Laura Whitmore cradles her newborn baby girl as she shares first photo since giving birth

Laura Whitmore posted the first image of her newborn baby girl to Instagram on Friday.

The Love Island star, 35, who welcomed her child with husband Iain Stirling, gushed about being ‘in love’ with her daughter as she cradled her little one in a sling.

New mum Laura wrote: ‘thanks for all the kind messages at this time. We are in love x.’ (sic)  

‘We are in love’: Laura Whitmore posted the first image of her newborn baby girl to Instagram on Friday

The presenter – who is yet to reveal her tot’s name – appeared in great spirits as she cooed over her.

TV host Laura looked typically radiant as she styled an animal print denim jacket with square-framed shades. 

While it is not known exactly when she gave birth, Stacey Dooley stepped in to host the presenter’s BBC Radio 5 show on Sunday. 

The broadcaster and comedian Iain, 33, confirmed they were expecting in December, sharing their happy news on Instagram, a day after it was revealed they had secretly married during a Humanist ceremony at Dublin’s City Hall in November.

New parents: The Love Island star, 35, recently welcomed her first child with comedian husband Iain Stirling, 33 (pictured last year)

New parents: The Love Island star, 35, recently welcomed her first child with comedian husband Iain Stirling, 33 (pictured last year)

Over the moon: 'thanks for all the kind messages at this time. We are in love x', the broadcaster wrote alongside her post

Over the moon: ‘thanks for all the kind messages at this time. We are in love x’, the broadcaster wrote alongside her post

The TV star revealed she was having a daughter in her self-help book, No One Can Change Your Life Except for You.

She said: ‘As I finish this book, it doesn’t end at chapter nine, there’s a new chapter coming into my life – in the form of a baby girl currently growing inside me and that scares the s**t out of me. 

‘I once swallowed a bug and freaked out there was a live bug inside me. A live human is a whole new level of freaking out but I am excited because there’s a lot of good in the world, there’s a lot of potential.’

Reflecting on impending motherhood, Laura said: ‘I want to bring up my child knowing that she has her own story to write.’ 

‘She will be supported and loved. But she is the heroine of her own life, no-one else.’ 

Lorraine Kelly had originally let slip that Laura was set to welcome a daughter, noting that the mother-to-be will likely want to pass advice on to her ‘baby girl’.

To which Laura, slightly taken aback, replied: ‘Well, my baby… yes.’  

The Celebrity Juice star is hoping to be back at work this summer for the next series of Love Island which was pulled off air last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Laura admitted she struggled to keep her pregnancy secret during ‘times when I’ve had to run out of live radio to get sick in a bin or my penchant for a bowl of mashed potato in the morning’.  

Taking to social media, the TV star shared a photo of a Guns N’ Roses Sweet Child O’ Mine baby onesie and wrote: ‘So I’ve always tried to be protective over the personal side of my life. 

‘A lot of things are just for me and my loved ones and we’ve chosen not to share publicly. 

Pregnancy: The blonde beauty shared a picture of her blossoming baby bump last week as she filmed Celebrity Juice

Pregnancy: The blonde beauty shared a picture of her blossoming baby bump last week as she filmed Celebrity Juice 

‘However I want to now share good news as it’s our news to share – and I’m gonna be honest it’s starting to look like my lock down beer belly is out of control. 

‘Iain and I are expecting a baby early 2021. It’s been hard to keep such happy news quiet. 

‘Especially the times when I’ve had to run out of live radio to get sick in a bin or my penchant for a bowl of mashed potato in the morning. 

She continued: ‘I wasn’t hungover like everyone thought. In fact I was completely sober filming the entire series of Celeb Juice, which is quite the accolade! 

‘We’d appreciate our privacy respected but just wanted to spread some love and a reminder of the beauty of life.’ 

Iain added his own tongue-in-cheek announcement on Instagram, sharing a photo of his games consoles adorned with a post-it note reading ‘I will miss you xxx’.

He wrote alongside the snap: ‘Sorry to my old babies but there is a new baby coming early 2021.’  

Laura recently discussed her road to motherhood and her pregnancy journey in an interview with Hunger magazine.

