Sarah-Jane Crawford reveals meaning behind newborn daughter’s name

TV and radio presenter Sarah-Jane Crawford and football manager Brian Barry-Murphy have named their newborn daughter Summer Jane Crawford-Murphy.

The name is a reference to the couple’s experience of “darker times” after Crawford suffered a miscarriage last year.

Summer, Crawford’s first child, was delivered by Caesarean section at London’s Portland Hospital on August 3, weighing 8lb 2oz.

The 37-year-old Hits Radio host said: “Summer’s name is a reference to having sunshine after going through darker times.

“It has been a journey of finally reaching this optimistic season of everything coming into bloom.”

She added: “I cried tears of joy. It felt like we bonded with her straight away.”

Summer was born to the sound of Stevie Wonder’s song Isn’t She Lovely.

Crawford, who is taking August off work following the birth, said: “I made a birth playlist of songs I’ve loved for years, which made me think about what it means to bring a life into the world.

“Some people do that with birthing pools or hypnobirthing, but music was my personal stamp on things.”

Crawford, who has West African and Irish heritage, said she was pleased the NHS had recently rolled out additional support for pregnant black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women.

She said: “When I was pregnant I found out that women of colour are more likely to have difficulties in pregnancy and childbirth and there’s some really shocking statistics.

“It’s something that needs to be looked at so I’m glad there are new initiatives.”

Rochdale manager Barry-Murphy, 42, has a daughter from a previous relationship.

– The full interview is in Hello! magazine, out now.