23 October 2023 , 06:12
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Ben Foden has announced his wife Jackie is pregnant after three heartbreaking miscarriages in 12 months.
They have shared their happy news three years on from the arrival of their daughter Farrah. The couple wed in August 2019 after just two weeks of "seriously" dating and a year after Ben split with his wife of six years Una Healy.
Ben and American-born Jackie now live in New York with their three-year-old daughter, who is "very happy" about welcoming a sibling. Former England rugby star Ben, 38, calls his wife Jackie, also 38, a "superwomen" following their challenging past 12 months.
Jackie's pregnancy is her fourth in the space of a year after going through three devastating miscarriages. The couple had almost given up hope until they had some unexpected news back in April. They have shared they tried to not get their hopes up when they saw the two lines on the pregnancy test. Jackie admitted: "It’s hard not to get your hopes up when you really want another baby." She found out that her progesterone levels were off thanks to a hunch from her mum.
Ben and Jackie already share their 3-year-old daughter Farrah (Instagram/snackyjax)
The couple wed in 2019 after just two weeks of dating 'seriously' (Instagram/ben_foden)Jackie was soon put on supplements and had her bloods monitored. Yet the couple never gave up hope. The couple met through a mutual friend following his split from former Saturdays singer Una. Ben and Una had been married for six years and share two children, Aoife and Tadhg. They parted ways in 2018 when it emerged Ben had been unfaithful. The sports star tied the knot with Jackie on the day his divorce with Una was finalised - something he admits was a "bit reckless".
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Una and Ben continue to co-parents despite the distance. Aoife and Tadhg visited their dad in the US over the summer, where he shared his happy news. They will also be visiting Ben for Christmas just before their new sibling arrives. Ben and Jackie have kept the baby's gender as their own "little secret". Speaking to OK Magazine, Jackie shared: “We like Ford for a boy, or Sebastian or Lazarus. For a girl, we love Olympia or Octavia.” While Ben was quick to make it clear only Jackie liked the girls names.
Ben shared: “She’s so devoted to making Farrah happy and I can’t wait to see the love she gives to our next child. It’s funny, when we first got together, Jackie soppily said to me, ‘I don’t think I’ll ever love anyone more than I love you.’ Then the baby came along and I was a swift second – maybe even third now!”
Jackie will have Ben at her side as she gives birth. She isn't expecting it to be easy, as with Farrah she had to be induced at 37 weeks. Jackie developed cholestasis - a condition that slows or stops the normal flow of bile in the gallbladder and causes severe itching - and the chance of it reoccurring is "really high". The businesswoman is due at the end of January and is schedules for a C-section three weeks before her due date.
If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at the Miscarriage Association. You can call them on 01924 200799 or email [email protected]