Love it or leave it: Hayden Panettiere's daring maternity dress

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

This week's 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards saw some of Hollywood's hottest small screen stars dressed to impress on the red carpet. Among them was actress Amanda Peet, who surprised just about everyone when she showed off her adorable bump, revealing that she and her husband are expecting baby #3.

Amanda wasn't the only mom-to-be who turned heads that evening, though. Nashville star Hayden Panettiere, who until this week had remained mum on reports that she's pregnant with her first child, chose the occasion to debut her own growing belly. And she did it in style, looking positively radiant on the red carpet in an ultra sexy gown by Lorena Sarbu that really showed off her new curves.

Hayden, 25, revealed more than just her bump on the red carpet: She told E! News that she and her fiancé Wladimir Klitschko are having a girl!

As for her glittering Emmy night dress, I love it! Would I have dared to wear it at 7 months pregnant? Probably not. My maternity style was a little more demure - or maybe I just never had a red carpet event to attend during my pregnancies. But I think Hayden looks drop dead gorgeous.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Check out these posts, Love it or leave it: Celebrity moms' crop top trend and Love it or leave it: Fergie’s short shorts.

Photos: REX USA

Adam Levine wants a socially irresponsible number of kids

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Adam Levine isn't in a big hurry to start a family with new wife Behati Prinsloo, but when they are ready he hopes they'll welcome many, many children.

"I think it does change, but in a great way," the 35-year-old singer recently told Ryan Seacrest while talking about being a married man. "You feel like a man or something, it's weird."

"The relationship doesn’t change, but you feel slightly more masculine," he added. "I feel like from a man’s perspective … at the end of the day, if you’re with the right person, the guy is supposed to feel like, I think, a little bit more of a man."

When asked about trying for a baby with the 25-year-old Namibian model, Adam Levine shared, "We're definitely going to do it. I want to have 100 kids. I want to have more kids than would be socially responsible. I don’t know when we're going to do it. We can’t do it right now. I think it’s absolutely in the works for some future date."

Normally I'd argue a socially irresponsible number of kids is partially determined by the number you can financially provide for, but what does one measure against when we're talking about celebrities? Adam Levine's net worth is estimated to be $35 million -- which could by diapers for a whole lot of babies.

For me personally, a responsible number of children is just two. I toyed with the idea of going for baby three for a while, but not only could we not afford it, I have a suspicion my sanity is already maxed out. I'd absolutely love to be a part of a big family, and have some envy over friends who grew up with four and five siblings, but I just don't know that I could be in charge of raising that many myself!

Tell us

What's a "socially responsible" number of kids for you? How about in the case of a family where money is no object?

Photo: PR Photos

A look at some of Hollywood's leading men who are already dads:

Aaron Paul's own birth made headlines in 1979

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Aaron Paul has been famous since August 27, 1979, when he made his way into the world unexpectedly early.

The Breaking Bad actor, who recently married the beautiful Lauren Parsekian, has opened up about his "amazing" mother, who never even made it to the hospital to deliver him.

Take a look:

"I was born a month early," the 35-year-old Emmy winner explained after showing off a photo of his niece. "My father was out of town. It was late at night, or early in the morning, and my mother's water broke, and she gave birth to me on the bathroom floor -- by herself. She cut the umbilical cord -- by herself. Yeah, mom! I love you mom!"

The newspaper headline covering Aaron Paul's birth reads, "Baby Impatient To Be Born Calls EMTs To Home Delivery."

As for welcoming a child someday (hopefully in a less dramatic manner), Aaron Paul previously shared he and Lauren "can't wait" to start a family.

"What lucky kids to have Lauren as their mother," he added, sweetly speaking of the woman who co-founded Kind Campaign, which aims to stop girl-on-girl bullying. "I just hope they're all little girls -- all little miniature versions of Lauren because it would be fun to watch her. They don't need to be all Lauren, but at least one! A little mini Lauren. I would love to watch her grow up."

And I, as a fan, would love to watch this man who is prone to gushing so enthusiastically about his loved ones, become a father!

