British singer Paloma Faith has delighted fans with a striking pregnancy announcement, sharing a racy video that showcases her growing baby bump while wearing a black lace catsuit. The 44-year-old artist posted what she humorously described as a "pregnancy thirst trap" on Friday, comparing her current pregnancy to previous ones through a series of revealing photos.
A Joyful Revelation Amidst Past Struggles
The hitmaker couldn't resist poking fun at her situation, joking: "Who knew a pregnancy in my forties would inspire such…. Titillation!" This lighthearted post comes just one month after she announced she was expecting her third child, news that emerged shortly after her departure from the popular BBC programme Celebrity Traitors.
Faith has been in a relationship with boyfriend Stevie Thomas, managing director of venue The JamHouse, for approximately one year. This new chapter follows her separation from ex-partner Leyman Lahcine in 2023 after nine years together. The couple share two daughters, aged eight and four.
The Heartbreaking Fertility Journey
Behind the joyful social media post lies a deeply challenging fertility journey that Faith has courageously shared with the public. Both of her previous children were conceived through IVF treatment, with the singer undergoing six rounds of fertility treatment in total.
Her path to motherhood has been marked by significant medical challenges, including an ectopic pregnancy and a devastating miscarriage. During her appearance on the How To Fail With Elizabeth Day podcast last year, Faith revealed the traumatic details of her first birth experience.
"The birth was really difficult. It was actually unbearable," she confessed, describing how she experienced PROMS (Premature Rupture of Membranes) at just six months pregnant. Medical professionals warned she would need to be induced and would likely deliver a premature baby, but Faith demonstrated remarkable determination by maintaining bed rest and consuming four litres of water daily for a month to replenish her lost waters.
Traumatic Birth and Subsequent Challenges
The singer endured 21 hours of labour followed by an emergency Caesarean section, which she revealed later caused additional fertility problems. The extreme sleep deprivation - only seven hours of sleep across seven days - contributed to post-partum psychosis, causing hallucinations and what she believes was undiagnosed depression lasting several years.
Faith's resilience shone through when she decided to pursue a second child, undergoing three failed IVF transfers before the fourth attempt proved successful. Her professional life also intersected with personal tragedy when she suffered a miscarriage while filming a fight scene for the 2019 series Pennyworth, where she played sociopath Bet Sykes.
In a heartbreaking revelation, Faith described how she continued working despite recognising she was miscarrying, telling production staff she had eaten something bad rather than reveal the truth. "I knew if I told them they would escort me home," she explained. "I would just be going home without work and without a viable pregnancy."
The IVF Experience and Modern Fertility Challenges
Reflecting on the intensive IVF process with her former partner, Faith described the experience as "harrowing" and noted that fertility issues initially stemmed from her partner's side, yet "thanks to modern science and the patriarchy, it still falls on the woman" to undergo the physical and emotional toll of treatment.
The ectopic pregnancy she experienced with her first IVF attempt resulted in damage to one of her fallopian tubes, further complicating her fertility journey. Despite these overwhelming obstacles, Faith considers herself fortunate to have achieved two viable pregnancies relatively quickly after such significant challenges.
Her openness about these deeply personal struggles provides valuable visibility for the many individuals and couples facing similar fertility challenges, breaking down stigma and encouraging conversations around pregnancy loss and assisted reproduction.
