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Vanessa Bryant Eulogizes her husband Kobe Bryant and Daughter Gigi

Vanessa Bryant



It was a somber bittersweet day in the Staples Center in Los Angeles when 20,000 mourners packed into the indoor stadium that the late NBA Player Kobe Bryant built to bid him and his 13-year old daughter Gianna farewell.

His widow Vanessa Bryant, a celebrity mom covered often on the blog, gave a heart breaking but still beautiful eulogy of her husband and daughter. As USA Today summarized in its coverage:

She mourned the loss of her “baby girl” Gianna, “a sweet and gentle soul” and preternaturally talented athlete who she said was destined for WNBA greatness. She remembered her husband as a soulful romantic with a “tender heart” and a “doting” father for whom family always came first.

“They were funny, happy, silly, and they loved life,” Vanessa said of Kobe and Gianna, adding: “God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to heaven together.”

Beyonce Knowles Carter opened the event performing one of her hits, “XO” which she said was one of Kobe’s favorite song with lyrics that go, “In the darkest hour / I’ll search through the crowd / Your face is all I can see / I’ll give you everything.” She later burst into a soulful rendition of her song, “Halo

Alicia Keys moved the crowd by playing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” a piece she said was favored by Kobe and Vanessa.

Keys had previously paid tribute to Kobe and Gianna on the night they died, performing “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye” alongside Boyz II Men at the Grammy Awards last month.

At various points throughout the event, the crowd broke out in chants of “Kobe! Kobe!”

Retired NBA stars Michael Jordan, Dwyane Wade, and Tim Duncan along with entertainer Jennifer Lopez and her fiance retired baseball player Alex Rodriguez and late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel were all in attendance for the ceremony, along with other celebs like friends of the Bryant family Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West.

The date chosen for the memorial — Feb. 24, or 2/24/20 — is a combination of their jersey numbers. Gianna wore No. 2 and her dad wore No. 24 in the latter part of his 20-season career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tickets went for variations of 2 and 4, $24.24 or $224 for two.

Several NBA legends like former teammates  Shaquille O’Neal and Jordon gave rousing speeches by my fave was by University of Oregon player Sabrina Ionesco who gave a wonderful speech and tribute to girls sports too in honor of GiGi .

Proceeds will go to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation which raises money to provide sports education and training services for young women. The foundation was originally established as the Mamba Sports Academy, but Bryant’s widow announced that the name was changed to honor their daughter.

Kobe Bryant gave himself the moniker “Black Mamba” after a character in the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill.

“Because there is no #24 without #2, we have updated the Mamba Sports Foundation to now be called the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation,” Vanessa Bryant wrote on her Instagram page announcing the name change.

The two were headed to a game during a basketball tournament at a sports arena in Thousand Oaks, California named for Mamba when the helicopter they were riding in crashed killing them along with Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56, his wife Keri Altobelli, 46, and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli, 14; Sarah Chester, 45, and her daughter Payton Chester, 13; as well as Mamba Sports Academy coach Christina Mauser, 38; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.

Also from a NBCNews report:

Bryant and his daughter were traveling to Gigi’s basketball game in a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, when it crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, Calif., on Jan. 26. All eight passengers and the pilot were killed.

The Bryants were laid to rest in a private ceremony in Southern California on Feb. 7.

Before the public ceremony got underway, the Los Angeles Times reported Vanessa Bryant has filed a lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters, the company that operated the chopper. NPR later confirmed the lawsuit with the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board said in its investigative update this month that the chopper’s rotors were both powered and turning at the time of impact, which it said indicates “the engines showed no evidences of uncontained or catastrophic internal failure.”

Photos taken shortly after the crash show conditions were foggy in the hills above Calabasas, but as NPR’s Russell Lewis has reported, the final investigative findings are not expected for at least a year.

photos: Getty

Here are the Strollers Celeb and Posh Moms Use

celebrity stroller

It has been 10 years since I last posted the annual Bellyitch Most Expensive Strollers post. It was a yearly blog post staple and used to get tons of traffic because, honestly, I think people, generally, are obsessed with knowing what baby items are used and coveted by the super wealthy and celebrities.

Since the last post, a few stroller companies have gone out of business. RIP to Orbit, Maclaren and newer brands 4Moms and iCandy, which were once considered “it” strollers in their day but no longer manufacture luxury strollers.

In 2013, I published the list as part of the Bellyitch 100, a book of the top crib makers, maternity wear designers, stroller makers and baby clothes brands.

