Gemma Atkinson shared a heartfelt message to first time mums as she reflected on her experience of becoming a parent for the second time.
In a post on Instagram, Gemma shared a morning snap of her routine before she had children (a workout and a coffee in the garden), along with a photo of her now (sitting with her new baby on her knee).
"Mornings then Vs mornings now! Switched up the fresh face and coffee for eye bags and a small human," Gemma wrote. In the post, she went on to explain how she when she first became a mum she had worried about not rediscovering some of the things she enjoyed before having children.
"There was a short time after having Mia that I genuinely thought I wouldn’t get any aspects of the “old me” back, in terms of little things like a hot coffee in the garden, a blow dry at the hairdressers, brunch with friends… I blame the hormones, exhaustion & vulnerability that comes with being a first time mum!" she said.
However, she wanted to reassure other first time mums that this isn't necessarily the case, revealing that she has a "different mindset" with her second baby and that, in some ways, things can be smoother the second time around.
"2 is obviously harder [than one child] in some aspects, it’s also easier in so many too! I feel like no one talks about that bit though, only the doom & gloom 😂 I personally find you’re way more chilled with the 2nd," she wrote, adding, "I find I’m not questioning things as much because I’ve done it before & Mia’s turned out bloody brilliant."
She said she knew she'd be back to work outs, coffees and brunch with friends again one day, and reassured other mums that the people they were before weren't gone forever.
"The women we were before we became a mum will show her face every now and again and feel great. If it’s your first rodeo & you maybe feel how I did first time around, try not to worry. It’s normal," she said.
Gemma has two children with Strictly's Gorka Marquez; a daughter called Mia and their baby son, Thiago.