A huge congratulations are in order for Jesinta and Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, who are expecting their second child.
The couple, who wed in an intimate ceremony in the Blue Mountains in 2016, are already the proud parents of 9-month old daughter Tallulah.
Speaking with Vida Glow founder Anna Lahey during the brand’s Instagram Glow Sessions, the model confirmed the exciting news.
“Nearly halfway through, it was a very big surprise for us,” Franklin told Lahey during the Instagram Live. “Tallulah will be getting a sibling at the end of March next year [2021].”
Franklin explains she found out a week after Buddy—who plays for the Sydney Swans—went into the COVID-19 ‘hub’, where AFL players are confined to strict lockdowns, saying it “was a lot to deal with at once.”
The model has previously been very vocal about her and Buddy’s fertility struggles, revealing the couple tried to conceive for two years prior to welcoming their daughter, something she touched on during the Glow Sessions.
“It was very hard to conceive Tallulah, so for this to be such an unplanned surprise is a blessing,” Franklin told Lahey. “I had that moment that I really had wished for the first time, where you pee on a stick and it’s such a surprise and it’s very exciting. I got that moment that I feel I missed out on because of all the challenges.”
Franklin went on to say that speaking on her fertility struggles was especially important to her, something she hopes will help other women who might be dealing with the same issues—and something Lahey herself admitted to dealing with when trying to conceive her first child with husband Keiran.
“I knew so many other women had gone through it as well, and there was just not enough dialogue out there about it. I think the only time we really speak about fertility, as women, is when comes to having a baby,” Franklin said. “We really should be talking about it long before then.”
The couple first announced they were expecting Tallulah in August 2019, with Franklin announcing the pregnancy on her app, writing: “The journey to get here hasn’t been easy and this little life is the greatest gift and we feel truly blessed and grateful that we will have a little angel of our own.”
“We have both dreamt of this for a long time and whilst the last 2.5 years have been physically and emotionally challenging, there’s nothing we would change as it’s brought us to this beautiful moment,” she continued, calling her baby “our little miracle”.
Despite the hardships at the time, Franklin admitted it brought her Buddy closer together.
“I think that the challenges that we went through have strengthened our relationship and made us more appreciative of what’s happening,” she told The Daily Telegraph at the time. We’re obviously really happy and excited at the moment, feeling very loved up.”
Watch the full interview here.
Congratulations to Jesinta and Buddy!