As for me personally, I was born in a hospital via scheduled c-section. My own two boys were each born in the hospital as well, though vaginally, but did both surprise me by my water breaking before contractions could even get going.

Join the conversation

How and where were you born compared to your kids?

Photos: BEImages/Jim Smeal, PR Photos

More stars who've had home births -- some in unusual places!

Kim Kardashian goes to extremes for perfect post-baby body

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

With her daughter North's first birthday behind her, Kim Kardashian is determined to get back to her pre-pregnancy form - and she's taking new steps to ditch the remaining lingering pounds.

The 33-year-old reality star, who is famous in part for her very curvaceous figure, vented her postpartum body frustrations on Twitter recently, writing,

"Can’t seem to shake this last 15-20 lbs of baby weight. no more excuses. my baby is 1 years old! UGH... I’m not gonna call it baby weight bc thats an excuse. i just gained weight & that’s it. why is it so much harder to lose after baby though!!... ughhhh my hips & butt are huge now! they were big to begin with!... Just need to get down to my weight a few years ago. Not gonna complain anymore. Starting diet TODAY! No carbs. crazy workouts. Whos with me?"

It seems that Kim isn't drawing the line at diet and exercise, though. She took to Instagram this week to share her latest weight loss strategy: Waist training. A gym selfie shows the star with a purple corset cinched very tightly around her midsection. "#hourglass #waisttraining #nophotoshopnecessary #whatawaist.com" were the accompanying hashtags. See the photo here!

See Kim's post-pregnancy transformation...

Kim's slim-down confession echoes that of Jessica Alba, who admitted that she endured a "brutal" weight loss regime after her second daughter Haven was born, wearing a double corset day and night for three months.

Before you dismiss "waist training" as just another Hollywood trend, though, a representative for HourglassAngel.com insists that Kim and Jessica aren't alone. Corsets are apparently in demand by many moms looking to lose the baby weight.

"We have an entire category/shop dedicated only to postpartum shapers," she tells BabyCenter, adding, "Our bands creates compression around the midsection and tummy, helping shrink the belly, reducing inflammation and aiding in stretch mark prevention and reduction."

I know a lot of moms swear by postpartum belly compression, but the thought of wearing a corset at the gym, or sleeping in one at night, just does not appeal to me. To each her own on that front. What bothers me about Kim's recent posts, though, is that she seems to have a distorted view of her own body and unrealistic expectations of attaining some mythical "perfect" figure. She looks beautiful. I hope she's able to remember everything her body has done and cut herself some slack.

Comment

Would you try "waist training?" What do you think of Kim Kardashian's recently post-baby body venting?

These celebrity moms get real about the pressure to lose the baby weight...

Photo: PR Photos

Which star revealed baby #3 on Emmys red carpet?

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Some stars make their pregnancy announcements on the cover of a tabloid magazine, while others opt for Facebook or Twitter reveals. Then there are those A-listers that share their big news Beyoncé-style, on the red carpet of a major Hollywood event.

The 66th Annual Emmy Awards were held tonight at LA's Nokia theater, and while many of our favorite famous moms showed up looking amazing, there was one in particular who stole the show: Amanda Peet! The 42-year-old star of The Good Wife hit the red carpet this evening with a very noticeable baby bump.

Amanda, who showed off her growing belly in an empire-waist Giambattista dress, later confirmed to US magazine that she and her husband, Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff, are expecting their third child. "They're pretty excited," she said of their kids Frances, 7, and Molly, 4. "The older one is pretty excited, the middle one is not so sure."

It sounds like the pair have had their minds on another baby for quite some time: "I'm really old," Amanda said shortly after Molly was born. "David was like, we have to wait three years. And I was like, we don't have three years! We'll be too old at that point."

Did you have a cut-off age when it came to having babies? My 'magic number' was 34 years old. Even before I had my first baby, I had it in my head that I wanted to be done with pregnancy and giving birth before I hit my 35th year. I was blessed to have everything work out well, and as it turned out, my husband and I welcomed our second daughter just a few months ahead of that schedule.

Comment

How old were you (or do you hope to be) when you have your last baby?

