Accidentally On Purpose star Ashley Jensen has said she has a “real respect” for women after giving birth to her son.

Jensen, 40, recently gave birth to her first child, son Francis “Frankie” Jonathan, and she was only able to take a small amount of maternity leave because of the tight schedule for new show Accidentally On Purpose.

She said to UK newspaper The Independent: “I had a week off before he was born, three weeks off after he was born, and then I went back to work last week. But the studio is just 15 minutes away. I’ve got a dressing room so I can take my little boy in with me.”

Frankie is the first child for Jensen and her British actor hubby Terence Beesley and asked how she is finding motherhood, she said: “To be honest, I’m just stumbling from day to day at the moment. It’s all about routine, and it’s very all-consuming.”

She added: “One thing it has given me is a real respect for womankind. Giving birth is amazing, and such a great leveller.”