Sister Wives pregnancy news: Kody Brown to be dad to 18!

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

The Sister Wives family featured on TLC's reality show is once again growing, which means patriarch Kody Brown is about to be dad to eighteen kids!

"We are so happy to announce an eagerly expected new member of the Brown family!" a statement from the family to Us Weekly confirming that fourth wife Robyn Brown is pregnant again reads.

Kody has been by his wives' sides through 15 previous pregnancies (Robyn has welcomed one child with him already, a son named Solomon, and she also has three children from her previous relationship).

"I try to always be kind and tender, but when a woman is expecting, you have to be ultra-sensitive," Kody said of his approach to helping whomever is expecting. "And always do the dishes."

He has one child with his first wife, Meri, six with his second wife, Janelle, and six with his third wife, Christine. The kids range in age from 19 to 4.

The pregnancy news comes just months after it was revealed Meri (Kody's first wife, pictured above in the dark purple t-shirt) chose to divorce him after 24 years of marriage. Despite it sounding like she was ready to leave their polygamist family, she has stayed in a "spiritual" marriage with him. Us Weekly also reports Kody later formally married Robyn, which they described as a way "to legally restructure our family.”

Eighteen children is mind-boggling to me (humorously, even more so than having four wives), but I do love hearing about the Sister Wives family and others like them who structure their lives differently than most of us. For me, it's two kids, one husband and done. For them it sounds like there's no particular limit in sight! Fascinating.

Join the conversation

Are you a reality television watcher? Which shows have you hooked?

Photos: PR Photos, courtesy of TLC

 

Being in the reality television spotlight can be tough on a marriage. A look at those whose relationships didn't last:

Tamera Mowry talks post-baby body: "What is wrong with me?"

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Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Tamera Mowry, who is currently expecting her second child with husband Adam Housely, has opened up about her experience with bump size (she grows 'em big!) and post-baby weight loss.

"Every woman carries pregnancy differently," the actress explained while speaking with American Baby magazine. "I carry big. It doesn't matter how much I eat or exercise, I make big babies. Also, I showed a lot sooner with this second baby."

Speaking of her second time expecting, Tamera said she's pretty darn tired after running after there 2-year-old son Aden all day.

"When you're pregnant and have a toddler, you are sleepy all the time," the former Tia & Tamera star shared. "With my first pregnancy, I could nap whenever I wanted to, and I had fewer dishes and clothes to wash. And while getting to the gym is hard in general, when you're a mom, it's so difficult. Plus, while everyone else may be kinder to you when you're pregnant, your toddler doesn't take it easier on you at all. You have to keep up!"

Speaking of Aden, Tamera Mowry says she couldn't understand why it was so hard for her to lose the last of the baby weight while she was still nursing him.

The 36-year-old explained, "After Aden, I thought I'd have my flat stomach back in a month by nursing. But I didn't! I wondered, 'What is wrong with me?' But my pediatrician said that there are some women who keep on 15 pounds when they are nursing, while others burn fat like crazy. I could not lose the last 15 pounds until Aden was weaned."

I've heard others share similar stories, but not all go through the same. A look at what other celebrity moms have had to say about the breastfeeding-weight loss connection:

I'm sad to say I can relate all too well to those who felt breastfeeding didn't make the least bit of difference with weight loss. Unlike Tamera, I think I knew enough about the supposed connection to be aware not everyone is so lucky, but I was still a bit mad about it. Heck, I'm a bit miffed for us all to this day!

Pregnancy is hard, birth is very hard, and even breastfeeding is hard. Seems like a little help in the pounds-shedding department ought to be a little reward for all the effort our bodies went through in the last year to create and feed new life. Harrumph.

Tell us!

Which celeb mom's experience best sums up how things went for you?

Photo: REX USA/Rob Latour

Celebrity moms give "false hope" about conceiving after 40

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

A new study reveals some stark statistics for women who are thinking about putting off starting a family until later in life.

Researchers at the Hospital Universitairo Quiron- Dexeus in Barcelona looked at the fertility rates of 4,000 women over a 12-year period and discovered that there was a "clinically relevant decline" after the age of 38. By the time a woman reaches 44 years old, they conclude, "the prognosis is really futile."

In fact, the numbers show that a woman who is 38 is 18 times more likely to be able to have a baby as one who is 6 years older.

In light of their findings, lead researcher Dr. Marta Devesa offers up this advice to hopeful moms-to-be: "Women should be encouraged to have families earlier but if you can't change society then we should encourage them to freeze their eggs by 35."

Charles Kingsland of Liverpool Women's Hospital acknowledges that the results of this study may come as a shock to many women: "I'm amazed at how many women say I'm going to have my career, relationship with the man of my dreams, buy a house then have a family - and I think no you cannot do that," he says. "Even the most well-informed women are ignorant and still just don't realise how much age affects fertility."

Some fertility specialists point to celebrities as being part of the problem.

