You could consider giving birth ten days before the first lockdown extremely lucky, but that's just what happened to Lucy Mecklenburgh and fiancé Ryan Thomas. The pair welcomed their first child, Roman, in to the world last March, just days before the country was introduced to coronavirus restrictions. 'I was so lucky with my experience,' the former TOWIE star says, speaking to Grazia on the phone, while Ryan looks after Roman downstairs. 'My family came in to the hospital with teddy bears and cards and balloons, [it was like] how I imagined it to be.' But, obviously, Lucy empathises with those who weren't able to have the same experience: 'I feel really bad that's been taken away from a lot of mums.'
But things soon changed - as lockdown kicked in, Lucy and Ryan, like most new parents, had to look after their baby on their own. 'And then obviously, 10 days later, you can't see anyone anymore,' she adds. 'I'd always imagined my mum being around those days, with help and visitors and it was really nothing like that. It was tough.'
Over the past few years, as the CEO of Results Wellness Lifestyle, Lucy has established herself as a voice in health and fitness - and she says working out has been one of the things to get her through last year. 'After Roman, I didn't work out for months for recovery and I was knackered, to be honest,' she says. 'And I did notice a difference in my mood when I started training a little bit more regularly. '
Speaking about her changing approach to fitness since becoming a mum, Lucy says: 'I had this amazing appreciation for my body - you've had a baby for nine months, and then given birth, and it's all it's quite a lot and I just sort of relaxed and didn't put any pressure on losing weight or getting back into fitness. I thought after six weeks I'd be straight back training. But to be honest, I'm so tired. The last thing on my mind was exercise.' '"Getting my pre-baby body back,"' she adds, 'I hate that because your body does change a little bit in different places, and that's fine. You don't really care. I think your priorities change.'
Grazia spoke to Lucy before the pair announced they had bought their new house in Cheshire, and Lucy tells us she's been able to juggle motherhood and her work due to Ryan's support. 'It is difficult,' she says, 'I think me and Ryan have become like a team - he's got Roman downstairs now and I can just him saying "No - don't touch that!" It's a bit like a military operation when we've both got a lot of work.'
Lucy, now a mum, is working with Pandora on their Mother's Day collection. 'I've always collected the charms, and now they're doing their Mother's Day collection, which is gorgeous,' she says. 'And I think sentimental jewellery means so much more, even more now as a mum.'
You can check out the Pandora Mother's Day collectionhere.
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