You can get your Free Copy of The Bellyitch 100 here!

Anyway, so I used to publish the Most Expensive Strollers list at a time when I was raising a young family and brands would boast that they were on the list.

My social circle at the time included professional working women, stay-at-home moms, and mom bloggers, several who were affluent and looked at the stroller as a status symbol.

Here is another secret about what happens among moms at the park, at the school pick up lot, in the mall and other social places where mommies congregate. They check out what strollers they’re pushing a baby or child in and make judgments.

Yes, there is a definite hierarchy in quality of strollers and believe me when I tell you that certainly check out what stroller another mom’s child is being pushed in and make judgments.

When I was raising my children as a young lawyer, I went through 6 strollers, which is a low number considering many of my friends at the tiem had way more.

Our first stroller was a Peg Perego  which converts from a baby carriage or pram to a push stroller. At the time, it was among the best. Then, when my first born turned into a toddler, we ordered the Inglesina Swift umbrella stroller from the Italian stroller manufacturer. It had a great run!

To pair with the Inglesina, a sturdy Italian brand, we got a lower cost Combi umbrella stroller for travel, a stroller we could beat up which was so much less that so that we wouldn’t mind if it got lost by the airline or damaged during travel.

Then, when I was expecting baby #2, I got as an amazing shower gift from my co-workers at my old job: a Peg Prerego Aria double stroller!

By the time baby number 3 rolled around, the Inglesina had hit the dirt, we left the Combi on some island we visited for vacation once and we had loaned out the Peg Perego Buggy to relatives who didn’t take good care of it.

The wheels on the double gave out and we opted to give to Goodwill rather than try to fix it or get the company to repair it.

B.O.B.

We opted for a lesss expensive Graco Snug Ride for Baby #3 and a B.OB. jogging stroller (the air-filled jogger stroller with hand activated rear wheel brakes that can ride smooth on any terrain) when I was ready to get back in shape.

Now, while we didn’t get any of them to make a statement, I have had many moms and dads comment on the pricier high end ones while walking in the parks, malls etc. People are always looking for a status symbol and there is a preconception that most expensive means the best!

It’s no wonder, you can see celebrities strolling their children in many of those on this list. The celebrities know that too. That is why Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony sued Silver Cross from publishing on their website an unauthorized endorsement which featured a People magazine photo of them pushing their twins in two Silver Cross prams.

People flock to buy whatever celebrities purchase and that stroller companies know that endorsement mean lots for their bottom line.

Anyhoo, on to the list. Of course, as a disclaimer, this list is not exhaustive. As usual, this list is based on my own personal research and I urge readers to point out other vehicles that should grace this list. Certainly, I would amend the post to reflect corrections.

In the meantime, check out this year’s list of “it” strollers pushed by the most Poshest of moms and celebs out there (I’m updating this list with a few more after the initial post so come back and ping me on Twitter if you don’t see one you think should be on this list)

SILVER CROSS

DESCRIPTION: For over 128 years, Silver Cross has been handcrafting traditional prams in Northern England. This hallmark company is known for being pushed by Royals in the UK and across Europe and beyond.

The Silver Cross Balmoral Pram model boasts three coats of high shine lacquer, English leather and is painted by hand and individually numbered.

GET IT FOR: $5,000 at the company website

There is another less expensive line you can get for $4,025 from an exclusive line of Aston Martin Silver Cross strollers.

If you like the look of a British pram but not the funds to shell out $5,000, you can still get the Limited Edition Doll Pram from Harrod’s for just $902

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Geri Halliwell Horner (“Ginger Spice”), Nicky Hilton

MIMA

DESCRIPTION: Mima® is an established Dutch designer and manufacturer of strollers and high chairs and a favorite brand for European new parents that want high-end design, functionality and a very chic aesthetic.

This relatively new entrant to the market makes a very functional and innovative stroller that features a patented “carrycot inside” system.

The popular Xari Black Chassis Stroller can be used as a carrycot or as a stroller and comes with a reversible seat that allows your baby to face you or the world ahead. It has one of those super fancy simple fold mechanism. It is very stylish and chic and has a design that grows with your child and provides enhanced convenience for parents.

CELEBRITY OWNERS:  Kourtney Kardashian, Alex Curran Gerard

CYBEX

DESCRIPTION: CYBEX delivers Versatile, elegant and convenient line of top-notched quality strollers, many that features a reversible seat, one-hand seat recline, and a quick-fold chassis usually in an ultra premium, lightweight design that adapts to your growing family’s changing needs. This American-made Massachusetts company makes renowned products.

