Leona Lewis reveals she was ‘so sick’ during her pregnancy with daughter Carmel she ‘could hardly get out of bed’

IT’S a challenging time for any mum-to-be, and now Leona Lewis has revealed her pregnancy left her feeling so sick she could hardly get out of bed. 

The former X Factor champion, 38, battled debilitating sickness while pregnant with her first child, daughter Carmel Allegra, who was born last July. 

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, as she launches our new campaign, Baby, Bank On Us in partnership with Save The Children and Little Village in support of UK baby banks, Leona admits the experience impacted her mental health.

"I’d been so sick throughout the whole pregnancy, I could hardly get out of bed,” she says. 

"That went on literally up until she was born, so it [had already been] a lot, both physically and emotionally.” 

Eventually, the nausea eased up but Leona then struggled with postpartum anxiety.

"I was so drained, so tired and then I’d have these anxious thoughts that kept me up, so I wasn’t ever able to rest," she said.

She says her personal experience has propelled her to support our campaign and help other new mothers. 

“I was so lucky that I had a lot of support around me. And it made me think about the women who don’t have that, or don’t have access to it,” she says. 

"I just want to do anything I can to help – since becoming a mum, my heart opens up to every mum I meet. I’m like: ‘Oh, I love you!’

“When Fabulous got in touch about Baby, Bank On Us, it felt perfect. This is exactly what I want to do. I’m fortunate enough to afford the necessities, but there are so many women and children who are not in the same position.”

Leona grew up in Hackney, east London, where many low-income families struggled, giving her a real understanding of what life is like below the poverty line, as well as first-hand knowledge about just how vulnerable this makes those children. 

She says: “I grew up around that sense of supporting people and that feeds into the work I do now. I’ve always felt we need to use what we have to help others, especially if you’re in a position where you can.” 

Baby, Bank On Us, a community-focused initiative, is calling on the public to volunteer their time and donate second-hand children’s items to their nearest baby bank.

It also aims to raise awareness of the vital work baby banks do and the benefits they bring to families, especially during a cost of living crisis, which is impacting households across the country.