It was an Insta-perfect life. EMILY BLACKWELL posted joyous snaps to 400,000 followers of prams and gifts as she excitedly counted down the days to her baby's arrival... but, away from the screen, she was living every new mother's nightmare
It was an Insta-perfect life. EMILY BLACKWELL posted joyous snaps to 400,000 followers of prams and gifts as she excitedly counted down the days to her baby's arrival... but, away from the screen, she was living every new mother's nightmare
Share:
What a modern phenomenon this is: family planning, Insta-style. The life of a social media influencer is often glossy and glamorous – and always meticulously showcased. Intricate preparation is key, agrees Emily Blackwell, one-time star of Made In Chelsea and now a ‘brand’ in her own right.
![[Unable to share the reality, Emily Blackwell posted this while daughter Eva was in hospital]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/01/94611721-14335239-Unable_to_share_the_reality_Emily_Blackwell_posted_this_while_da-a-27_1738114305664.jpg)
When Emily, 28, was laying the groundwork to introduce her first child to the world, she followed all the new rules. In September last year there was a carefully curated announcement on Instagram – alongside a ‘paid partnership’ with the pregnancy test brand Clearblue, no less.
![['I was being hospital mum for most of the time, but leaving to go and film content and unbox things,' says Emily]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/01/94611927-14335239-_I_was_being_hospital_mum_for_most_of_the_time_but_leaving_to_go-a-23_1738114305657.jpg)
There followed reels and posts about the joyous events unfolding – images of Emily cradling her growing bump, and with partner Jordan Oldershaw, who runs a recruitment company, making heart shapes with their fingers over her belly. Over on her mum Rachel’s Instagram page there was a video of the moment she learned she was to be a grandmother for the first time – when opening a gift bag containing tiny booties.
![['I hated it. It felt fake, putting stuff on social media, because no one had a clue what was really going on']](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/01/94611951-14335239-_I_hated_it_It_felt_fake_putting_stuff_on_social_media_because_n-a-25_1738114305659.jpg)
Scan pictures flooded in next. As did the obligatory video of the gender reveal. The much-wanted baby was a girl so everything went pink. The casual viewer – and since she has nearly 400,000 followers on Instagram, there are plenty of them – might have wondered why Emily’s account went quieter than normal around the end of last year. But since she was still uploading some content (often endorsements for beauty brands or even cars but mostly for baby products) alarm bells did not ring.
![[Emily gave updates about shopping for Eva while her baby lay in intensive care]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/01/94611987-14335239-Emily_gave_updates_about_shopping_for_Eva_while_her_baby_lay_in_-a-24_1738114305658.jpg)
