Actress Jorgie Porter is the epitome of calm as she welcomes our sister title OK! to her Greater Manchester abode, introducing us to the latest member of their family – their adorable new baby girl.
The Hollyoaks favourite shared a laugh while discussing parenthood – “It’s all about teamwork” – as her partner Ollie Piotrowski juggled household tasks and cradled the soundly sleeping Peony Porter Piotrowski with ease.
The family, including their two-year-old son Forest, and Ollie’s son Alfie, 10, who stays with them half the time, appears to be acclimating splendidly to the newest addition ever since little Peony was brought home from the hospital.
In a candid conversation with OK!, Jorgie, 37, has even snatched a moment for herself this week – amidst the whirlwind of diaper changes, snack prep, breastfeeding, and brief naps – to put on some fake tan. And even if it isn’t perfect, she considers it a victory, chuckling as she remarks: “It’s a bit patchy but who cares?”
Amidst the flurry of activity at home, and as Forest clambers onto her lap, she notes the constant baby handovers due to Forest wanting his share of cuddles too. Despite the expected upheaval that accompanies a newborn’s arrival, and the inevitable sleep deprivation, Jorgie and Ollie, who will be celebrating his 36th birthday soon, are utterly infatuated with their baby girl.
Born at 10.40am on December 10, mother and baby made their journey back from the hospital the following day. Forest and Alfie, who visited their new sister in hospital on the day she was born, are enjoying their roles as big brothers – well, at least Alfie is. “Forest is still wrapping his head around what’s going on,” Jorgie shares with OK!.
Peony arrived via a planned Caesarean section, and when asked about her birth weight, Jorgie, standing just over 5ft 2in, can’t help but laugh, exclaiming: “She was a whopper!” She adds with a smile: “I knew she was going to be big because I felt massive the second time around.
“She was officially 8lbs 14oz but I’m rounding it up to 9lbs because I’m tiny and feel like a hero! She was just a little chunk. When the nurses pulled her out after the C-section, I thought, ‘Thank God I chose another section because there’s no way I’d have had her naturally.'”
The couple, together for five years and engaged for three, shared their pregnancy news in May, a mere six months after Forest celebrated his first birthday. Jorgie reveals the floral name Peony had been a favourite since Forest’s birth, and keeping it a secret for two years was challenging.
“We’d not heard of anyone with the name Peony and I love the flowers, they’re so beautiful,” she says with joy. “But we were literally desperate to tell people her name before someone else had a baby and chose it before us! We didn’t give her a middle name because she’s Peony Porter Piotrowski which is already quite a lot for a kid to say, isn’t it?”
Peony arrived just weeks after dad Forest’s November birthday and before mum Jorgie’s Christmas birthday, leading to an endless cavalcade of festivities and presents at home, which has aided young Forest’s adjustment to the new family dynamic.
Jorgie, renowned for her role as Theresa McQueen in Hollyoaks since 2008, has taken a moment to reflect on her heavily emotional pregnancy journey. The rollercoaster of feelings was not only induced by typical pregnancy worries but also intensified by her past miscarriage, influencing her decision for a planned birth.
“Forest’s birth went so well but I think you can still panic when you do it again,” she confided. “I wanted it to be in the diary and secure, and to know exactly when it was happening. I wanted everything to be the same so I could relax – the same situation, the same people, same hospital, everything. We even got the same room.”
The caesarean operation, lasting roughly two hours felt fleeting to Jorgie, “felt like 10 minutes.” At 10.40am, Peony made her healthy, crying entrance to the world, albeit appearing a tad “squished”.
Speaking about the moments after the birth, Jorgie said: “I just remember hearing the first cry, and then Ollie saying, ‘She’s not exactly beautiful is she?’ which was the funniest thing ever. She was all squished up because she’d been head down for a good few weeks!”
She further recalls the tenderness of their hospital stay: “When we were back in the room I looked around and realised it would be the last time I’d ever do it, so I wanted to really take it in and make the most of it. Ollie stayed overnight with us in a little bed too. It was just a dream, it was immense.”
Jorgie firmly believes Peony will be the final addition to their family, citing complex emotions about her pregnancy experiences and a longing to reclaim herself: “There’s only been about 15 months since 2021 that I haven’t been pregnant, and I need me back, I need my body back.”
Back in 2021, Porter bravely told the world about her miscarriage of naturally-conceived quadruplets and faced another loss six weeks into her second pregnancy the following year. Despite joyful and trouble-free pregnancies with her children Forest and Peony, the shadow of previous baby losses lingers, infusing anxiety into her subsequent pregnancies.
Discussing her mindset during her journey to motherhood, Jorgie admits: “I think the panic always sits with you when you’re pregnant,” noting her stringent refusal to celebrate milestones during her pregnancy with Forest due to high stress levels.
But in her latest experience, she opted for a different approach: “I refused to let anyone celebrate any of the milestones when I was pregnant with Forest, I was adamant about it because I was extremely stressed. This time I made a point of us trying to enjoy every minute, because even if things hadn’t gone well, I wanted to be able to think, ‘Well before that was great.'”.
Jorgie, visibly relieved now her pregnancy has come to an end, looks on as Ollie cradles their peacefully sleeping daughter. “Honestly, it was the longest time,” she says with a laugh that belies her sincerity. “Margot Robbie had her baby about a week after she announced her pregnancy – I was pregnant for what felt like 100 years!”
Jorgie, known for her role on Hollyoaks, went on maternity leave last October. The devoted actor, who “absolutely loves work and is obsessed with Hollyoaks,” hints she might return to the set in Liverpool earlier than expected.
She revealed: “I love working, I’ve been doing it from such a young age, and I did Hollyoaks and Dancing On Ice at the same time. Obviously it’s not as easy having a baby too, but maybe I’ll ask them if I can just bring Peony to the show and then ask the costume department if they can just hide her!”
The actress whose roots lie in ballet has her eyes set on Strictly Come Dancing, expressing her longing for dance: “I miss dancing, it’s my first love,” and “So anything involving dance would be my dream. I cry every time Strictly comes on because I’d love to do it!”
With the addition of their latest family member, Jorgie and her fiancé Ollie, who became engaged over the Christmas period at Gleneagles Hotel in 2021, have put any immediate wedding plans on hold. With two little ones and Alfie already filling their lives, she’s content. Jorgie said: “I love being engaged. As soon as Ollie put a ring on me, it changed things for me. I know the love is there, and also I know we can argue and still be fine together!”
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