The Cybex Priam Cherub Stroller is part of the Cybex Platinum Priam range in collaboration with renowned designer Jeremy Scott, this 3-in-1 stroller has been made from high-quality fabrics with a smart, luxe appearance. Its flexible frame can be turned into a travel system with matching carry cot, combined with one of the brand’s award-winning infant car seats, or transformed into a luxurious stroller sporting a reversible seat unit. A vibrant cherub print and golden wing attachments offer a heavenly touch to suit your little angel.

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Serena Williams, Rosamund Pike, Anne Hathaway, Olivia Wilde, Irina Shayk 

STOKKE

DESCRIPTION: The StokkE brand of stroller is an “it” stroller indeed. And about a decade ago, this Norweigian company’s strollers slowly replaced the Bugaboo as the favorite or wannabes, posers and the nouveau riche. The babies inside these strollers are decked out in mini-adult Designer clothes. The diamonds on the hands of the moms pushing these things can put your eye out, I mean the shine is that bright. And they are being folded and thrown in the back of Land Rovers. Pretentious? Naaaah! Their owners just appreciate a gorgeous quality crafted stroller, that’s all (wink).

The Stokke™ Xplory® Complete baby stroller is the only stroller you’ll ever need to buy! The Stokke Xplory Complete is an innovative urban stroller that adapts to your changing needs.

CELEBRITY OWNER: Chris Hemsworth, Sienna Miller, Stacey Keibler

BUGABOO

DESCRIPTION: This Dutch company has had a major mark in the business since the early 1990s. The strollers Bugaboo manufacture guarantee a full of smooth ride, no matter the surface, city street or bumpy park. The brand has long been considered a posh status symbol and continues.

The classic Donkey buggy is fully loaded with push handle to shift the wheels to tackle any terrain, 5 harness straps, multiple recline position, a spacious under carriage bassinet, as well as a reversible, fully reclining seat.

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Leelee Sobieski, Amy Poehler, Julianna Marguiles, Jon Stewart, Matthew McConaughey and Gwen Stefani 

PHIL & TED’S

DESCRIPTION:  Phil & Ted’s is a small New Zealand company that has made children’s products for over 20 years and about a decade ago was known for its super sturdy brand of tough terrain buggies and strollers for the rugged athletic and sports enthusiast parent who takes baby out on jobs and mountain hikes. It is still the market but has retreated to a smaller share given new competitors on the market.

Its Sport Stroller line feature a smart handle with one touch brake, smart fold, aluminum frame, and top quality tough, washable cloth.

CELEBRITY OWNERS:  Jessica Alba and Cash Warren, Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts

JOOLZ

DESCRIPTION: Joolz is a very new entrant to the market. This Australian company hinges its products on sustainable and eco-friendly renewable design and materials.

The Joolz Geo² Studio Complete Stroller features a modular design that offers 3 different configurations that make it the ultimate stroller for any family adventure. The award-winning design captures ergonomic comfort, ease, style, and maneuverability. It can be used as a toddler stroller, a modern pram for newborns, and an infant car seat carrier

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Harry Judd, Carey Mulligan

UPPA BABY

DESCRIPTION:

Another American company is Boston, Massachussets-based UPPAbaby which makes innovative, high-quality strollers and car seats that fit the needs of parents, while appealing to the sense of style they’ve always had.

The VISTA convertible stroller allows for multiple configurations to transport up to three children, making it a great choice for growing families. The included bassinet features a longer, ventilated mattress, while the toddler seat is perfect as your little one grows. It has a telescoping handlebar and a large, easy-access under-seat basket that holds up to 30 lb. make the VISTA fuss-free for parents.

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, Katherine Heigl 

PEG PEREGO

DESCRIPTION: When I started having a family, the Peg Perego was the it stroller. It is an Italian family-owned brand which makes baby strollers, car seats, high chairs and kid-sized riding toys for children and babies all over the world.

The versatile and agile Duette Piroet inline double stroller by Peg Perego can easily pass through narrow places, folds compactly, and is travel system ready. Comes with two independent adjustable seats with reclining backrests and two-position footrests. Peg Perego Duette Piroet features a versatile and extremely agile Italian inline double stroller design that can easily go through narrow pathways and allows various seating configurations for twins or different age siblings

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Rachel Zoe, Minnie Driver, Gwen Stefani, Heidi Klum

BABYZEN

babyzen yoyo stroller

DESCRIPTION: This is another relatively new arrival for city dwellers and traveling families. Babyzen manufactures and markets baby products and designs, produces, and sells collapsible baby strollers. Babyzen offers its produces to retailers throughout Europe and internationally.

