Mum Star

Having been told that we must be careful with our diets during pregnancy, not only to ensure that we ingest sufficient vitamins and minerals to keep our growing child healthy and to avoid excess weight-gain that can impact on our health and that of our baby, many women have found that eating low-fat yoghurts has helped them to do just that.
However, it has now been discovered that the lack of fatty acids in these low-fat yoghurts are actually putting foetuses at risk of going on to suffer asthma and hay fever. Women who ate one low-fat yoghurt each day were 1.6% more likely to give birth to children who went on to suffer from asthma. However, there was no such link with the consumption of milk, which remains a good way of consuming calcium whilst pregnant and in fact actually reduces the risk of asthma in children if their mothers consume it during pregnancy.
Lead researcher Ekaterina Maslova, of Harvard School of Public Health said, “It is a puzzling finding. The absence of fatty acids in low-fat yoghurt may be key to the results. The results suggest that fatty acids play an important role or it could be that people who ate this kind of yoghurt had similar lifestyle and dietary patterns, but we cannot make any conclusions at this stage. We need to replicate these results in other studies first.”
Asthma UK recommends that pregnant women follow a balanced diet and acknowledges that pre-natal diet can impact on child development, but adds that, “pregnant women [should] discuss any drastic changes to their diet with their GP first.”
There are a few foods that pregnant women really must avoid. These are:
raw and undercooked meat and seafood (including sushi) (risk of salmonella and listeria)
raw eggs (check sauce ingredients, especially at restaurants which may use raw egg for certain sauces including mayonnaise – shop-bought bottled mayonnaise is fine) risk salmonella)
Some fish – sword fish, shark, prawns (possibly high in mercury)
Soft or blue cheese (e.g. feta, brie, Camembert) – ok if pasteurized, and soft cheese like philadelphia is fine.
Unpasteurized milk and juices;
alcohol (some research says that alcohol is fine in small amounts – the consequences though can be devastating and giving up alcohol for a short period is not so onerous when one considers what can be caused – see ‘Foetal Alcohol Syndrome’).
Enjoy your pregnancy!

Myleene Klass has kept us all up to date with every stage of her pregnancy via Twitter, and she chose to announce the safe arrival of her baby girl with a Tweet.

Baby Hero Harper Quinn (yes) was photographed by daddy Graham Quinn next to her sister Ava Bailey (3) and mummy on Myleene’s Twitter page.  The caption said: ‘World meet Hero, Hero meet world! One whole week old today! (Dads the official photographer!).’

She got lots of messages back complimenting her on the gorgeous baby and lovely pic, to which Myleene posted: ‘You guys! I am completely and utterly overwhelmed by all your kind msgs for my family. Thank you so very much.’

Myleene, 32, gave birth on Friday 25th March, and baby Hero arrived weighing just 6lbs 2oz.  Myleene worked right up to the birth, having pre-recorded her Classic FM show the day before.

The Beckhams are known for their rather – ahem – unusual choices for their childrens’ names, rumoured to be chosen to reflect the whereabouts of their conception (Brooklyn – in Brooklyn; Romeo – in Rome; Cruz – on a cruise….).  Tacky?  Embarrassing for their children?  Why should they care, they’ve got more money than many countries!

Anyway, they’re expecting a little girl this time, and so the bookies have been on overdrive taking bets for what name the little mite might get landed with.

One option is reportedly Luna (which is Spanish for ‘moon’).  And short for ‘lunatic’ in the playground.

Apparently, that was the name they would have given to little Cruz if he’d been born a girl.  In 2004, Victoria said, ‘I love the word Luna. I know it’s a girl’s name – so maybe for the next baby.’

That name got nicked, though, by England teammate Frank Lampard and his girlfriend Elen Rivas who named their daughter Luna.  So maybe baby Beckham will be spared that one.

Another possibility is that Victoria might have chosen the name Coco after French fashion designer Coco ChanelBut reports have also emerged that fashion forward Victoria wanted to call a daughter Coco – after the French designer – but fortunately she gave that name to their dog instead after giving up after waiting six years after Cruz for their yearned-for baby girl.

Whatever they choose, it probably won’t be Sarah or Claire.