Actress Halle Berry was 41 years old when she was pregnant with her first child, and 46 when she announced her second pregnancy. Gwen Stefani was 44 when her third son, Apollo, was born last year. Stylist Rachel Zoe was 42 when she had her second baby, Kaius.

Salma Hayek, who welcomed daughter Valentina at 41 years old, has insisted that it's "the best time" to have a baby, saying, "Because you’ve done so many other things in your life. You just get it out of your system, and you can really relax into being a mother."

More celebrities who've had babies after 40...

These are all happy stories, but are they giving other women false hope that they, too, can conceive well into their forties?

Adam Balen, chairman of the British Fertility Society, seems to think so.

"Whilst you hear lots of good news stories about celebrities who may have given birth at an older age, nobody knows the number of celebrities who may not have been able to have babies, either because of infertility or possibly even having had fertility treatment that has been unsuccessful," he says.

I have to admit that I'm somewhat surprised by these statistics. I'm inching toward 40 myself, but often assume that I could still have a third child if I wanted to. It's just a matter of making the decision to go for it, right? Of course, it might not be that easy.

As for the suggestion to freeze our eggs, amazing advancements have definitely been made, but we still seem far from the point where that is a viable option for the majority of women. After all, it's expensive - unless you happen to work for a company who will foot the bill, - it's invasive and there's no guarantee it will even work.

Perhaps celebrities are helping to fuel that assumption, too, though: Maria Menounos, Bridget Marquardt and Celine Dion are among the many famous ladies who've talked openly about freezing their eggs.

Comment

How old were you when you got pregnant?

Photos: PR Photos

No grades, no tests: Tilda Swinton's unique high school

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Tilda Swinton has joined forces with a few friends to start a new kind of high school, one in which there are no grades or tests -- ever.

At Drumduan Upper School in the Scottish Highlands, which the star's twins Xavier and Honor attend, there are no exams or marks noted, no desks and "no hierarchies." In an interview with The Guardian it's been revealed students call their teachers by their first name, go outside to sit in a circle and talk about politics and bees and sing whenever possible. One of the only strict rules is no cell phones.

A look at what the Trainwreck actress shared:

Tilda Swinton on the art-based school: “There’s no grading, no testing at all. My children are now 17, and they will go through this school without any tests at any time, so it’s incredibly art-based, practical learning. For example, they learn their science by building a Canadian canoe, or making a knife, or caramelising onions. And they’re all happy 17-year-olds. I can’t believe it – happy and inspired.”

Journalist Aaron Hicklin on visiting the school: Tilda suggested I join them on a school trip to the tiny island of Colonsay (population: 120) where, deprived of their mobile phones, the students would be at the mercy of their own initiative. Some activities were planned, including a day studying the island’s protected black bee colony, but the week was left relatively unstructured. Tilda felt it was important for children to have the freedom to be bored.

On her advice to her kids: “I said to these two at the beginning of the school: ‘You’ve got three years – just try it all on for size.’ Honor’s school project is interpretative dance – she’s never done dance in her life. It’s going to be really interesting.”

Now I can't argue that "happy and inspired" 17-year-olds sounds amazing, but the part of me that grew up going the extra mile to study and really learn a subject so that I could pass a test is a bit skeptical of this new approach. Will these kids really be ready for the real world? Or does our concept of an average job not even really apply to them, as their families are well off (I'm going to go ahead and assume, based on the nearly $12,000-per-year tuition fee this school requires) mean they're unlikely to end up behind a desk anyhow?

Though it's hard to shake they way I grew up, lately I've grown increasingly interested in rethinking the way we do things. Although Tilda's school in unconventional I greatly admire people who dare to try something new. I don't know that this style would work for everyone, but if by some magic I had the chance to send my boys to Drumduan Upper School I'd be willing to give it a shot.

Weigh in

What's your take on Tilda Swinton's high school?

Photo: PR Photos

 

A look at celebrities opening up about their schooling experiences:

Naya Rivera: Sex with my husband has become "a bit odd"

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

There's no shortage of changes going on in the bedroom now that Naya Rivera has reached her second trimester of pregnancy.

Opening up about what's new now that she's passed the nausea and fatigue of the early months, the actress wrote in a blog for People that it has been "amazing to finally not have to deal with the misery and discomfort most women face in their first trimester. But how awful is it to feel like your old self again, but not be able to participate in any of those fun activities you once took for granted?"

The 25-year-old star, who wed Ryan Dorsey in July, continued:

"During this time I had many a vivid dream about martinis and the occasional cigarette that felt so real I found myself panicking when I awoke thinking that I must have sleep smoked or drank. I didn’t of course, but was deeply repressing my urge for my old life."

Speaking of what's happening in their bedroom, Naya Rivera also wrote:

"Other things changed as well. Things like sex with my husband became a bit odd for me due to the fact that I was now limited to about two positions in order to not squash — as my husband puts it — 'it’s roof' or have the baby (my belly) staring him in the face. I feel like men are constantly imagining their baby winking at them when they make love to their pregnant wives thus making sexy times more few and far between."

