Ciara Doherty has revealed she was “really worried” about her baby, following her recent Covid-19 diagnosis.
Despite being incredibly careful over the last number of months, the Virgin Media presenter and her family contracted and tested positive for Coronavirus.
“I had been nervous about contracting it, I had been super vigilant and super careful, I don’t know where I picked it up.
“When they contacted me to do the contact tracing, they were asking all these questions about who I could have met but I had been so careful because I was pregnant, but notwithstanding all of the precautions that I took I still contracted it somewhere,” she told the RTE Guide.
Ciara was heartbroken when she heard the news, especially as she’s pregnant with her second child.
“I had a pretty good idea by the time I got tested that I had it but I actually shed a tear coming back from the test centre because I was really worried about the baby,” she said.
“But I’ve been reassured by my consultant that everything will be ok and that the baby won’t be affected.
“I just can’t figure out where I got it from and you actually feel a bit guilty, like you’ve done something wrong by contracting it. You feel guilty then when you pass it on to your family.”
While she’s on the mend, Ciara knows it could be some time before she’s 100 percent better.
“I was quite unwell, it’s really unpleasant. I feel like I’ve made a full recovery now but there’s certainly side effects that are lingering, like I have tinnitus in my right ear which I never had before,” she said.
“I feel like one of the lucky ones because I’ve come out the other side of it, but at the time I felt pretty wretched.”
Ciara and her husband Richard Stern, who are already parents to two-year-old Renee, can’t wait to expand their brood when baby number two arrives this summer and admits the good news has been keeping spirits up in their household.
Speaking to TVNow Magazine, she said, “We love being parents so we just cannot wait.
“It is something to look forward to and it’s given us, and the grandparents, a real lift.”
Before falling ill, Ciara and her husband, who both work in the tv industry, had been juggling their busy schedules to ensure someone was always at home with their little girl.
“We don’t have childcare at the moment and won’t have until February at the earliest,” she said.
“I’m doing a lot of my work at the weekends so it frees me up during the week day. We’re just taking it week by week – and I tell you there is definitely a sense of relief when you get to Friday; and breathe.”
She added, “We only have one and we don’t have homeschooling. She just wants company, so we’re managing.”
While it’s been tough at times, Ciara reveals she’s incredibly grateful for all the memories they’re creating with their daughter.
Speaking to VIP Magazine, she said, “Renee’s a fantastic distraction and is developing and growing so quickly that I feel really grateful that I’ve so much additional time with her.
“Because of lockdown, my husband and I were both there in the house when she took her very first steps. It was really special.”