Carrie Symonds is considering giving birth at home, it has been claimed today.
Miss Symonds, 31, is said to be keen on a home birth, which could mean Boris Johnson’s baby is born at No10 Downing Street or Chequers.
His partner announced the pair are engaged and expecting their first child together in late May or early June in an Instagram post on Saturday.
It came just 11 days after the Prime Minister, 55, agreed a divorce settlement with his ex-wife Marina Wheeler in court, although it is not clear what stage proceedings are at.
While Ms Wheeler is said to be ‘crushed’ by her ex-husband’s double announcement, Miss Symonds is already planning her birthing arrangements and her wedding.
Carrie Symonds announced she and Prime Minister Boris Johnson are having a baby and are engaged on Saturday night
Miss Symonds, 31, is said to be keen on a home birth, which could mean Boris Johnson’s baby is born at No10 Downing Street (pictured together outside on December 13)
A source told The Sun: ‘Carrie has told Boris that a home birth is one thing she’s very keen on. She likes to do things her way.
‘She has a few options where she could have their firstborn. It could mean Downing Street, Chequers or even Chevening, Kent.’
Only one in 50 women in England and Wales opt for home births. There are greater risks of complications, from 5 in every 1,000 births in hospital to 9 in every 1,000 at home.
NHS figures show 45 out of every 100 women having their first baby at home had to be transferred to hospital because of complications.
Only 12 in 100 having their second, third, or fourth child had to go into hospital.
On Sunday, Mr Johnson said of the pregnancy: ‘Absolutely delighted, I’m absolutely delighted, of course.’
But Ms Wheeler and their four children Lara, Milo, Theodore and Cassia are said to be ‘furious’ at the idea Mr Johnson became engaged and tried for a baby while he was still going through a divorce process.
Ms Wheeler, who recently overcame cervical cancer, threw the PM out of their marital home in 2018 amid claims he was having an affair with Miss Symonds, 24 years his junior.
A hearing at the Family Court in London on February 18 heard a financial settlement between the two had been agreed.
Ms Wheeler was granted a decree nisi, the initial stage of the divorce, but it is not clear if she has a decree absolute – the second stage in the process.
The couple are the first unmarried one to live in Downing Street together for many years.
They met when Miss Symonds worked on his successful bid for a second term as London Mayor in 2012, but were only linked romantically in 2018, shortly after his split from Miss Wheeler.
They have made very few public appearances, with Miss Symonds often on the sidelines away from the rest of his family.
The Prime Minister’s sixth known child could be born at the country estate Chequers in Buckinghamshire
But the former Conservative Party press officer is believed to have a ‘hands on’ approach behind the scenes, taking credit for her fiance’s new image, weight loss and election success.
The wedding will be Mr Johnson’s third and he has at least five children already – four with Miss Wheeler and a fifth from an affair with art consultant Helen Macintyre.
Reports have suggested that Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds might ‘slip away quietly abroad to marry in private’ but their plans are unknown.
With new laws in place to extend rights to new fathers, Mr Johnson could take paternity leave, with the couple entitled to split 50 weeks off equally.
But their plans are not yet clear and with the birth in the middle of a number key engagements, Mr Johnson could risk missing it completely.
The country retreat at Chevening, Kent (pictured), where the couple recently stayed, could be another option for Miss Symond’s home birth
At the end of May he will play a lead role in three-day 75th anniversary celebrations for VE Day.
In early June he will travel to Maryland, USA, where he will meet with President Donald Trump and other leaders for a G7 summit.
He is also expected at a high-level Brexit summit in the days before a crucial European Council meeting in Brussels, meaning he could be away from Britain for at least 11 days in June.
Towards the end of June he will be out of the country in Rwanda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Bookmakers have begun offering odds for the name even though the gender is not yet known, with Charlotte and James early favourites.
Winston and Emmeline have also been popular, because of the Prime Minister’s wartime hero and Miss Symonds’ support for women’s rights. Stanley has been mooted as a tribute to Mr Johnson’s father.
Boris Johnson’s second wife Marina (pictured together in 2015) is reportedly ‘crushed’ and their four children ‘furious’ about his decision to marry again and have another child – his sixth