The BABYZEN YOYO+ comes ready to roll, complete with the YOYO Newborn and Seat Color Pack Fabric Sets. The YOYO+ is an incredibly lightweight, compact stroller and steers easily even with one hand, allowing you to navigate corners and tight spaces. An underseat storage basket makes a convenient spot for on-the-go items, and an included travel bag is perfect for storage.

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried , Justin Timberlake, Keira Knightly

QUINNY

Quinny

DESCRIPTION: Yet another Dutch stroller manufacturer whose name has been synonymous with top quality is Quinny. This company is among Europe’s most respected stroller brand and set the standard for engineering, design and trendsetting style.The Quinny line offers clever solutions for the confident parent of today; solutions that are made with parents and their lifestyles in mind.  Stroll with ease and in stylish comfort with the rugged and innovative

The Quinny Mood Stroller features a unique hydraulic system that automatically unfolds stroller, plus never-flat, all-terrain tires that allow you and baby to conquer any terrain.

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Allyson Hannigan, Ali Landry

AUSTLEN

DESCRIPTION: This is another American baby product company. The Austin, Texas company boasts a staff of in-house engineers, mostly made up of parents, that make products to accommodate the daily lives and frustrations of new moms and dads. They’ve stopped at nothing to create intuitive, purpose-driven, well-made products that make family life easier and more fun — giving parents more freedom to live in the moment without being overwhelmed by more and more.

The flagship model, the Entourage, is perfect for families on-the-go. This one-handed expandable frame has three positions, 5 recline positions, a market tote and expandable lower storage area, giving you the freedom to travel anywhere in comfort.

 

THULE

DESCRIPTION 

Thule is an established Swedish outdoors and transportation products manufacturer that is a leader in cargo carriers for automobiles. It recently expanded to get into the stroller biz.

The Thule Sleek is a stylish stroller for on-the-go travel adventures with the ever-innovative, marvelously multifunctional which features a ventilated canopy, a convenient window, a reversible seat, generous seating options and more.

 

MAXI-COSI

DESCRIPTION: Another Dutch company is Maxi-Cosi which started in the 1980s as one of Europe’s first permiere car seat manufacturers. It has since expanded and updated its quality of strollers to the point that is competes with the other exquisite brands out here.

Travel everywhere with ease with the Lila Modular Stroller is a convenient, compact and extra comfortable, making it great for dining out, shopping or vacation that is good with maneuverability and can accommodate an infant seat. It’s perfect for a growing family because it can easily turn into a dual stroller.

BABY JOGGER

DESCRIPTION This Richmond, Virginia-based company launched one of the first jogging strollers in the 1980s. It designs and manufactures jogging strollers and all-terrain strollers and offers strollers and joggers, such as urban use and three wheeled all-terrain strollers; and accessories. The company also provides dependable push chairs for children and adults with physical disabilities.

The City Select LUX is a rugged yet streamlined stroller features an extra seat with a telescoping handlebar adjusts to just the right height, while the hand-operated decelerating and parking brake provides additional peace of mind.

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Toby McGuire, Ellen Pompeo, Elizabeth Banks, Miranda Kerr

NUNA

DESCRIPTION: This Dutch company started out as a baby furniture maker and expanded to strollers. Today, it is a premiere must-have stroller for the upper echelon. I love the logo.

The Nuna MIXX Travel System includes a stroller and the company’s featherlight PIPA Lite LX Car Seat which makes one superb travel system. An ideal set for you, but especially for your little one.

CELEBRITY OWNERS: Gwen Stefani, Molly Sims, Jaime King

There you have it! Good luck stroller shop or social climbing, whatever floats your boat!

cover photo Cella Jane, Pinterest

2020 SAG: Red Carpet, Winners and Fashion Rundown

At tonight’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, several of our fave moms featured on the blog in the past were up for a statue in several categories.

Christina Applegate was nominated for her brilliant work in Dead to Me; Scarlett Johansson for Marriage Story and JoJo Rabbit, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Charlize Theron for Bombshell and Jennifer Lopez for Hustlers, and Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon for Big Little Lies, Anna Paquin for her role as the older Peggy Sheeran with the cast of The Irishman

Fashion and Red Carpet-wise, we saw a lots of pinks, romantic feminine sheer and chiffon, deep v-cut necklines, and plenty  of very full ball gowns tonight including on Jennifer Garner who presented an award last night.