Which other stars welcomed babies after 40? Take a look...

Photos: Flickr/Teza Harinaivo Ramiandrisoa; REX USA

Beyonce, Kim, J.Lo at the VMAs: See their risqué red carpet looks!

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

If there was a fashion theme on the red carpet at last night's MTV VMAs, it would probably be this: Skin. And lots of it.

Some high profile moms were in attendance, and if anyone out there still doubts that motherhood can be sexy they need only look to these ladies for proof. From Kim Kardashian's plunging neckline to Jennifer Lopez's daring dress to Beyoncé's figure-fitting creations, these musical mamas happily embraced their inner divas for their big night out.

Take a look...

I'm trying to pick a favorite, but honestly, they're making it pretty tough!

J.Lo and Amber Rose's barely-there gowns are a little too over-the-top for my tastes. I like that Kim picked a bold print and don't even mind the neckline, but the style of the dress doesn't do much to flatter her physique. So I think my vote goes to Beyoncé's gorgeous wine-hued gown, with an honorary mention to Gwen Stefani. The No Doubt rocker has a killer sense of style, and last night's hot pink peplum top and cropped pants are evidence that you don't need to bare everything to look sexy and chic.

As for Taylor Swift, she's obviously not a mom, but I just had to give you a glimpse of that glam onesie. I am speechless.

Tell us

Which, if any, of these gets your best-dressed vote?

It's not always couture and sequins! Take a look at some of our favorite famous moms off the red carpet...

Photos: PR Photos

Video: Olivia Wilde's crazy bucket o' breast milk challenge

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Olivia Wilde has one-upped all the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge participants out there, and dumped something tremendously more precious than water over her head.

In a video posted to Youtube over the weekend, the mother of 4-month-old Otis Sudeikis tells viewers, "I hope it's ok, I couldn't find any water so I'm going to use breast milk. It took me all night to make this."

A few of the comments over at Us Weekly have me chuckling just a tad.

"Wow all that wasted milk. She could have donated that to a baby who really needed it instead of just throwing it away," one reader shared. Another vented, "Oh that is beyond gross. Nasty, nasty, nasty...keep that where it belongs. Not surprising though. Isn't she the same nutjob who posed in a magazine wearing a $10,000 dress while nursing her completely naked kid?

A third well-liked comment reads, "No way she pumped that much milk...LIER!"

Olivia Wilde tweeted this message Sunday in response to the, shall we say, deluge of criticism she's received:

Oh wait some of you thought that was really breast milk? Oh dear. Uh thank you? But my boobs aren't that generous. Haha.

— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) August 24, 2014

As a former breastfeeder who happened to err on the side of over-producing (and being constantly wet), the idea one woman could pump an entire bucket of milk even if up "all night" working on it is humorous. In a good session I'd get maybe eight ounces pumped, but then it would be hours before I'd be ready to pump again.

I've seen photos of what 70 gallons of breast milk looks like when bagged and frozen -- so I know large amounts are possible, but just not in one single night! I can't judge any commenters though, because I doubt that before I became a mom and tried pumping myself I had any clue how much milk could or couldn't be produced. It's just not the kind of thing that gets mentioned much in pre-parenthood life, right?

Weigh in

Olivia Wilde's breast milk ALS Ice Challenge video: Funny in your book?

Photo: Youtube

Everybody's chiming in on Pete Wentz's baby name pick

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Pete Wentz once again has caused a stir with a baby name pick. The Fall Out Boy musician, who is already dad to Bronx Mowgli with ex-wife Ashlee Simpson, has welcomed a son with girlfriend Meagan Camper named Saint Lazslo.

No word yet on what inspired baby Saint's parents to choose to call him the word used for 'a person acknowledged as holy or virtuous and typically regarded as being in heaven after death.'

The lack of explanation isn't stopping folks from weighing in, however. A look at a sampling of recent tweets about Pete's baby name pick:

Hey @petewentz, didn’t think anyone could top @xtina’s bad baby name this week, but you did! mazel tov!

I love Pete Wentz choice in baby boy names, Bronx and now Saint.