She made the announcement that she’s expecting a baby just last week, and there was very little sign of a bump then.  But now, just a week later, there’s an enormous bump under Mel B’s dress!

Mel B, 35, was pictured out and about in Los Angeles with husband Stephen Belafonte, wearing a lovely cream dress that seemed to accentuate the bump.  Apparently the bump’s increase in size has rather taken Mel B by surprise: ‘Feel like my baby bump has a life of it’s own cos it doubles in size on a night time,seriously!  I did have a little confusion as to what dress to wear, but I think I picked the right one, what do you think guys??? I feel like I’m getting married again!’

The couple started trying for a baby at Christmas and were delighted when Mel B fell pregnant immediately.  ‘The power of wanting a baby, I think, can sometimes just work to your advantage. I didn’t think I would get pregnant that quickly.’

Mel B hasn’t found out the gender of her baby yet, and isn’t sure if she wants to know or not.  ‘I haven’t fully decided if I want to know or not. I’m over the first trimester, so I’m past the shady three months and on to safe territory.  The first three months, I was pretty sick and tired, to be honest, which I’ve never been before.’  Maybe that last remark is a hint that she thinks she might be carrying a boy, since she has two daughters (Phoenix Chi, 12, and Angel, 3).  Stephen has a daughter, Giselle, 6, to a previous relationship.

Other pregnant Spice girls, Emma and Victoria, are due to have their babies in May and July respectively.

Rachel Zoe, celebrity stylist, has allowed a picture of her new baby boy to be made public.  In it, she and her husband Roger Berman are holding one-week-old Skyler Morrison and looking overjoyed.  Rachel also looks nothing like a woman who gave birth a week ago, fully made up, with no signs of tiredness!

The photo was posted on her website alongside the caption: ‘The 2 loves of my life…@rbermanus and Skyler Morrison. My life is complete. xoRZ.’

Elizabeth Banks, star of 30 Rocks, and her husband Mam Handelman have had a baby boy, named Felix, who was conceived and carried by a surrogate mum.

Of her own inability to mother a child naturally, Elizabeth said, “The one true hurdle I’ve faced in life is that I have a broken belly. After years of trying to get pregnant, exploring the range of fertility treatments, all unsuccessful, our journey led us to gestational surrogacy: we make a ‘baby cake’ and bake it in another woman’s ‘oven.’ ”

Elizabeth, 37, explained why they chose that name: “Felix means ‘happy’ and ‘lucky’ in Latin. And true to his name, Felix is a very happy baby and a blessing on our life.”

Her Twitter account read, “What’s greater than overjoyed? Megajoyed? Add humility, love, awe. Sprinkle w cute. Result: my new life as a mom. It’s a boy!”

Elizabeth’s career looks set to continue to rise, with forthcoming roles in ‘Man on a Ledge’ and she is starring in and co-directing a film of short comedies called ‘Movie 43′ with stars including Kate Winslet, Hugh Jacman, Uma Thurman and Seann William Scott to name but a few.  For now, though, she’ll be enjoying being a mummy: “If you need me, I’ll be changing dirty diapers and trying to get some sleep.”

Model and WAG, Danielle Lloyd has told of her recent dash to hospital after she was admitted for ‘severe stomach pains’.  She was kept in for three days for observation, but fortunately she was released after scans revealed that her baby is fine.

Danielle, 27, said, ‘I’ve just been really sick in the shower. It’s really bad. I got big, but now I think the bump has shrunk but I have the worst morning sickness ever.’

Her spokesperson said, ‘Danielle Lloyd was discharged from hospital yesterday evening following the results of her scan. I am pleased to confirm that both Danielle and her unborn child are well.  Danielle has been ordered to rest for the next few days, and will sadly now miss the Children’s Champions Awards tonight.  She would like to thank everybody for their kind words and messages of support during this frightening time.’

Danielle has an 8-month-old son Archie, who was cared for during her stay in hospital by Danielle’s mum Jackie.  Throughout the stay, Danielle posted regular tweets.

One said, ‘Got rushed to hospital on sun which serious dehydration sickness & dizziness it was terrible but main thing is baby OK X.’