JLo went with a dark velor gown by Georges Hobeika Couture whilst dropping in Harry Winston diamonds – very Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend Marilyn Monroe-esque.

Johansson was stunning in a satin teal low cut Armani Prive dress.



It was a halter and matching belted Givenchy high waist skirt with center split for Theron.



Witherspoon was giving me pageant glam in this deep cut sequined Celine dress. Gorge!

Nicole Kidman went old Hollywood glam in Michael Kors.



America Ferrera debuted her baby bump for kid number two

Paquin also did voluminous belle of the ball gown.





Applegate stole the scene in a beautiful black on white print glam gown by Monique Llhullier

2020 Golden Globes Red Carpet, Winners and Speeches Recap



Last night’s Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California was memorable for historic wins after long absences (Renee Zelleger for and Brad Pitt for after a 16- and 24-year lapse since each last one, respectively) and for notable as speeches (Michelle Williams about female empowerment, SNL‘s Kate McKinnon’s presentation to Ellen DeGeneres of the Carol Burnett Award role in making it easier for a lesbian TV star to shine and Joaquin Phoenix about climate change and the Australian wildfires)

Among the moms featured and “bump watched” before on the blog, Beyonce was nominated for Best Original Song for “Spirit” on The Lion King (and got roasted by a few Twitter for being the only one to not give Phoenix a standing ovation for his win); Christina Applegate for Best Actress in Dead to Me and Nicole Kidman for Big Little Lies and Reese Witherspoon for The Morning Show in the Best Actress in a Television Series-Drama category, and Jennifer Lopez for Best Supporting Actress in Motion Picture for Hustlers.

Fashion was classic and on point.

Jennifer Lopez in Valentino

Scarlett Johannson in Vera Wang

Salma Hayek in Gucci

 

Rachel Bilson in Brock Collection

Reese Witherspoon in wearing a custom Roland Mouret

Sienna Miller in Gucci

Sofia Vergara in Dolce & Gabbana

Molly Sims in Marchesa

Christina Applegate in Pamella Roland

Charlize Theron in Christian Dior

Kerry Washington in Altuzurra

Decade in Review: 10 Celeb Parenting Trends That Are Now Outdated

Having covered celebrity pregnancy, parenting and the “bump watch” for over a decade, I pride myself in being an institutional memory of the trends in this space.

As we close out on another decade, I’ve identified 10 trends that have come and gone from the past decade, including old ones that have faded out of style over time and new ones spearheaded by the recent popularity and usage of social media.

Let’s start with the trends that are

Outdated and going bye bye:

10. Million Dollar Deals for First Baby Photos

In 2007, Julia Roberts reportedly was the first celebrity to demand a six figure payday ($250,000) from PEOPLE magazine to get the rights to publish the first photos of her twins Phinnaeus and Hazel. OK magazine got a steal and paid merely a little over a half a million for pics of Gwen Stefanie’s 2 week old son, Kingston. OK Magazine lost their $2 million dollar bid for Britney Spear and Kevin Federline’s first baby pic to People magazine. Nicole Richie reportedly received $1M for her photo of son, Max and Christina Aguilera for her son.

With magazines, along with newspapers, losing tons of revenue as people start to rely on digital forms of media for news and information, it no longer made business sense to pay these astronomical amounts of money.

Also, with the advent of social media and more conscious celeb couples publishing their babies on Instagram for free, the less famous personalities who used to shop for first photo deals found there was no longer a market for them.

9. Pregnant Nude Covers

After Demi Moore posed on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine in 1991, it became a thing for stars to do the same.  Since then, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Nia Long and many more graced covers in the buff while expecting.

Soon, it became more of a quick and easy way to get publicity and attention, and eventually the public interest in them waned.

The last big photo issue was of Alanis Morissette in 2016. She did an undercover water shoot but the naked baby bump photo thing is more or less passe and not a public rosy stunt many will do.

8. The Celebrity Bounce Back

Around the same time that gossip magazines started to cover celebrity parents, we saw a lot of photos about the “bounce back”. It was as if it was a competition to see who could pop up slim and trim months or even weeks after baby.

It was ridiculous for several reasons: 1) a lot of the covers were photoshopped; 2) some of the celebs either genetically were predisposed to lose weight fast or underwent surgical procedures to quickly trim down after baby; 3) it set up a dangerous standard given that a lot of celebs have private chefs and trainers to help them lose weight fast; and 4) it sent a damaging message to women who should be concerned with safely healing from delivery and focusing on nursing and connecting with their newborns.