Which has caused quite a few commenters to freak. It seems many on the celebrity news site aren't quite ready to hear about the realities of pregnancy sex! Comments on their page range from "Super classy blog post :eye roll," to "TMI and classless," and worse.

Here, on the BabyCenter Blog, I'd like to think we're a little more open to discussing all of the details of having and growing a family (we've even got a resource page on the topic), and I know for a fact Ryan isn't alone in being a bit weirded out by having sex while his child is growing inside his wife. That's a common dad-to-be feeling, so why shouldn't we talk about it?

During my first pregnancy nausea put a damper on our love life, but things picked up again in the second trimester. I can specifically recall a few intense encounters in the third trimester, thanks to all of those hormones flooding through me, but overall I'd say we did it less frequently than pre-pregnancy. My husband was also a tiny bit weirded out by the baby between us, but not enough to let that stop the action entirely.

I didn't keep a tally, but it's probably safe to say there was even less action going on during my second pregnancy. There's nothing quite like gestating new life and running after a 1-year-old to ensure you're thoroughly exhausted!

Share with us

Is your partner weirded about by pregnancy sex? Did pregnancy change the frequency of your love making?

Photo: PR Photos

 

A look what others dads confessed while sharing their true about pregnant bodies and sex:

Britney Spears wants to nanny for this big celebrity family

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

Britney Spears not only knows what profession she'd probably have gone into if pop stardom hadn't come her way, but which rubbing-elbows-with-the-stars gig she's still hoping to nab despite being a celebrity herself!

The mother of sons Sean Preston and Jayden James Federline recently told UK TV show Good Morning Britain, "I’ve met Brad Pitt once but I’d like to meet [him and Angelina] again, and I’d like to become their nanny. That sounds fun to me!"

The singer, who is pictured below with boyfriend Charlie Ebersol, went on to describe what it was like the first time she met the actor:

"I saw him probably 10 years ago at the Teen Choice Awards. He had really long hair. I completely died. I ran! I was dressed in high heels and, like an idiot, I ran to him and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m your biggest fan.’ I kind of lost my mind for a second. I was so uncool … it was probably one of my most uncool moments … But he is just so sexy."

Sadly for Britney Spears, adding her high-profile presence to the Brangelina brood would probably only send the paparazzi into a frenzy!

Since it doesn't look like nannying for the six Jolie-Pitt kids is in the singer's future, she took a moment to imagine what her life would be like if she'd never found fame.

When asked what she'd be doing now Britney said she'd "probably be a teacher or anything relating to the kids or teaching at a dance studio with a bunch of kids."

I can totally see Britney doing that and being great at it, and have to admit I get her fascination with the Jolie-Pitt family. If I were to somehow end up nannying for a famous family I think they'd be at the top of my list too. There's something about their giant family, A-list status and whole vibe that I really enjoy.

As a runner up? I'm a little less sure, but I think Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith's family. They're a little on the out-there side of things, but most often when I hear their reasoning behind why they make the parenting decisions they do it makes a lot of sense. It would be very interesting to see there lives in the day-to-day.

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Just for kicks: Which celebrity family would you want to nanny for?

Photo: PR Photos

 

A look at the family even Britney Spears can't get enough of:

Baby news: Benedict Cumberbatch is a dad!

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

The Cumberbaby has arrived!

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch - the star of Sherlock Holmes and, apparently, everyone's favorite famous fantasy boyfriend - is a dad.

A rep confirmed the happy news today in a statement, saying, “Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter are delighted to announce the arrival of their beautiful son. We would kindly ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during these next few precious weeks.”

It's been a very big year for the brand new parents.

The pair announced their engagement in November, after what seemed to be a whirlwind romance. In January, they confirmed speculation that Sophie was pregnant, saying that they were "over the moon" at the thought of becoming parents. Just a month later it was announced that Benedict, 38, and Sophie, 36, had tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on the Isle of Wight in England.

And now baby makes three!

While the British star stayed fairly quiet on impending fatherhood throughout Sophie's pregnancy, he did open up about his dreams of a family back in 2013:

"I was happy as an only child, but I’ve always wanted to be part of a bigger family. I would love to have children," he said at the time. ‘Everyone wants to know when I’m going to settle down and who is going to be Mrs. Cumberbatch. I can’t wait to do an interview like this and just talk about my child."

Benedict's many, many fans have been celebrating the today's news with much joy, a few tears and plenty of speculation on just how gorgeous this baby boy will turn out to be.

We'll have to stay tuned for a first photo - not to mention a baby name. Until then, big congratulations to the new parents!

Comment

Any guesses as to Benedict and Sophie's baby name pick?

The best, the worst and the brutally honest: Famous dads talk fatherhood…

Photos: PR Photos, REX USA