It was a rarity, but social-media queen Stacey Solomon had given fans several days of radio silence by the time heat went to press last week. And we are taking this to mean that Pickle no5 is here – just like in October 2021, when the star temporarily abstained from her frequent Instagram posts and stories before announcing the birth of her daughter Rose.
In her last post, Stacey – who’d been planning a home birth – shared a cryptic message thanking her bump, writing, “Woken up with that feeling and so just in case I don’t get the chance to say it tomorrow… I’m so grateful for them all. For every single time you’ve done this.”
And it seems her 5.5m followers are singing from the same hymn sheet as us. “She probably wants to stay in her little family/baby bubble for a few days before she’s ready to show her us,” was just one of the speculations.
The latest arrival means that Stacey and husband Joe Swash now have six kids between them (Joe has son Harry, 15, from a previous relationship), leaving Pickle Cottage full to bursting – and let’s not forget pet pooches Teddy and Peanut. A daunting thought for some, but not for Stacey, 33, who first became a mum when she was just 17.
“For Joe and I, our favourite thing is to be parents. It’s not everyone’s favourite thing and that’s fine – but it’s ours,” she said in a recent interview.
The X Factor 2009 finalist – who is already mum to Zach, 14, and Leighton ten, from previous relationships, as well as Rex, three, and 16-month-old Rose with Joe – has never seemed fazed by having a hectic household. Last summer, she opened up her vast £1.2million Essex property to her sons’ classmates when school was cancelled due to the heatwave.
“We welcomed all the kids to Pickle Cottage pool. It’s been a crazzzzyyy day in what has turned into the village lido. I hope you’re all ok in this heat. I’ve got nothing done today, but the kids have had the best day,” she told her followers at the time.
While Essex native Stacey seems to cope just fine with managing chaos, heat has learned that, on top of caring for a newborn, she is opening herself up to more mayhem with plans to revamp their idyllic family home.
“Stacey is desperate to rearrange things to allow for more room now that she’s got another baby,” an insider tells us. “She has even talked about getting planning permission for an extension, as she’s got a vision of how to make it an even more perfect home. Stacey is keen to have the two girls sharing a room together – and we all know how much she loves pink, girly decor!”
Pickle Cottage is one of the most Insta-famous properties, with Tap To Tidy author Stacey often sharing her DIY and organisational expertise with fans. The Tudor-style property even played host to her wedding to ex-EastEnders actor Joe, 41, last summer, with a whole slew of happy family memories littered across her grid.
And with the family filled with joy over the new pickle, we’re told Stacey is keen to make everything perfect at home. “The family know it’s going to be chaos, but they’re ready to embrace it. Suddenly it feels as though there’s so much going on and a lot to look forward to. She’s not going to start knocking walls down or anything like that yet, but Stacey’s keen to switch up some of the décor and make it perfect for the kids.”
heat has previously told you that the mum of five had envisioned staying cooped up in the safe haven of Pickle Cottage post-birth, as niggling worries about how she was going to juggle everything began to creep in.
A source said, “She and Joe knew that everything would be turned up a notch once the baby arrived. Everyone is really happy that she’s decided to take some time out and just enjoy the new arrival – to put her phone down and just be in the moment.”
But according to our insider, Stacey – who is thought to earn £12k per sponsored Insta post – has loads of plans for when she does feel ready to get back to work – and feels she can inspire fans in these current tough times.
“Stacey loves a DIY project and then showing it off to her fans. She also wants to show people how they can get creative with their homes without breaking the bank and thinks that sharing it now, with so many people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, is going to really inspire and help her followers. Once she’s completed what she wants to do at Pickle Cottage, Stacey believes they’re going to have the most perfect home for their family.”
