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Coronation Street star Jennie McAlpine has confirmed she's given birth to a baby girl - but she's admitted she was shocked after her arrival.
Jennie, who plays Fizz in the ITV soap, became a mum-of-three earlier this year when she welcomed her new baby into the world and made her other two children, Albert, eight, and Hilda, four, into a big brother and sister.
She had recently left Coronation Street for maternity leave, with her character written out as she got a job offer in Norwich, but she was surprised when her baby began to arrive earlier than expected.
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The new baby, which Jennie shares with her husband Chris Farr, was born just before midnight on 4 April at Manchester’s Wythenshawe Hospital.
Speaking about her arrival for the first time in an interview with OK! Magazine, Jennie said: "Without going into all the gory details, we were there for a while. There were a few shift changes of midwives in that time, put it that way."
The mum also admitted she was surprised when her new little bundle of joy arrived into the world, saying: "I was shocked it was a girl."
The newborn weighed 7lbs 11oz, and the parents decided to name her Doris - a name picked out with the help of Albert and Hilda.
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Jennie shared the reasoning behind the name, explaining: "There were a lot of boys’ names discarded, mainly because of football. Albert is a Manchester United fan and I think he left us with about two boys’ names to choose from.
"Doris is a family name and I love that it goes with Albert and Hilda. They’re also all very ‘Corrie’.
"The actress who played the first Rovers landlady, Annie Walker, was called Doris Speed so there’s obviously something in my DNA that means these baby names keep happening!
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"People have said before that Albert and Hilda sound like two childhood sweethearts writing to each other during the war. Now Doris is the aunty who’s come to join them."
Now a family of five, Jennie admitted things aren't exactly calm in the house - though I'm sure she wouldn't have it any other way.
"I’m so aware of how precious this time is and just how quickly it goes. It’s chaos, though," she said. "I mean, it was chaos before but now it’s another level!"
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Doris has already been able to meet some of her mum's co-workers, with Jennie revealing she's been having 'lots of cuddles in the green room with Maureen [Lipman] and Alan [Halsall]'.
"We met my new mother-in-law, who is played by Claire Sweeney. And then we went to the canteen where Alan held Doris while I ate my lunch, which was bliss," Jennie continued.
Jennie is set to return to the soap after a year on maternity leave.
Topics: Coronation Street, Parenting, TV And Film, Celebrity
Emily Brown