Speaking in December 2020, she said: ‘As a timing thing, it probably wasn’t something that we thought about, it was a nice surprise. So I’m due at the beginning of next year and I think things just fall into place.’ 

The star also revealed the couple had found out the sex of their baby very early on via a Harmony blood test, with Laura saying the check had given her peace of mind that her baby was healthy after suffering a tragic miscarriage in 2018.

Happy news: The couple confirmed they were expecting in mid-December, sharing their news on Instagram

Happy news: The couple confirmed they were expecting in mid-December, sharing their news on Instagram

Baby on the way: The Irish host admitted she struggled to keep her pregnancy secret during 'times when I've had to run out of live radio to get sick in a bin

Baby on the way: The Irish host admitted she struggled to keep her pregnancy secret during ‘times when I’ve had to run out of live radio to get sick in a bin

She said: ‘For me it wasn’t about the sex, it was just about whether the baby was OK. You constantly have that fear. I think there are a lot of things that are important to keep to yourself.’

Laura admitted in an interview last August that it took her a year to be able to speak about her miscarriage. 

Explaining she hadn’t initially planned for her first pregnancy, the Irish star confessed she didn’t know whether she was meant to ‘cry or be emotional’ following the heartbreaking news, which came in September 2018.

Laura told The Times: ‘It took me a year to talk about my miscarriage. I’d heard about people having miscarriages when they were trying for babies, but my situation was very different.

‘What happens if you weren’t trying for a baby? I had that guilt of, ‘I wasn’t expecting this,’ so then you change your life. But then suddenly you have to change your head again after the miscarriage.’

Laura previously spoke about her miscarriage in an article she wrote herself for Hot Press last year.

She penned: ‘In the room I could see the outline of what looked like a jelly baby – just like in the movies. Then silence,’ she stated, before admitting the doctor told her: ‘I’m sorry there’s no heart-beat.’ 

New baby in the house: Funnyman Iain added his own tongue-in-cheek announcement on social media

New baby in the house: Funnyman Iain added his own tongue-in-cheek announcement on social media

Late last year, it was revealed Laura and Iain had secretly tied the knot in a Humanist ceremony at Dublin’s City Hall on November 11.

Taking to Instagram to celebrate the start of 2021, Laura finally confirmed the nuptials while sharing a beautiful snap from the pair’s big day.  

The location of Dublin was no doubt sentimental to Laura who was grew up in the city, while Iain was raised in Scotland. 

The couple opted to keep the news private after returning to the UK, but eagle-eyed fans spotted Iain wearing a wedding ring when he appeared on the special Loose Men episode of ITV’s Loose Women to mark International Men’s Day in November. 

Ring: Eagle-eyed fans spotted Iain wearing a wedding ring when he appeared on the special Loose Men episode of ITV's Loose Women in November

Ring: Eagle-eyed fans spotted Iain wearing a wedding ring when he appeared on the special Loose Men episode of ITV’s Loose Women in November

Laura showed off her flashy diamond engagement last April, but Iain is thought to have proposed earlier in the year. 

According to The Sun, Iain got down on one knee in South Africa after they filmed the 2020 series of Love Island.

Pictured: Laura showed off her flashy diamond engagement back in April 2020, but Iain is thought to have proposed earlier in the year

Pictured: Laura showed off her flashy diamond engagement back in April 2020, but Iain is thought to have proposed earlier in the year

A family friend said: ‘They couldn’t be happier. We’re thrilled for them. He’d obviously thought about it for a while, as he designed the ring and yellow’s her favourite colour.’

The insider added that the pair’s wedding plans were on hold for the time being due to the ongoing coronavirus lockdown.

They said: ‘Their wedding plans are on hold due to the lockdown but it’s lovely to have a wedding to come.’ 

However, it appears the pair had a change of heart and decided to tie the knot on November 11.  

Laura and Iain met in 2016 but it wasn’t until the following summer that things turned romantic between them.  

Loved-up: The TV stars moved in together in 2018 after a year of a dating

Loved-up: The TV stars moved in together in 2018 after a year of a dating 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk