Pregnant Kate Lawler reveals she’s ’embracing’ her changing body as she awaits birth of first child

She’s currently counting down the days until she welcomes the birth of her first child with her partner of seven years, Martin.

And Kate Lawler, 40, has revealed that she’s ’embracing’ all of the changes she’s going through, including the weight gain and having ‘nipples like cigarette butts’.

Speaking on her Maybe Baby podcast with her beau and guest Giovanna Fletcher, the Big Brother winner admitted she’s found the entire process fascinating.

Changes: Kate Lawler has revealed that she’s ’embracing’ all of the changes she’s going through, including the weight gain and having ‘nipples like cigarette butts’

She said: ‘I’ve really embraced the changes in my body. It’s the biggest I’ve been and I love it. I even love my massive aureoles and the fact my nipples look like cigarette butts, I do love it.’

During her chat with the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! star, Kate went on to share her delight in seeing more women not feeling the pressure to rush back to the gym after giving birth.

‘I think we’ve progressed in terms of how women behave on social media behave after their pregnancy. I see more and more women celebrate their bodies, not looking as they were, even six months after having their baby.’

Elsewhere, Kate admitted to being adamant about never wanting children, until she turned 40 and realised Martin was the one she wanted to have a baby with. 

Fascinating: Speaking on her Maybe Baby podcast with her beau and guest Giovanna Fletcher, the Big Brother winner admitted she's found the entire process fascinating

Fascinating: Speaking on her Maybe Baby podcast with her beau and guest Giovanna Fletcher, the Big Brother winner admitted she’s found the entire process fascinating 

When asked by mother-of-three Giovanna what led to her decision to get pregnant, Kate, which is due to give birth this month, joked: ‘My salesman boyfriend. Being with someone for so long and still feeling content and happy.

‘I kept saying to [Martin], “You would be the person I want kids with but I just don’t want them”, and then it got to, “Well, let’s do a podcast and find out what it’s really like”.

“When I turned 40 last May, it it was almost like overnight I felt like I was ready finally.

‘We went to a fertility clinic and she told me my egg count was very low and having that [knowledge], it’s so final because at some point in our lives, we can’t debate it anymore.’

The podcast served to be the final episode of the season for Kate and Martin, who revealed that they have been quietly documenting their journey for a TV show.

Changes: On Thursday, Kate posed in black lingerie and asked her followers for advice on the skin pigmentation around her derriere

Changes: On Thursday, Kate posed in black lingerie and asked her followers for advice on the skin pigmentation around her derriere

Last week, the Virgin Radio presenter gave a candid update on her pregnancy, as she shared a photo of her bump on Wednesday night.

The star, who is expecting a baby girl, is just over a week away from welcoming her baby via elective cesarean.

Posing in black underwear, Kate proudly displayed her bump as she gave an honest update on her third trimester feelings and symptoms.

‘Ho my gosh 2.5 weeks to go!’ she told her followers before adding: ‘Peeing 5 times a night, bump is rock hard, not sleeping much at all, can’t see my toes, nesting like cray.’ 

The star recently completed her final week presenting her Drive Time show for Virgin Radio before taking maternity leave, while she and Martin are also currently filming a new TV show together.

First child: The star is expecting a baby girl with her partner of seven years Martin, and has shared regular updates throughout her pregnancy

First child: The star is expecting a baby girl with her partner of seven years Martin, and has shared regular updates throughout her pregnancy

Kate has been very candid throughout her pregnancy and often updates fans on how she’s feeling as her due date approaches.

Last month, the former reality star shared her worries that Martin may not be able to attend the birth of their child due to rising COVID-19 cases.

The mum-to-be emotionally admitted in a video shared to her Instagram stories that she is ‘terrified’ at the thought of having to ‘go it alone’.

She explained that she was warned by her obstetrician that ‘there is a chance’ her partner might not be able to go to hospital with her amid the coronavirus crisis.

A teary-eyed Kate told her followers: ‘I’ve been crying, that’s why I look like death. So I’ve just got off the phone with my obstetrician, we were talking about the birth and my abdominal birth has been booked in, six weeks from today I’m going to have it.

Concerns: Revealing her anxieties ahead of the birth, Kate shared her worries that her partner Martin may not be able to attend the birth of their child due to rising COVID-19 cases

Concerns: Revealing her anxieties ahead of the birth, Kate shared her worries that her partner Martin may not be able to attend the birth of their child due to rising COVID-19 cases

‘But because of COVID cases on the rise there’s a chance that Boj might not be able to come to hospital with me and I might have to go it alone.’ 

She went on to explain that she has a ‘huge fear of childbirth’ and said she is ‘upset’ at the thought of welcoming her baby ‘without the person I love holding my hand’.

Kate continued: ‘So first of all, my heart goes out to any woman who’s had to give birth without their partner there.

‘As someone who has a huge fear of childbirth, the idea of giving birth to my baby alone without the person I love there holding my hand is just terrifying.  

‘It’s just not for me, it’s not what I want. So of course I’m upset, but there’s nothing we can do.’

Current NHS guidelines set out in mid December state that pregnant women should be allowed to take someone with them to hospital appointments and have them by their side during labour.

Under COVID regulations brought in in 2020 mothers-to-be were required to go to appointments alone and leave partners, friends or relatives outside.  

Kate scheduled an elective abdominal birth on the NHS due to her fear of spontaneous births.

The Big Brother star announced her pregnancy in September, two years after revealing her engagement to Martin. 

CURRENT NHS GUIDELINES FOR MATERNITY SERVICES IN ENGLAND 

In December 2020 the NHS issued new guidelines for all hospital trusts in England ‘to urgently complete any further action needed so that partners can accompany women to all appointments and throughout birth.’

Three steps have been advised:

1. Undertake a risk assessment in each part of maternity service to identify precisely whether and if so where there is an elevated risk of COVID-19 transmission if support people are present (eg if space prevents social distancing) 

2. Make changes to the configuration of space used to provide care and/or how the available space is used to address the issues highlighted in the risk assessment, alongside provision of other appropriate infection prevention and control measures, including training and PPE

3. Use your available testing capacity (eg PCR, rapid PCR testing, or lateral flow testing) to test women and their support people to help mitigate infection risks, in particular for scan appointments, for fetal medicine appointments, at birth, and for parents whose babies require neonatal care. Treat support people who test negative as part of the team supporting the woman