Tom and I are going to New York for New Year and I’ll have mocktails.
“Sometimes, Christmas can be a bit depressing because it reminds you of loved ones who aren’t here any more, but we are so lucky that everyone has their health and is happy – that’s the best feeling.”