'It's a...': Expectant parents Nikki Sanderson and Anthony Quinlan 'thrilled' - but are they having a boy or a girl?
Nikki Sanderson and Anthony Quinlan recently discovered the sex of their unborn baby.
Nikki Sanderson and Anthony Quinlan are "thrilled" to be expecting a baby boy.
The soap stars recently confirmed they are expecting their first child together and recently found out the sex of their unborn tot, but the 41-year-old actress wasn't particularly suprised because she "subconsciously" imagined herself having a son.
She told Closer magazine: "Anthony and I always said that we didn’t mind what we were having as long as our baby is healthy.
"There was no, 'I’d love this or that' – we were just over the moon.
"But subconsciously, I always felt like I was going to be a boy mum and my family said the same. Whenever I thought about motherhood, I just kept envisioning a baby boy in my arms. Anthony’s thrilled because he’s going to have a mini Manchester United sidekick!"
Nikki and Anthony have been together since 2021 and had discussed having children early in their relationship, but after the former Hollyoaks and Coronation Street star failed to get pregnant for over two years, they took steps to undergo fertility treatment and were on a waiting list for IVF when she discovered she was expecting.
Nikki said: "I think the older you get, conversations around kids just happen sooner in relationships.
"We were aware we were slightly older and knew that, eventually, we wanted to be parents. But we also wanted to enjoy each other as a couple, to travel and experience some life together first.
"I froze my eggs in my late thirties with Anthony’s full support, just in case we faced any complications later down the line.
"When it wasn’t going the way we’d hoped, we spoke to the doctors about IVF. We had tests to see if there was a problem, but both of us were fit, healthy and had everything in working order.
"We were on the list to have IVF and were patiently waiting for our turn, but by some wonderful miracle and blessing, we fell pregnant naturally! Anthony and I were just at a loss for words because we weren’t expecting it."
Nikki admitted her and Anthony's desire to be parents has taken a toll on them both.
She said: "Just because we’re in a magical position now, it doesn’t take away from the upset and grief that we’ve experienced along the way.
"It’s mentally quite difficult and your emotions are all over the place when you want something so much.
"We haven’t had an easy ride and that’s been hard. A lot of people focus on the female perspective, but as we found, men feel it just as much. You can understand why the stress and strain around fertility can cause problems in relationships, but Anthony and I navigated it together as a team. We always shared how we felt with one another.
"I have to be honest, sometimes I did lose hope. It’s a natural reaction to constant disappointment.
"But then we were both like, 'No – keep going.'
"You have to pick yourself up and say, 'Right, it may not have worked this month, but let’s try again.'
"We’re naturally positive people and we just can’t wait to meet our little man."
