New mum Kate Ferdinand has shared a frank and open post with her Instagram followers after having a traumatic birth.
Kate, who has welcomed a baby boy named Cree with her Manchester United legend husband Rio, has been praised for her honesty as she spoke about having an emergency cesarean section and the 'whirlwind' that has followed her son's arrival into the world.
The former The Only Way is Essex star shared a snap of herself holding her son while wearing a large pair of black knickers, which she advised is an essential item for mums-to-be.
"For anyone about to give birth make sure you have a huge stock of big black knickers, the bigger the better," she said with a laughing-face emoji.
Kate, who is also a doting stepmum to Lorenz, 14, Tate, 12, and Tia, nine, wrote to her followers: "I wanted to share this with you. This is me ... and let me add this is a much better version of me than the last 10 days.
"After having an emergency c section, and a bit of a traumatic birth I’ve been completely wiped out.
"The happiness has been overwhelming but so have the tears and emotions, I’ve felt like I can’t do what I’m meant to be doing with Cree as I haven’t been able to change or feed him consistently which has had me feeling all types of guilt, for Cree, Rio and that I can’t be doing what I normally do for the kids.
"It’s a whirlwind I just wasn’t expecting ... but at the same time the most perfect whirlwind."
Kate, 29, posed for the photo with Cree makeup free, wearing her blonde hair knotted on top of her head.
She added: "To be standing up holding my bubba like this is a dream right now.
"When we are stripped of all the things we can normally do, the small things become extra special."
Paying tribute to her family she said: "Feeling so lucky to have my amazing husband and the kids helping me with everything.
"What an amazing end to a pretty rubbish year."
And she said they were now living in the perfect bubble.
"What a bubble this is ... We are so obsessed with our little angel Cree," she wrote.
"I just seem to stare at him for hours on end. Seeing the kids and him is literally what dreams are made of, feeling completely overwhelmed."
On Christmas Eve Kate shared a photo of little Cree being cooed over by his siblings and proud dad.
The family were dressed in matching green Christmas pyjamas as they gathered around the Christmas tree.
"My whole heart. Cree Ferdinand ... our angel boy we all love you so much."