Another, ‘Been in hospital 4 3 days now missing my boys Jamie and Archie so much need to get home! Just happy my baby is ok and am getting better X.’

She’s felt much more relaxed since she was able to hear her baby’s heartbeat.

The baby is due at the end of Summer and will be her first.  The father is her fiance, footballer Jamie O’Hara.

Czech-born supermodel Eva Herzigova has given birth to a second son this week.  She and her boyfriend Gregorio Marsiaj are delighted to welcome their baby son Philip after she gave birth at the London Portland Hospital.

Philip joins Eva and Gregorio’s three-year-old son George.

Eva, 38, is the face of Chopard but is best known for her ‘Hello Boys’ Wonderbra adverts in the 1990s, which have been rated as one of the most iconic ads ever made.

When she was pregnant, she said, ‘Gregorio and I are thrilled with the wonderful news.  Our son George is being really sweet, asking all different questions about the baby and talking to my belly.’

Eva also said,  ‘I’m totally in love,’ she said. ‘ I believe motherhood is necessary for a woman, it is her function.  My life was turned upside down in the most wonderful way. I’ve become much more focused on building a home—not just having a roof over my head, but actually creating a homey feel.  As a model, it’s a gypsy kind of life: living in hotels, working all the time, ordering room service instead of cooking for yourself. There’s absolutely no nest-building.’

When she’d had George, she said, ‘I didn’t want to have a nanny at first. I wanted to do everything on my own.  But the best advice I can give is to have some sort of help. I believe that I bring positivity into the relationship by having a career.  Working gives me personal satisfaction, and it’s enriching for my son.’

So she’ll be back to work in no time then, presumably.

Lily Allen, who sadly lost her baby six months into her pregnancy has been talking publicly about her loss for the first time.

In Channel 4′s ‘Lily Allen: From Riches To Rags’, Lily and her sister Sarah Owen are filmed as they open their clothing store called Lucy in Disguise.

During the programme, Lily, 25, talks about losing her baby and says, “I got really ill after he died and I was admitted into hospital and it was really quite touch and go for a few days.  It was amazing how my friends reacted so much more to me being ill then to actually what I felt was the devastating part. I couldn’t have cared less if I was on my death bed. I didn’t even feel it,” she adds, echoing what many other mothers in her situation have felt.

The show will be a bitter reminder of what she has lost, since most of it was filmed whilst she was still pregnant.  She talks about the still birth towards the end of the series.

“Even though what’s happened to me has been beyond devastating, it’s made me realise what I really have. I probably feel more compassionate towards things than I have previously. I spent a long time in a hospital bed and my outlook has changed. Everything has changed.  I can’t believe how much of my life I spent complaining about things.”

Kate Hudson has been out and about, bump in tow, and looking every bit as gorgeous and glamerous as one could expect from an offspring of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

31-year-old Kate joined mates Fergie (from Black Eyed Peas), Fergie’s husband Josh Duhamel (Transformers actor), and American Idol star Adam Lambert as they belted out a bit of karaoke at a dinner party held for Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters fame.

She’s clearly glowing, and the red jumper accentuated her bump well.

Kate’s expecting her baby this Spring with her boyfriend Matt Bellamy of Muse.

The dinner party came after a Red Cross Relief Run organised by Josh to support the efforts made by the Red Cross in Japan.  Fergie had run in the race although clearly running isn’t really an option in Kate’s current condition!

Kate’s been feathering her nest lately, her nest being a £4million house in North London which she bought just last month.  She and Matt are expecting to live there for at least half of each year.  The other half of the year may well be spent in Malibu, where they’ve recently been looking at a house worth around $15million.  Kate has a 7-year-old son, Ryder, to a former marriage and it’s not clear how this arrangement will work for him in terms of school and friendships.

A friend said, ‘Kate looks at the UK as a great place to raise a family. She sees herself living and working from London for the long haul.’

Kate and Matt have been together just since last April, so they’re clearly still smitten.  Last month, when Matt collected his band’s Grammy for best rock album for ‘The Resistance’, he said, ‘A special thanks to my beautiful, pregnant girlfriend.’