Pete Wentz couldn't have picked a weirder name, but that little baby is gonna be so beautiful

Pete Wentz named his new baby "Saint?" That's kind of a lot to live up isn't it? #NoPressureThough

That last thought is right in line with my personal take on most names that are also virtues. I'm sure parents have the best of intention when choosing them, but aren't you just asking to be disappointed at times by a child given the name Patience? As a non-religious person, I'm quite thankful my parents didn't opt for Faith when I was born -- and don't even get me started on Chastity.

Grace, Hope and Joy I don't mind all that much, perhaps because of their familiarity and popularity, but some of the more out-there, old-fashioned ones (Silence, Obedience, Fear, Hate-Evil) just leave me puzzled. Why would anyone name a child that?

Congratulations go out to Pete Wentz and Meagan Camper's on their son's arrival...and here's hoping one day soon they'll open up about what inspired their unique name pick!

Join the conversation

Are you a fan of virtue baby names? Which ones?

Photo: REX USA

A look at biblical baby names our blogger Joyce thinks are prime for a comeback:

Dave Grohl picks a truly tragic name for new baby girl

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Dave Grohl is a dad again!

Already parents to daughters Violet Maye, 8, and Harper Willow, 5, the 45-year-old Foo Fighters rocker and his wife Jordyn Blum welcomed their third baby girl on August 1. The pair have yet to formally announce the birth, though the happy news was confirmed by a rep this week to PEOPLE magazine.

When it comes to baby names, Dave and Jordyn have been right on trend: Violet and Harper both saw a surge in popularity in recent years. So it's no surprise that the name they chose for baby #3 is an interesting one, too: Ophelia Saint.

Ophelia is a great name, but it lingers quite far down on BabyCenter's annual baby name ranking, perhaps due to its rather tragic connotations. Those of us who studied Shakespeare in high school may recall Hamlet's Ophelia. She was beautiful and loyal, but also passive, obedient, sexualized, betrayed and driven to madness before she finally died, sinking to the bottom of a lake. Not exactly a legacy you'd want to pass on to your daughters.

That being said, the name Ophelia is lyrical and lovely, unique without being totally bizarre. I absolutely love it, and I'm glad that Dave Grohl and his wife weren't scared off by its semi-shady literary past. Maybe their endorsement will make other expectant parents take a second look at Ophelia, too.

As for the new dad-of-three, he may be a Grammy-winner, rockstar and all around music legend, but he recently revealed why none of that goes to his head: "Having kids that don't f*cking care that you're a rockstar," he says, revealing what keeps him grounded. "My kids don't give a sh*t if I'm in the Foo Fighters. They're like 'Daddy, I need a smoothie. Now.' I'm like 'okaaaaay.'"

Comment

Do you like the name Ophelia? Did you care what your baby's name meant?

Celebrities are breathing new life into these old names, too:

Photo: PR Photos

Carson Daly's "warrior" wife gives birth to baby three

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Carson Daly and wife Siri Pinter are now officially outnumbered by their offspring.

"Siri is a warrior and I'm so amazed by her poise, grace and strength during this miraculous process," the former MTV VJ shared Thursday, announcing daughter London Rose Daly's arrival.

Speaking of their two older children, the 41-year-old father added, "Watching Jack and Etta meet their new sister was like watching a scene in a movie, directed by God."

Carson Daly, who is now a Today correspondent, went on to explain how their 8 lbs., 11 oz. newborn got her name.

"Rose was my grandma’s name … so we have a lot of family history in the names," he explained. "Even when little London came out, we were still throwing out our last-minute short list, and London Rose Daly was the one."

It's such a pretty name, and I love the use of a family name -- but have you noticed that without this little one's middle name used the moniker sounds a bit like a newspaper: Hot off the presses, [the] London Daly has arrived!

Not that that's a bad thing. I'd take it over my own maiden name, which is German and sounds an awful lot like "schnitzel." (Sorry, Mom and Dad.) Definitely not easy to say given my first name starts with an "S" too.

Congratulations to the Daly family on their new arrival!

Share here

Does your name or your kids' names sound like something? Conjure up anything?

