Ellie Goulding is expecting her first baby (like, soonish)

Ellie Goulding and her art dealer husband Caspar Jopling are expecting their first baby. The singer/health and wellness author broke the news that she is already 30 weeks along in a new interview with British Vogue. Goulding, who has been living that oh-so-familiar lockdown life since an August performance at London’s V&A Museum, says she was pregnant then but had no idea. Suddenly, everything changed. 

“It happens really quickly, and then you almost don’t believe it at first. You’re still eating the same, looking the same, for a while I was probably in denial. I was in such a good streak of fitness,” she told Vogue. “I started having a completely different body and different energy, I couldn’t deal with everything!”

Goulding admits that her eating habits changed completely as the pregnancy evolved requiring her to give in to her cravings for fast food and sweets. “I actually went from being smug about how healthy my salads were and my breakfasts and eating nuts and seeds, and then all I wanted was McDonald's. And I was kind of terrified, I suddenly wanted all of the bad things!” she said. “Whatever this baby did when it took over my body was like, ‘Hell no — I do not want broccoli, spinach, collards! I just wanted sugar and carbs.’”

Though she didn’t plan to have a pandemic-era pregnancy (did anyone plan to have a pandemic-era anything?) the singer said that she’s adjusting to the routine and its ups and downs. “You have your partner, and you have your friends, but in a pandemic, it can feel particularly lonely because it wasn’t something I had planned for right now, [and] I knew it was a more solitary journey because of what’s going on,” she admitted.

“The sickness and tiredness was nothing I’d ever experienced before. I feel like it’s a taboo to talk about pregnancy as being challenging. It’s not always serene and like you’re not always glowing. I’m not saying that every second of this pregnancy has been miserable. It’s not always going to be easy. I have a newfound respect for any woman who has children.”

As for the ups, Goulding explains that “becoming pregnant kind of made me feel human. I want a better word than womanly, [but] — I have curves I’ve never had before. I’m enjoying it. My husband’s enjoying it.” (Though the ableist remark was no doubt unintended, let us just be clear here that one’s humanity is in no shape or form defined by the ability or desire to procreate.)

Goulding did not let Vogue in on the sex of the baby, though she says that she and her partner did find out during a scan. Don’t expect a social media gender reveal post from her, though. “We just wanted a healthy baby and there wasn’t much more to it,” she said. “Instinctively, the whole gender reveal is not my thing.”

In the time leading up to the birth, Goulding says she’s focused both on preparing for the arrival and the post-pandemic continuation of her career. “I can’t wait to go back on tour. I’ve been in the studio most days, [and] I’m excited for the challenge,” she said, referencing the fact that the next time she tours, childcare will be a factor. “It will be a totally new experience.”

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[video_embed id='2145189']BEFORE YOU GO: Janet Jackson FaceTimes with viral UCLA gymnast[/video_embed]