Jackie and Ben Foden introduce their newborn daughter Olympia and celebrate making their family complete
WORDS: EVE MACDONALD PHOTOGRAPHER: REBECCA MILLER PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: JOSH ROBINSON VIDEOGRAPHER: GIOVANNI FERLITO
BABY JOY
New York is the place where dreams come true, and that’s certainly the case for Ben and Jackie Foden. The 38-year-old former England rugby player and his wife Jackie welcome OK! to their apartment in the heart of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and introduce their new bundle of joy – Olympia Halcyon Foden.
In October last year, Jackie, 39, and Ben – who married in August 2019 after only a few weeks of dating – exclusively shared with us that they were expecting their second child together.
Already parents to three-year-old Farrah, the couple also told OK! how they went through three devastating miscarriages and had almost given up hope of having another baby, until now.
Just over three years on from the arrival of their daughter Farrah, the youngest member of the Foden family was welcomed into the world two weeks early via a planned C-section at 12pm on 9 January, weighing 8lb 3oz.
Ben, who has two older children Aoife, 11, and nine-year-old Tadgh (from his previous marriage with Una Healy), is the ever-doting dad as he beams, “Olympia – or, as we call her, Pia – is her mum’s double. I’m incredibly lucky.”
Here, Ben and Jackie invite us into their blissful baby bubble…
Hi, Ben and Jackie, congratulations! You must be excited to welcome another girl into the family?
Jackie: We are, but also a little tired, as expected. I ended up having a planned C-section with Olympia as during my pregnancy I was diagnosed with cholestasis [linked to liver issues which results in itchiness] and I was so uncomfortable and itchy towards the end. I tried to wait as long as possible but the doctors advised me that 9 January was as far as I could go. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer. She was 8lb 3oz; if we had let her go full-term they said she’d have been over 10lb!
Ben: Jackie also has this thing where she didn’t want Olympia being born too close to Christmas or New Year [laughs]. Jackie’s birthday is 1 December and she thinks it is rubbish.
Jackie: It’s true! You always miss out when it comes to gifts, and I didn’t want that for Olympia. It’s also such a busy time of year that you never really get to enjoy your birthday.
Ben: It worked out well though date-wi
