PREGNANT Love Island star Olivia Bowen announced her baby’s gender on Loose Women today.
The TV star, 31, opened up to The Sun’s Fabulous magazine yesterday about finding out she was expecting twins before Christmas, but then learning she had lost one of the babies at eight weeks.
Love Island star Olivia Bowen announced her baby’s gender on Loose Women today[/caption]
Speaking on TV this afternoon, Olivia broke down in tears as she and her husband Alex discussed the miscarriage with the panel.
She said: “It was such a shock. There were no symptoms to indicate anything was wrong. We went into the scan excited, thinking everything was going perfectly, but it was blindsiding when we learned that one of the babies had gone.”
She reflected on the surprising nature of the loss, especially given the absence of any warning signs, and the emotional toll it had taken on her and Alex.
Olivia added: “I was always so positive, and when you try to be 100% positive all the time, when something bad happens, it hits even harder.”
Despite the pain, Olivia found comfort in knowing that the baby she lost had been reabsorbed into her body by the 14-week mark.
She said: “It’s a tremendously sad experience, but knowing that the baby is still a part of me helps me hold on to their memory.”
When asked if she would have preferred not to know about the loss, Olivia admitted, “It’s a hard question. I feel lucky to have experienced the brief moment of possibly having twins, even if it was for just a short time.”
In a touching moment, Olivia also shared her excitement about the arrival of their second child, revealing that they are expecting a baby girl.
Alex, visibly excited, spoke about his own dreams of having a large family, saying, “I never had a big family growing up, so having this baby means so much to me.”
The couple’s joy was evident during the emotional gender reveal moment on the show, as they shared the news of their little girl with today’s roster.
While still grieving the loss of their baby, Olivia and Alex said they’re looking forward to the future with their son, Abel, who is eager to become a big brother.
Olivia shared: “Abel talks to the baby through my belly button. He’s going to be the best big brother ever.”
“Completely alone”
Earlier today, Olivia admitted she felt “completely alone” before she spoke about her heartbreaking baby loss.
Taking to social media, she thanked her followers for their support – saying “thank you for trusting me with your stories”.
She posted a clip from her interview with Fabulous and captioned it: “I am quite literally blown away by the amount of messages from you guys going through the same or very similar situations as me.
“Vanishing twin syndrome is something I had never heard of, and it felt like I was completely alone.
“Thank you for trusting me with your stories and making me realise I am very much in a community of strong women.”
In an incredibly emotional interview, Olivia shared her ordeal in order to help other women in a similar situation.
The star also took to social media yesterday, explaining to fans that she wanted to share her story to help others and to remember her baby.
In a lengthy captioned, she penned: “I’ve tried to write this in my head a thousand times & now it’s come to the time to actually write it, it’s so hard to put everything I’m feeling into one.
“There isn’t many words I can find to explain the emotions we’ve been carrying – but all I knew from the moment I found the strength to say it out loud was that I wanted to share our story to connect with parents out there, like us, who have been through the same heartbreak & pain.”
Olivia continued: “You’re not alone, even when it feels like you are the loneliest person in the world. And if by telling our story, it helps just one person to feel they can get through it too, that’s what matters.
What is vanishing twin syndrome?
VANISHING twin syndrome is a type of miscarriage that affects twin, triplet and multiple pregnancies.
It occurs in the early stages, when one of the foetuses stops developing and is absorbed by the mother’s body, or the surviving twin(s).
Because it happens so early on – typically within the first 12 weeks of gestation – many women don’t realise they are carrying more than one baby.
Symptoms can be very subtle, or non-existent, but can include: cramping, bleeding and pelvic pain.
It is usually detected through routine ultrasound examinations.
The exact cause is unknown. But vanishing twin syndrome is thought to affect around 30 per cent of twin or multiple pregnancies.
Women over the age of 30 are more likely to experience it, and experts say IVF has led to an increase in multiple pregnancies, and consequently, instances of vanishing twin syndrome.
If a twin is lost, the surviving foetus or foetuses typically continue to develop normally.
Source: London Pregnancy Clinic
“I couldn’t wrap my head around the happiness & joy I felt for having one safe healthy baby – I know how fortunate we are for that – but at the exact same time feeling the excruciating pain & trauma of losing their twin. It’s like the two couldn’t co exist.
“But I want anyone who is going through this to know that it is ok to feel every single emotion you need to feel, as that’s how you will start to heal. There are some incredible charities who are there to help too like @tommys & @sandscharity.
“The other reason we are sharing this is because we never want our sunset baby to be forgotten.
“You existed, you were loved & you were part of our family for a short while. And you are forever now a part of our story & we will never forget you. This is all in your honour baby.”
Olivia had experienced vanishing twin syndrome, which studies suggest happens in around 36% of twin pregnancies, and which doctors say is becoming more common due to the increase in IVF pregnancies, though theirs was a natural conception.
Olivia and Alex met on series two of Love Island in 2016 and have now been married for six years.
They welcomed their first child – a little boy called Abel – in June 2022.
