Rebecca Adlington has said she feels “responsible” for the tragic miscarriage she suffered last year.
The Olympic swimmer, 34, also revealed how the heartbreak has made her reluctant to try again for a third child.
The mother-of-two shares daughter Summer, eight, from her previous marriage to swimmer Harry Needs, and son Albie, two, with husband Andy Parsons.
Rebecca went to the hospital for her 12 week scan and later had to go down for emergency surgery after discovering she had miscarried the child.
After being sent home after surgery, Rebecca had to be readmitted to treat sepsis, a kidney infection and a fever.
Sad: Rebecca Adlington has said she feels ‘responsible’ for the tragic miscarriage she suffered last year
Family: The mother-of-two shares daughter Summer, eight, from her previous marriage to swimmer Harry Needs, and son Albie, two, with husband Andy Parsons
In an interview with The mirror, Rebecca said, ‘Because I had two children without any problems, I never thought about a miscarriage. I realize this may sound naive, but I expected some signs.
“I really felt responsible for the miscarriage, even though it wasn’t my fault. I remember talking to the doctors and they said there was nothing I could have done to prevent what happened.’
“But you have all this pressure to protect something — this delicate creature, this precious, special, incredible baby — for nine months, and it just seemed crazy because I’ve done it twice before and was absolutely fine.”
Rebecca added that her husband Andy still struggles daily with the painful aftermath of her miscarriage.
She recalled him saying “We were going to have a baby now,” adding that the couple handled the grief differently.
The former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here star discussed that she doesn’t want to put any pressure on herself to have kids.
Because she believes the odds of getting pregnant again are against her, after an ongoing battle with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Andy and Rebecca tied the knot in August with a ceremony in Cheshire, five months after welcoming their son.
Horrible: Rebecca went to hospital for her 12-week scan and later had to go down for emergency surgery after discovering she had miscarried the child
Tough times: Rebecca added that her husband Andy still struggles daily with the painful aftermath of her miscarriage
Newlyweds: Rebecca tied the knot with husband Andy, whom she met on dating app Bumble, at a ceremony in Cheshire
Co-parents: Rebecca, who won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympics and two bronze medals at London 2012, was previously married to Summer’s father Harry (pictured with Harry)
Sweet: She welcomed baby Albie in March 2021 and posted a photo with the newborn and her daughter
The pair met on dating app Bumble in 2018, with the swimmer gushing after their wedding: ‘It worked out perfectly for us. We couldn’t be happier’.
The pair started dating two years after the swimmer split from her ex-husband Harry, and she previously admitted she was nervous about dating again.
The couple quickly fell in love and facilities manager Andy, 30, moved from Liverpool to Becky in Manchester in 2019.
Rebecca, who won two gold medals at the 2008 Olympics and two bronze medals at London 2012, was previously married to Summer’s father Harry – and the couple split in 2016.
As a result of Rebecca’s two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics, she became Britain’s first Olympic swimming champion since 1988.
In 2013, at the age of 23, she retired from all competitive swimming.