Photos: PR Photos, REX USA/Erik Pendzich

More celebrity tots whose names also happen to be locations:

Kourtney Kardashian's funny photo: Co-sleeping in real life

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

The family bed. It conjures up such warm, cozy images: Your toddler nestled beside you under the covers, her body curving into yours, sleepy breaths in sync, the smell of lavender baby shampoo as you drift off to dream land.

Of course, the reality of co-sleeping can paint a drastically different picture.

Soon-to-be mom-of-three Kourtney Kardashian shared a glimpse into what co-sleeping looks like in her house, posting a photo to Instagram this week that shows her PJ-clad cuties Mason, 5, and Penelope, 2, sharing her bed. In the adorable pic - see it here! - the pregnant reality star's belly rests on an over-sized pillow as her kids lie diagonally across the mattress. Blankets kicked aside, Penelope has a thumb in her mouth and a foot squarely in the face of her big brother.

It may not look like the comfiest sleeping arrangement, but none of them seem to mind. Dad Scott Disick is nowhere to be seen - presumably he's wide awake and behind the lens! Or perhaps he's sleeping in his own bed, seeing as the pair have said they don't often spend nights together.

Which other celebrity families co-sleep? Take a look...

An outspoken advocate of attachment parenting, Kourtney says she loves co-sleeping, even though her family thinks she's "insane." Kim Kardashian recently admitted that she doesn't follow her older sister's AP example, saying, “I am a strict mother. I’m really fun and playful, but I’m really strict on nap time, and sleeping in her own crib. Like Kourtney’s style is where her kids sleep in bed with her, so especially with the third baby coming – they’re going to need a bigger bed or they’re going to need some other rules.”

Co-sleeping definitely isn't for me. I'm one of those people who need a solid sleep in order to function, and just looking at Kourtney's busy bed makes me nervous. But if works for them - and apparently it does - then more power to her. As far as I can tell, following your instincts and finding a solution that fits your family doesn't make you "insane." It makes you a mom.

Comment

Do you co-sleep?

Parenting styles: Which one are you?

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Photo: PR Photos

Milla Jovovich's pregnancy news is a dream come true!

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Milla Jovovich is pregnant!

The happy news comes not long after the 38-year-old Resident Evil actress admitted that having a second child - a baby brother or sister for her 6-year-old daughter Ever - was her "number one priority."

“I want to have a baby and that is my number one priority. If I don’t do it now, it will get more difficult the older I get,” she told Hello! magazine. “Ever is always talking about how much she wants to be a big sister. I have to do it before she is too old to enjoy it. I don’t have all the time in the world to think about it.”

Milla, who married Ever's dad, director Paul W.S. Anderson, in 2009, made the baby announcement on Facebook, writing, "This was originally going to be a post to tell you how excited I am about flying to Cape Town, South Africa to begin working on Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. But… My husband Paul and I just discovered that we are expecting another baby!!!"

As a result of her "ever-expanding belly," she reveals, they've decided to put off filming until baby #2 arrives.

Milla pregnant with Ever in 2007...

The sexy star was incredibly open about her changing shape during her first pregnancy, admitting she gained upwards of 70lbs! “I am so huge you guys!" she blogged at the time. "i’ve gained almost 70 pounds in the last 4 months! It’s unbelievable how quickly it all happened, all i did was eat three bagels every morning with butter, peanut butter and jelly all over them, a few boxes of crispy cream donuts for lunch and boom! i’m tipping the scale at 195!”

Incredibly, Milla was back to her pre-pregnancy shape on the red carpet by the time Ever was 7 months old. Her secret? A healthy diet and a lot of hard work! Her trainer revealed at the time that she worked out 5 days per week to lose the weight.

I love that she was so honest about her baby weight gain, and the work it took to lose it. But I can't imagine having the time or the energy to hit the gym that much with a tiny baby at home! I guess I kept my expectations low during those early days: If I managed to take a walk around the block I considered that to be a pretty major accomplishment.

Tell us

Did you make time to work out after your baby was born?

Milla Jovovich and other celebs admit their "weird' pregnancy cravings...

Photos: PR Photos