Love Island’s Jess Hayes gives birth as star shares first pictures and unique name
Jessica Hayes has welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Zendaya Rose with her businessman fiancé Zeb, sharing the news exclusively with OK! this week in her first interview since giving birth.
The reality star, who won Love Island back in 2015, gave birth to the new arrival - who she has sweetly nicknamed Zenny - on 30 April, and has been in a baby bubble ever since. She is already mum to a son named Presley, four, from a previous relationship, and has heartbreakingly suffered two miscarriages in the past; losing her son Teddy at 19 weeks in 2020 and another baby last year.
Sharing her birth story with us, Jess explained that she was only in the hospital for one evening after everything went smoothly: "It was a really smooth labour actually, I had a water birth. My partner came home from work and my water broke in the evening so we got to the hospital at about 7 pm and I had her at around 10:30 pm, it was good.
"I was worried because when I had Presley it all happened so quickly, he was almost born in the car on the way to the hospital so I rushed this time but it was all fine. I only had gas and air during the actual labour, which didn’t do anything, so it was so painful. It was worse this time than my first labour because Zenny was a lot bigger than my son Presley was, he was only 6lb 11oz and she was 8lb 4oz."
Admitting there was one moment of panic straight after giving birth, Jess recalled: "I was worried when she first arrived because the umbilical cord was slightly wrapped around her so she was a little bit purple and wasn’t crying, I think Zeb and I both freaked out a little bit, but she was absolutely fine. I had my mum and Zeb with me but he kept trying to wind me up during the labour, he was playing drum and bass music and messing around with the gas and air!"
Despite the painful birth, Zenny hasn't been causing any chaos at home just yet, with Jess sharing how well-behaved the newborn has been.
The TV star, 31, said: "She’s been amazing. She’s a really chilled baby, more relaxed than Presley was I’d say. Although, today she has been crying the house down, but usually she’s quiet! I’m only getting up in the night every two hours so it’s not too bad".
Zenny is Jess' child she shares with fiancé Zeb, whom she met through mutual friends and got engaged to a year later in 2022, and she admits that the Property Developer has surprised her with how fast he's picked up dad duties.
Revealing that she had her worries over Zeb taking on more responsibility at home, Jess said: "Zeb has really surprised me, I was a little bit scared because I’m the one who does all the cooking and house stuff so I was thinking, ‘I’m going to be starving, who is going to look after me?’. But he’s stepped up so much and has been amazing with her and me, he’s besotted with her."
As we probe whether he shed any tears at the birth, Jess laughed and admitted her partner "Isn’t the emotional type", but since having Zenny she can see him softening!
It was Zeb who liked the name Zendaya for their little one too, while Jess prefers to shorten it to the unique moniker Zenny. She explained: "I’ve just been calling her Zenny because I think it’s really cute.
"My partner Zeb really liked the name Zendaya when I was pregnant but I prefer it shortened - I’ve never heard of the name Zenny before so I like that it’s unique. We had that name planned for a while before she arrived and she suits it."
After breastfeeding her son Presley the first time around, Jess knew she wanted to breastfeed Zenny this time too, but has found it more difficult when there are two kids at home to juggle.
Sharing that it's been tougher than expected, the star said: "Breastfeeding is really tough because I’m the only one who can do it so she needs me constantly, I keep saying to Zeb that I wish he would grow a boob! It’s hard but as women it’s just what we do I guess, and I knew I wanted to breastfeed.
"I breastfed Presley too and I didn’t stop breastfeeding him for around a year and a half so it was really long. But I am finding it more difficult this time, I think because I have Presley to look after too and she always needs me to feed her."
While it's quite the jump having two children to take care of, Jess' son Presley is keen to help and is ecstatic to be a big brother.
"Presley has been such an amazing big brother already, I feel very lucky that he’s such a sweet boy. He’s not been jealous or anything like that but he has been a bit naughty since she arrived, I feel like it’s expected though," explained Jess.
Despite Presley's willingness to get involved, Jess can't help but feel the 'mum guilt' over having less time for her first-born, and is trying extra hard to show him attention.
She added: "I’m trying to make sure he doesn’t feel left out at all so I’ve been making a big fuss of him, I’m still doing bedtime and am trying to do as much as I can with him. I do get that mum guilt because he’s my first baby and I don’t want him to think I’m leaving him out. It’s hard, I think the hormones aren’t helping either. I’ve been crying every day and I don’t even know why. It’s just over tiny things but I’m all over the place."
