TV chef Melissa Hemsley has welcomed her second child. The 40-year-old star announced the arrival of her newborn with a sweet snap on Instagram on Wednesday, with the simple caption: 'Our little pink pudding'.
Family Expansion
Melissa and her boyfriend Henry Relph are already parents to daughter Summer Eliza, who turns four in June, and announced their pregnancy. The couple's new baby was the result of their third cycle of IVF, following two heartbreaking unsuccessful rounds, which Melissa detailed on social media.
IVF Journey
In announcing their happy news in October last year, Melissa took to Instagram to share a video of her scan with Summer in tow, alongside the caption: 'Happy news. One more of our cherished frozen embryos was defrosted and implanted in me... I'm overjoyed to say that this time round it worked out for us. So far all going well! Our second baby is, fingers crossed, going to be joining us in the Springtime... Thank you for all your support and thinking of anyone who is on their own baby hoping ride thank you IVF doctors, nurses and embryologists.'
In July last year, Melissa shared her heartache after one of her embryos had failed to transfer, leaving her 'sad for many months'. She wrote: 'TW failed IVF this was our second attempt. Unsuccessful. Also known as a failed transfer. Although our precious frozen embryo thawed well and I had the same hormonal treatments and cocktail of drugs as with our daughter Summer this time it didn't work out for us... I've been sad about this for many months now but finally turning a corner. I know I'm lucky to have our special little Summer.... I'm sorry if you've gone through similar or are going through it. I've written a newsletter on Substack in case it's helpful for you or a loved one who is struggling.'
Previous Struggles
In announcing her pregnancy with Summer, Melissa - who co-founded Hemsley + Hemsley with her sister Jasmine - said: 'I feel like I'm dreaming, it's lovely to be with you and talk about the process of making a baby.' Before trying to conceive her first child, the mother-to-be said: 'They say it can take a village to raise a baby, but I didn't realise it can also take a village to make one.'
In 2021, the chef had two miscarriages within a few months of one another - and said in a candid Instagram post that they had left her feeling 'broken apart'. As her extended family continued to grow, Melissa said she has spent every Christmas and birthday wondering: 'Will it be our turn next year?'
Looking back on her emotional mindset going into IVF, Melissa said: 'It's this bizarre thing where you're asked to be so hopeful and positive, but also asked to prepare for the worst. So where do you go with that?' She continued: 'I'm very interested in supporting my mental health as well as my physical health.'
Health and Nutrition
As such, Melissa also shared details of how she looks after her health through food. The mother-to-be added: 'Food can make such a difference to a pregnancy, whether it is IVF or not it can really help... Hormones are a roller-coaster because we are made of them. We don't need to fear them - they can be something that makes us feel really good.'
