Trigger warning: This article discusses pregnancy loss.
Irena Srbinovska and Locky Gilbert took to Instagram to announce the birth of their first child, a girl born on Feb 23 2004..
The post, which included a set of beautiful black and white photos of the family of three also revealed their daughter’s name: Ava Aleksandra Gilbert.
Friends and family flooded the comment section with messages of congratulations, including Bec Judd, Jules Robinson and fellow Bachelor Alumni Alex Nation and Alisha Aitken-Radburn.
The couple’s birth announcement came shortly after Irena took to Instagram to share her plans for motherhood.
As the Bachie couple geared up to celebrate their baby shower, Irena revealed to fans that she was closing in on her Maternity leave dates – and shared that she would be returning to work late the next year.
“And that’s a wrap for work for the year,” she wrote on her Instagram story alongside a selfie of herself in scrubs.
“Only 3 more shifts to go until Maternity leave starts,” Irena, who is a nurse, continued. “I’m only taking 9 months as Locky is going to be a stay-at-home dad and I’m going back to only 3 days a week.”
The update came shortly after the pair announced they were expecting their first child together in September 2023.
The pair made the exciting announcement via Instagram, sharing an adorable video of the loved-up couple on the beach and Irena’s baby bump on display.
“2023 has been a year of surprises, and now Locky and I are thrilled to share the biggest surprise of our lives—anticipating a new member in our family ♥️,” Irena captioned the post.
“As we revel in our happiness, we’re deeply sensitive to those who face the trials of infertility or have suffered loss. Having navigated the rollercoaster of emotions ourselves, we extend our hands and hearts to those on a similar path. In the midst of life’s storms, may you find your rainbow soon 🌈.”
The pair have been open about their journey to growing their family over the years.
Shortly after the show wrapped in 2020, Irina revealed to WHO that the couple had experienced their first miscarriage.
“During our first few months together I, unfortunately, suffered a miscarriage,” Irena revealed. “But Locky was my absolute rock and having his support made me love him even more.”
“We are just normal people and while we put ourselves in the spotlight, you never know what is going on in our lives that day,” Locky added. “If you have to say something, then direct it at me, not my girl.”
“I can’t wait to be a mum,” Irena later shared on Instagram. “It’s something I’ve always looked forward to. And I can’t wait to see Locky as a dad, he’s a little clucky too,” she responded to a fan who asked her about having a baby in late 2021.
“Having the miscarriage last year was upsetting. Since then I’ve seen a specialist and got all the tests done so hopefully we won’t have any issues,” she admitted.
“I know I have the biological clock ticking (it’s something that I am very aware of), but I am hopeful that a baby or two is in the near future.”
After saying ‘I Do,’ in March 2023, Irena and Locky once again reaffirmed their wish to grow their family in an interview with WHO.
“We’re renovating our house in Perth entirely by ourselves, so we want to get that finished,” shared Irena. “Then hopefully we’ll have a baby!”
“I’m super excited to become a dad, but also scared,” explained Locky. “I can’t wait for us to do all the family stuff and from day one, our child will be strapped to a baby carrier and we’ll be out hiking and camping. That’s the plan, anyway!”
The following July, the couple shared in an interview with 7Life that they had experienced a second miscarriage.
“We’ve been trying to get pregnant and try to start our family and we were absolutely over the moon when we found out we were pregnant last month,” Irena told the outlet.
“Unfortunately, a week later we suffered a miscarriage, and… it was emotional, hard and obviously heartbreaking.”
“It all happened so quickly, which at the time was terrible, but I’m kind of glad it happened quickly,” she continued, before admitting that the hardest part was that the couple had shared the exciting news with their parents and close friends.
“And then we had to tell them obviously the bad news, so they were elated and then also devastated.”
If you or someone you know is affected by the topics in this article, you can call the SANDS 24/7 bereavement support line on 1300 308 307 or visit the website.
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