Pregnant Love Island star Olivia Bowen opens up on judgement expectant parents face: ‘I wasn’t ready for it’Lowenna Waters

Olivia and Alex are expecting their first child together (Picture: Getty/Backgrid/REX)

Love Island star Olivia Bowen has opened up about the pressures and judgement that expectant parents can face while talking candidly about her ‘roller-coaster’ pregnancy journey.

The former reality star turned TV presenter and entrepreneur, 28, is currently pregnant with her first child with her husband Alex Bowen, 30, who she met on the second series of the ITV2 show in 2016 before the pair married in a gorgeous ceremony in Essex in 2018.

Alex and Olivia are passionate about raising awareness around the opinions that can be piled upon expectant parents, have recently partnered with C&G Baby Club, for its #LoveDontJudge campaign, which aims to raise awareness around parental judgement and to call for it to stop.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, the star opened up about the pressures that she feels as an expectant mum, and how other people’s views impact women’s wellbeing. Moreover, she discussed how these judgements have become even more pronounced due to social media.

Despite this, Olivia still believes ‘hand on heart’ that the ‘majority of comments are coming from a good place’. She added: ‘But the judgements don’t just come from online, they come from your family and friends, there is a statistic that seven out of 10 parents and parents to be feel judged, so it’s a huge part of a new parent’s life.’

The campaign comes as new research by C&G reveals that British parents are experiencing record levels of judgement, with that pressure rising steeply by a quarter in the last year.

Olivia and Alex met on Love Island (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

This constant feeling of being judged is causing half of parents to feel apprehensive about having more children.

This level of judgement and scrutiny negatively impacts mental health for seven in 10 new parents, with the comments varying widely from people criticising bump size, to perinatal weight gain, and even commenting on the eating habits of children once they’re born.

Speaking about the findings, Olivia believes pregnancy is the ‘most stressful thing’ and that out of all the times in your life, that’s when you most ‘need support’.

Olivia is pregnant with her first child (Picture: Instagram/ oliviadbowen)

The couple announced their first pregnancy in January, by sharing a series of sweet polaroids on Instagram, while telling fans: ‘Happy New Year, Baby Bowen is on the way.’

She said: ‘I think it’s just about educating people on what’s right to say, what’s not quite right to say, what doesn’t need to be said, but I think social media allows people into other people’s lives and it does make it easier.’

But it’s not just mums who feel the pressure. Dads experience it too. Olivia explained how her husband Alex also felt judged, with some people even making comments on his decision to continue working during her pregnancy.

‘Do you know there was one comment in particular that came through when we were shooting the campaign [where] someone said, “Why are you still DJing while Olivia is pregnant?”

‘And he was like… it’s my job! It was as if someone had night shifts or, it’s his livelihood it’s how he makes his money, and to sort of go at him and make him feel guilty for that for going out and providing for me whilst I’m pregnant it’s just horrible it’s not needed.’

Alex Bowen is a DJ (Picture: Instagram/ oliviadbowen)

The expectant first-time mum has received support from other Love Island mums, though, with a spate of former contestants getting pregnant and having babies in recent years.

Islander Katie Salmon revealed in January that she was six months pregnant, before announcing that she’d given birth on Mother’s Day. Cara Delahoyde also revealed that she’d given birth in 2020 with partner Nathan Massey, and just last month, Jess Shears revealed that she’s expecting her second child with husband Dom Lever.

Jessica Shears (left) has also revealed that she’s pregnant (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

‘There is some kind of baby boom going on at the minute in the industry because everyone is pregnant, Katie Salmon has just had her baby,’ Olivia said.

‘She was on my series, she’s just had her baby and she’s been messaging me a couple of times.

‘Jess Shears, she wasn’t on my series but she’s messaged me talking about the dogs, and introducing the dogs to the baby, and Cara Delahoyde as well, who I spoke to, was actually the first one who sort of come to me and [warned me on the] judgement you get online, and how like full-on it is when you’re a parent.

‘And I think that was one of the starting points when I realised that everyone gets it, and that’s why it was so interesting and that’s why when we got this campaign it fits so well because as soon as Cara said it to me, I immediately started getting judgement in my inbox and I knew it would happen but I wasn’t particularly ready for [it].

Olivia Bowen has opened up about her pregnancy journey (Picture: Ana M. Wiggins / BACKGRID)

‘The minute from Cara messaging me to looking in my inbox and seeing those judgements, it was actually like wow it’s really full-on for parents-to-be and parents in general.’

Olivia has been open about her mental health battles in the past, revealing that she’s also suffered from ‘anxiety and depression’, that was partly triggered by trolls commenting on her weight and appearance.

Alex and Olivia met on Love Island in 2016 (Picture: Rex)

‘I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety before and I really thought that might heighten those emotions, that it might bring out the worst in me, but actually, the majority of the time I’ve been very happy and have actually dealt with it really well and we’ve both been quite surprised that I’ve had that journey.

‘It’s definitely been an up-and-down thing, this morning I was crying in the kitchen, it’s a roller-coaster but I’m so blessed to be going through it, I think that’s one of the things I have to remember, I’m just so lucky to be going through it.’

Olivia, who said she’s not been hit too badly by nausea so far, also discussed how looking after her mental health is so key during pregnancy, while the physical changes are of less importance to her.

Alex and Olivia hit it off on the show (Picture: ITV)

‘The body image isn’t so much of a thing for me. What I’ve sort of said is to Alex and we had the conversation this morning it’s the mentality and the mental space that I was worried about and I was worried that’s what I’d struggle with and I think that’s what women and parents to be don’t talk about enough and it’s one of those things and it’s such a change.

‘It is such a moment to adapt when you’re going through your pregnancy and that’s the bit I’ve struggled with, the thought of becoming a new person and the change in my life.’

Sharing her plans for a larger family, she also revealed that she and Alex are aiming for ‘at least two’ kids together.

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She said: ‘I think we’ve said two. I think we will see how it goes.

‘I’ve got a brother and I’ve got a little sister, and it’s nice to have a sibling, and even though me and my bro were at each other’s throats growing up I think it’s very nice to have a sibling, and I think it would be nice to have two kids, but obviously we’re lucky enough to have one.’

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Entertainment – Metro