Georgia Kousoulou struggled to form bond with son Brody, 12 months, amid postnatal depression battle

Georgia Kousoulou has spoken out about her battle with postnatal depression, admitting she was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and shame for not feeling an emotional bond with her newborn son immediately after his birth.

The Georgia & Tommy: Baby Steps star, 30, welcomed son Brody with fiancé Tommy Mallet, 29, in May last year, with the couple celebrating his first birthday at the weekend.

But former TOWIE cast member Georgia did not find the first 12 months of Brody’s life easy, saying her depression and inability to form a loving bond with her baby at first sent her to a ‘dark place’.

Troubles: Georgia Kousoulou, 30, has spoken out about her battle with postnatal depression, admitting she felt guilt and shame for not feeling an emotional bond with her newborn son

Georgia told OK! magazine: ‘I didn’t get that overwhelming feeling of love from the moment I first held him that everyone speaks about. I was looking at this baby like, “Is this mine?” It took me a while.

‘It was love at first sight visually, but emotionally I didn’t have that uncontrollable love and when I didn’t get it straight away it really stressed me out. It upset me for ages and sent me into a dark place.’

Georgia’s first scan had showed that Brody was in the breech position so she opted for a C-section in favour of the water birth she had been planning.

Parents: The Georgia & Tommy: Baby Steps star welcomed son Brody with fiancé Tommy Mallet, 29, in May last year, with the couple celebrating his first birthday at the weekend

She said the procedure made it harder for her to bond with Brody once he was born.

The television personality explained: ‘After the C-section, I felt like my body didn’t know it had birthed a baby. I literally felt like I’d been shopping – I went in on the morning and I got given a baby. My body didn’t catch up.’

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Georgia went on to say she attempted to hide her feelings from partner Tommy but he sensed something was wrong and staged an intervention.

In love: Tommy proposed to Georgia while on holiday in Mexico in February this year, with the couple yet to set a date for their wedding 

She said she felt would often slink away to cry in the bathroom and was ‘ashamed’ to tell Tommy about what she’d been going through when he sat down to talk to her.

Businessman Tommy arranged for Georgia’s mother and her midwife to be there at the time and, while she admits she was ‘shocked’, she said it was ‘such a relief’ as she did not have to hide anymore.

The star grew in confidence as she confronted her difficulties, sharing her experience with her fans on social media, with the star adding how grateful she was for their support.

Tick Tock: Gerogia admitted to friends in a clip from her show Baby Steps she doesn’t want to go ‘anywhere civilised’ for her hen do

Tommy asked Georgia to marry him in February this year while on holiday in Mexico.

And Georgia is planning multiple hen dos with the star saying in a recent episode of her ITVBe show that she doesn’t want ‘anywhere civilised’.

An excited Georgia said at her engagement party: ‘I feel like this is a warm up for the hen!’, before asking pals how many parties should she have before walking down the aisle with Tommy. 

‘I think you need at least four’, her friend Chloe decided as fellow pal Amber agreed: ‘And one abroad and at least two here.’

When one suggested the south of France Georgia exclaimed: ‘No, I don’t want anywhere civilised.’ 

Family: Georgia and Tommy rose to fame on The Only Way Is Essex and now star in their own ITVBe show together