Celebrities

Carrie Johnson Left ‘Incredibly Awkward’ Amid Heartbreaking Pregnancy Struggle

Published on May 29, 2025

Carrie Johnson has given her followers a proper peek behind the picture-perfect posts after welcoming baby Poppy last Wednesday. The 37-year-old former media adviser and mum of four shared a batch of dreamy bump portraits on Instagram and admitted she very nearly cancelled the whole session because she felt so rough.

The images were snapped just weeks before Poppy arrived by maternity photographer Romy Becker, a friend who clearly knows how to catch a glow even when the mum-to-be is green. Carrie wrote, “A few weeks before Poppy was born my lovely talented friend, @romybecker.photographer, took these pics of me and the bump. I hate having my picture taken at the best of times. I feel massively self conscious and incredibly awkward, reported Hello! Magazine.

I nearly cancelled it as I also suffered with terrible sickness for the majority of this pregnancy and so I really wasn’t in the mood but now I’m so glad that I did it.” Anyone who has spent nine months lurching between ginger biscuits and the bathroom will feel that in their bones.

Her pregnancy was far from smooth. Over Christmas she found herself stuck in hospital for what she calls an “extended period”, though she has not gone into the gritty details. Even in the carefully lit photos you can tell she is relieved the finish line was in sight. Carrie’s message to mums-to-be still fighting through the sludge is pure solidarity:

“If you’re pregnant and in the trenches right now – I feel you! As soon as you’re holding your new baby you quickly forget just how awful you felt during pregnancy. Mother Nature is clever like that!” Seasoned parents everywhere nodded along; selective amnesia is clearly nature’s way of ensuring siblings exist at all.

Carrie also gave Romy a glowing shout-out for making her feel relaxed enough to ditch the sick bowl and pose barefoot. Then came the line that melted hearts: “Can’t believe it was our sweet Poppy in there the whole time.” Followers flooded the comments with heart emojis and virtual high fives.

One wrote, “You are so pretty! I always enjoy your posts. Congratulations on your new baby [heart emoji]”. Another chimed in, “Carrie you are stunning and a great mum [heart emoji]”, while a third simply raved, “Such beautiful photos!” Social media can be a brutal place but on this thread the vibes were pure baby bliss.

Last week the Johnsons announced Poppy Eliza Josephine Johnson’s arrival with the usual newborn snapshots: tiny fingers gripping mum’s thumb, a rose-coloured baby grow and Boris beaming in the background.

For the former Prime Minister the little girl is child number nine, slotting in alongside the six older siblings he shares with ex-partners Marina Wheeler and Helen McIntyre, plus Wilfred and Romy with Carrie. Family Christmas parties at Downing Street may be off the cards these days, but the nanny rota is surely running at full tilt.

Carrie’s frank caption has struck a chord because it sidesteps the curated gloss so many influencers pump out. Instead she owned up to the morning sickness, the hospital stint and the wobbly self-esteem that come with late pregnancy.

The takeaway is simple: if you can find the strength to put on a flowing dress and let a camera click a few times, you might treasure those bump shots forever – even if you spent the rest of the day horizontal with crackers and lemonade. And judging by the thousands of likes rolling in, plenty of parents agree that saying cheese when you feel like toast is absolutely worth it once the tiny bundle finally lands in your arms.