WWW.OK.CO.UK 11Lacey: I was quite big at the end of my
pregnancy and everyone thought I was going to
have a 10lb baby, but Dusty was only 6lb 7oz.
How does it feel to have a little girl?
Lacey: I wouldn’t have minded either way but
I always thought it was a girl. Also, it’s easier to
dress her in the colours I like!
Matt: I was over the moon. Someone told me
that if you have a girl, you’ll always be her hero
and that stuck with me. I hope I’m always hers.
Because of the trauma you went through
having suffered two miscarriages, does Dusty
feel extra special?
Lacey: Yes, she is very special. Dusty’s our little
miracle – we call her Special Kay!
Matt: I think everything happens for a reason
and it does make her being here more special –
we’re so lucky to have her in our lives.
We last caught up when you were around
18 weeks pregnant – did you relax into
the pregnancy?
Lacey: After losing two babies, you get to a
point where you think, what will be will be. I just
felt so lucky to be pregnant so I did relax. I kept
up my yoga, which I do each week anyway, but
I didn’t do anything like hypnobirthing.
At that point you’d had 12 scans. Did you
have many more?
Lacey: We did have more, as I found it reassuring
after losing two babies, but once I felt her kicking
I didn’t panic as much and didn’t go as much.
Having said that, she didn’t move that much,
but my midwife said it was because I’m always
on the go, so I’m always rocking her. It just got
so uncomfortable to sit down towards the end,
as I put on four and a half stone. My ankles were
huge! I still have a lot of water retention and I
can’t get my wedding ring on yet, but it’s nice to
see the bones in my feet again [laughs].
Given what you went through, it must
have been really lovely to have had a
smooth birth...
Lacey: Yes, I feel like it all came to an end really
nicely. I do feel like I was chilled towards the end
of my pregnancy and it made a big difference
when it came to giving birth.
How did you decide on the name Dusty?
Lacey: It wasn’t on our original list but we did an
internet search for ‘pretty girls’ names’ and we
both said it at the same time! Her middle name
is Violet, which I also love. We’ve had mixed
reactions, people either think it’s really cool or
they don’t really know what to say!
Matt: The only other Dusty I know is Dusty
Springfield. We do like Dusty Springfield but
she wasn’t named after her!How’s Dusty sleeping?
Lacey: She wakes up once in the night for a feed
at around 3am, and then she sleeps until about
9am! I think we’re on a lucky streak – I get up
before her! Matt and I do a night on, a night off.
Although our dog Dexter keeps me awake more
than Dusty! He doesn’t wake Dusty up, though –
he’ll just lay next to her cot and snore away!Are you breastfeeding, Lacey?
We’re feeding her breast milk but I’m pumping
and feeding it to her from a bottle. I tried it but
it didn’t agree with either of us. It was half an
hour before she’d settle, whereas she takes the
bottle immediately. There’s a lot of pressure to
breastfeed but it’s hard enough when you’re
a new mum and, if it’s making it that little bit
harder, then I don’t think it’s worth it, given you
can give the same milk in a bottle. She loves
the bottle, too. Also, it’s nice for Matt and our
families to feed her and it helps me out. I’m just
winging it as a new mum. I don’t know what
I’m doing and Dusty doesn’t know what she’s
doing. The only person who knows what they’re
doing here is Matt! We just follow him.‘It was painful but
I enjoyed it,’ Lacey
says of giving birthLacey in EastEnders
with her co-star
Steve McFadden‘ITHINKWE’RE
ONALUCKY
STREAK–IGETUP
BEFOREDUSTY!’