Gemma Atkinson has revealed that she’s “a lot more cautious” of her dogs, Norman and Ollie, being around her newborn son, Thiago, than she was when her first child, Mia, was born back in 2019.
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, the actress explained that she’s gradually been arranging interactions between her baby son and her four-legged pets over the past two weeks to help the dogs get used to the family’s new addition.
Sharing a clip that showed one of her fluffy companions interacting with Thiago, Gemma penned in the caption: “Day 13. Slowly making more introductions with Thiago and the boys. I’ve been a lot more cautious this time around because Norman and Ollie are 4 years older. Certain sounds/high pitch noises affect them differently.”
She continued: “I don’t want them feeling scared or unsettled. They obviously won’t ever be left alone with Tio anyway so I’m hoping it will be the same as it was with Mia. So far, so good.”
© @glouiseatkinson/InstagramThe update comes just days after Gemma revealed that her beloved pooches had been staying at her mum’s house after they reacted slightly differently to when they did when the doting parents brought Mia home.
“Because they’re so much older now, Ollie came over but he’s got cataracts and he was bumping into him and couldn’t really see him,” she explained on Instagram, before adding that when Thiago cries, Norman goes over to the cot and whimpers out of concern.
© InstagramShe then became emotional while chatting about her dogs getting older. “Four years in dog years is a long time, so they’ve got older as well,” she said as she turned away from the camera and fanned her eyes.
“Oh I can’t bear it. Hormones!” she added, referencing her fighting back the tears.
Gemma and her fiancé, Strictly Come Dancing star Gorka Marquez, welcomed their son earlier this month. Sharing the happy news on Instagram, the mum-of-two posted a message to her Stories, which read: “Little man is here! Her arrived safe and sound and he’s utterly wonderful.”
© InstagramShe added: “Mia is already the mother hen we expected her to be. We’re all home together soaking up this lovely bubble before Gorks has to leave for Strictly rehearsals next week. Thank you for all your lovely wishes. Our family is complete.”
MORE: Gemma Atkinson shares adorable first look at baby Thiago bonding with sister Mia
In a separate post, she revealed the adorable meaning behind her baby boy’s name. “Thiago Thomas [blue heart emoji],” she wrote alongside a beautiful snap of her newborn peacefully laying in his cot. “Thiago is originally a Portuguese name (Gorka’s mum is from Portugal) and Thomas was my Dad’s middle name so there’s the mix of the two.”
It’s been a busy few weeks for the family as Gorka left home for London as rehearsals for Strictly Come Dancing kick off. The professional dancer will commence training ahead of the new series, which usually launches in September and will see the Spanish-born star partnered with a celebrity contestant.