BINKY FELSTEAD opens up in her first interview since giving birth to baby boy Wolfie

ON HER HAPPINESS AT BEING A FAMILY OF FOUR AND HER PLANS TO TIE THE KNOT

‘I was pretty tired and out of it on gas and air by the end’

The arrival of baby son Wolfie at the beginning of June sparked off a spectacular month for Binky Felstead and she has spent the past few weeks enjoying “a lovely little bubble” as a mum of two.

“I am feeling very happy and content,” the former Made in Chelsea star tells hello! in her first interview since the birth of Wulfric “Wolfie” Alexander Fredrik Darnton, who joins big sister India and “over- the- moon” new dad Max Fredrik Darnton at the family home in south-west London.

“I feel like I have had a proper baby bubble and I don’t want it to burst,” she says, sharing these exclusive photographs taken in her son’s idyllic nursery. “I’m pretty exhausted, I have to say. Very tired, but content.”

FULL OF PRAISE

It is hardly surprising she feels this way: a week after Wolfie’s birth on 4 June, Binky hosted a fourth birthday party for India. “It was definitely an eye- opening experience, but I couldn’t have not done it,” she says. “India has been so brilliant and has adapted to her big-sister role.”

As well as the recent launch of Binky’s new parenthood platform Bloss, the month of June marked her 31st birthday on the 14th. “It’s been a very expensive month for Max,” she says, laughing. “He’s joking but he says he’s going to send us away somewhere every June until the 15th, when all the birthdays have finished.”

She is full of praise for her businessman fiancé, including his role as stepdad to her daughter. “He’s brilliant with India so I had no doubt he would take to it well. But seeing him with Wolfie is just incredible. He’s a complete natural and totally adoring. He’s completely blown away with how in love with him he is.”

The birth was “slightly longer” than she experienced with India. “I was pretty tired and out of it on gas and air by the end,” she says.

Despite this, she remembers one special moment: “The midwife at the birth was quite spiritual, which Max and I are as well, and when Wolfie came out she said: ‘Oh, he’s an old soul. You don’t get many old- soul babies any more,’ and that was lovely to hear as we both love all that kind of chat. It was perfect.

‘I feel like I have had a proper baby bubble and I don’t want it to burst’

“So far, he is definitely a chilled little man. Whereas with India I couldn’t put her down, with Wolfie I can plonk him in the bassinet and he stares into space and is very happy.”

Though like India he is, Binky says, a hungry baby.

Sharing her experiences of breastfeeding and labour on social media has been important to Binky. “I had a huge amount of comments from people saying: ‘It’s lovely to see a positive birth story as there are so many scary ones out there.’ So many people said: ‘I’m giving birth soon and thanks so much for sharing. It’s made me feel less nervous.’”

SHARED EXPERIENCES

A desire to help others through their own parenting journey – “whether trying to conceive, pregnant or as a new parent or carer” – lies behind Binky’s new parenthood platform, Bloss. “It is full of accessible experts, education and myth-busting content, as well as interviews with people, including my midwives, talking about what to expect post-birth,” she says.

It’s a resource Binky wishes she’d had as a first-time mum. “I did a lot of googling with India, but a lot of the information on there is outdated and can be scary. It gave me the fear more than anything.”

Binky is joined on the Bloss venture by her good friend Steph Desmond, who was part of Uber’s UK founding team and brings a wealth of business acumen. The two women bonded when they were pregnant with their eldest children – the first to become mums in their circle of friends, which now has its own WhatsApp group aptly named Wild Mammas.

“Binks was like: ‘Can you help me with my latest project?’ and we got talking and it started from there,” says Steph, whose third child is due at the end of July. “With Wild Mammas, we’d always be asking each other for help and advice and that was the thinking behind Bloss. On the site, you can find anyone you need, from psychologists to legal advisers. It’s completely free to sign up and access a lot of the content and you can decide if you want to pay for one-to-one time with experts or download classes and courses.”

Bloss’s launch has added to the tally of momentous days for Binky – and there is still one more big date: her wedding to Max.

“I’m excited, but I haven’t had time to think too much about it, which is probably just as well as I’ll get too excited,” she says, laughing.

“We’re also planning a big wedding celebration party in Corfu next year. To be with all our family and friends w i l l be incredible. We can’t wait for that day.”

‘We’re planning a big wedding celebration party in Corfu. We can’t wait’

Family magic as Binky and fiancé Max Darnton bond with their newborn shortly after his birth. “He’s completely blown away by how much in love with him he is,” she says of Max

Binky feeds her baby son ( above) after a “slightly longer birth” than she had with India, who clearly loves having a little brother (left)

The mother of two couldn’t look more relaxed as she cradles her “chilled little man”, but as with most mums of a newborn she says she feels exhausted – “very tired, but content”

Binky’s experience of motherhood is inspiring her to support new mums through a parenthood platform, Bloss, which she started with friend Steph Desmond (together right)

Wolfie is still only weeks old, but as he sleeps in his father’s arms (left) Binky has no doubt whom he looks like: “He is so much like his daddy. He definitely has Max’s features.” There is another big day on the horizon, after Max proposed to Binky in September (below)