'Nobody benefits from me portraying a glossy life'

Mum-of-two Ashley James is on a mission to get new mums talking about their postpartum recovery journeys

- EVE MACDONALD

Presenter, model, DJ, reality star, podcast host, body positivity advocate… you name it, Ashley James has it covered.

But the latest “project” from the former Made In Chelsea star is her gorgeous daughter, Ada Isabelle Blue, who was delivered via C-section in March. Ada is a little sister to Alfie, who Ashley and her partner Tommy Andrews welcomed in January 2021 just after a year of dating.

Earlier this year, Ashley caused a stir when she admitted that she initially “found a lot of the baby/parenting stuff quite boring”. But it’s her refreshing honesty that has endeared her to other mums struggling to adapt.

Here, the 36-year-old shares how she hopes to break the stigma around postpartum care…

Hi, Ashley! We love how open about motherhood you are on social media. What inspired you to do that?

I’ve always tried to be authentic, but I also spent a lot of my twenties trying to be a version of what I thought people wanted me to be. But some people will like you and others will dislike you, so you may as well just be yourself. When I became a mum for the first time around in lockdown, I chose to share my experiences to create a support network. I wasn’t able to meet other new mums in person, so this was my version of that. I was also happy to show the “real” side of things. Nobody benefits from [me portraying] a rose-tinted, glossy version of life. 

How did your birth experiences with Alfie and Ada differ?