Rebecca Adlington recently shared her experience with intense anxiety during her pregnancy with her daughter.

The 37-year-old former Olympic swimmer welcomed her third child, Thea Joy, last month, following two devastating miscarriages within three years, one of which occurred at 20 weeks.

Rebecca is also a mother to two-year-old son Albie with her husband, Andy Parsons, and has an eight-year-old daughter, Summer, from her previous marriage to Harry Needs.

In a recent interview, recorded before Thea Joy’s birth, Rebecca confessed that her anxiety was so overwhelming, she found it hard to believe her pregnancy was real.

During Wednesday’s episode of the Netmums podcast, Rebecca revealed that she and Andy were so afraid of another miscarriage that they scarcely talked about their unborn child.

She admitted that they avoided choosing names for their daughter, fearing it might somehow ‘jinx’ the pregnancy.

Rebecca Adlington has opened up about the crippling anxiety she experienced while pregnant with her baby girl

The former Olympic swimmer, 37, gave birth to her third child named Thea Joy with her husband Andy Parsons last month after suffering two heartbreaking miscarriages in the space of three years

‘This time, third time round, after two miscarriages, and one of those being later, at 20 weeks, this time has just felt so different, so so different, just the anxiety, Rebecca said. 

‘It was just absolutely everything. And even my husband said today, he was like, “we should at some point, like, have a chat”. And I was like, “about what?” And he was like, “well, we’re gonna have a baby in a few weeks, and we’ve not spoken about it”. It’s mad. 

‘Like everyone keeps asking us have we got a name and all of this and I’m like no – but just because I think for us, even though I’m 34 weeks, which is much, much later, there is still that anxiety and fear there. 

‘There is still that bit of us that goes something could still go wrong, like we almost don’t believe it’s happening, even though I am huge, and you can obviously see I’m pregnant.’

Rebecca went on to say: ‘Where we’re so apprehensive about that something still could get like… it’s almost like we don’t want any to jinx anything. We don’t want anything to kind of… if we believe and if we fully think that this child is coming, will it get taken away from us? 

‘And I think that we’re just in that place. And so many people said to me once we got pregnant, whether it’s the midwives, the professionals, counseling, no matter where we went to everybody said the same thing – that until that baby is in your arms, you are just going to be very anxious. 

‘That belief isn’t going to be there. And I think that’s just been the case. So I think we’re still very kind of on eggshells and not believing it.’ 

Earlier this month, Rebecca revealed her grandmother died the day she gave birth to her ‘rainbow baby’, after welcoming a long-awaited daughter with her husband Andy. 

In a post on Instagram, Rebecca shared that she’d paid tribute to her late grandmother Joyce by naming her daughter after her, with the middle name Joy.

The star added that she’d spent three days in hospital while giving birth to her baby girl, describing the journey to falling pregnant and her arrival as a ‘rollercoaster.’

She said: ‘What a rollercoaster this whole experience has been. Three years, two miscarriages, 39 weeks carrying our magical rainbow girl, and 87 hours in hospital.

‘Thea Joy Parsons arrived on 28th February, the very same day my nana, Joyce, passed away. A true full circle moment of life. Joy is a nod to her, and we know Thea will bring us all so much joy.

‘We are so incredibly happy she is home and healthy. I know so many of you are still waiting for your rainbow, and we are thinking of you, sending so much love and support your way.’

Taking to Instagram on Sunday evening, Rebecca confirmed she and Parsons had welcomed daughter Thea Joy to the fold, telling followers: ‘Our family is complete.’ 

Rebecca, already shares son Albie, two, with her husband Andy Parsons, as well as daughter Summer, eight, from her previous marriage with ex-husband Harry Needs

She accompanied her post with a first look at her baby daughter as she slept in her hospital cot as the family formed hearts with their hands around the tot. 

Last year Rebecca opened up about the heart-wrenching reminder of her second miscarriage that left her ‘hating her body’ when she got home from hospital.

The TV star and husband Andy spoke to This Morning hosts Emma Willis and Craig Doyle about their two devastating miscarriages – in a bid to raise awareness and help anyone else who has suffered. 

Rebecca had her first miscarriage at 12 weeks back in 2022, and was told that she had a molar pregnancy – so this resulted in her having emergency surgery. 

A molar pregnancy occurs when a lump of abnormal cells grows in the womb instead of a healthy foetus.

The following year she was told about her second miscarriage at her 20-week scan, and she had to give birth to her child, a daughter the couple named Harper. She admitted that she really struggled to look at herself afterwards because it looked like she was still expecting. 

For support, contact the Miscarriage Association (miscarriageassociation.org.uk) or Sands (sands.org.uk)