In any event, those magazine covers are not as common as before. In fact, a bunch of celebrity women like Chrissy Teigen, Blake Livey, Mila Kunis and others have spoken out about the ridiculous expectations on them to return to their pre-pregnancy form after baby.

The industry has gotten the message and do not sensationalize the bounce back as much as before.

7. Sponsored Baby Showers

Once upon a time, celebrities were approached by companies and brand representatives to host a baby shower for them in exchange for promotion of their products. The companies knew there were tons of promotions that came with the exposure.

Amazon.com sponsored Khloe Kardashian’s baby shower in 2018. Although the trend is dying out, over the past decade, Danielle Jonas and her husband Kevin celebrated a baby shower thrown by Fit Pregnancy magazine.

Also, Burt’s Bees was among the sponsors of Kourtney Kardashian’baby shower when she was pregnant with daughter Penelope. Similarly, Le Bebe CoCo  was among Kristin Cavallari‘s baby shower sponsors. Target hosted Beverley Mitchell’s baby shower. Several liquor companies provided the libations for cocktails served up at Love and Hip Hop’s  Yandy Smith‘s baby shower.

Jaime King enjoyed some fab brand goodies at her shower.  Ecoya‘s Sweet Pea & Jasmine home fragrance collection, a pink Quinny Buzz Special Edition stroller, a mamaRoo baby swing, a pink Hoppop Bath tub, a pink Little Giraffe Luxe Blanket, a Timi and Leslie diaper bag and a 5 ft. custom-made giraffe by Melissa and Doug all contributed to Victoria Beckham‘s baby shower.

Finally, Belly Bandit sponsored Jewel’s baby shower.

While this trend continues, audiences do not respond as favorable to them any longer and the comment section on sponsored baby showers are sometimes filled with negative commentary from fans who want less rich new parents to be showered with the gifts.

SOCIAL MEDIA DRIVEN

6. Hiding Children’s Face in Social Media

We famously were contacted by Stella McCartney’s reps over 10 years ago to remove paparazzi photos of her traveling with her children in the street posted on the blog. A few years later, Kristen Bell and husband Dax Shepard launched a campaign in 2014 to get a California state law passed to protect children of celebs from paparazzi. Others have done the same.

Eva Mendes and Kerry Washington do not show their kids in public or social media at all.

In the social media era, a few refuse to feature their children in social media or they hide their faces when they do: Zoe Saldana, Beyonce, brit star Rochelle Humes, Kylie Jenner  and Jenna Dewan all have done that in the past or continue to.

5. Celebrity Kids Instagram Accounts

On the flip side, several less famous stars realize the tremendous money making and marketing opportunities in giving their children their own account and branding their name and fame from birth.

It’s a pretty recent phenomenon, but starting with , DJ Khaled who launched an Instagram account  for his son Asadh in 2016 when Baby Khaled was just one month old, many celebs have created accounts for their kids as well.

Little  Asadh now has 1.8M followers, Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade‘s 1 year old daughter Kaavia James boasts 1M followers and Michael Phelps’ 3-year old son Boomer Phelps  now has 665K followers of his Instagram page.

I think the youngest baby to get an Insta was Cali Clay Shephard, daughter of model Chanel Iman and Sterling Shepard whose account was opened at just 16 days old.

This is a trend that is not getting old but is growing as more realize the revenue generating options that open up with having a massive engaged following.

4.  Hiding Pregnancy to Late Trimester

From my memory in covering this topic, I think that Kylie Jenner, Anna Kournokova and a few others did the best job at hiding their pregnancies for all 9 months. It’s pretty hard to hide from the paparazzi and shield their bump during events, filming and promoting a project.

But in 2011, Evangeline Lilly managed to almost completely disguise her entire pregnancy until papps found her in Hawaii while almost done gestating her first child. Jennifer Lopez and Adele managed to hide their respective pregnancies for over 5 months.

Given how common miscarriage is, a lot of women, whether a celebrity or not, wait until the latest time possible when they feel comfortable that they will be able to carry their baby to term to announce baby news.

Hiding an early pregnancy while building a career in front of the public is not easy to do as Cardi B learned but it can be done and the more private or celebs are learning from others how to do it.

3. Launch New Career/Re invigorate Career

Also during the height of the interest in celeb baby bumps, a lot of stars who were formerly very popular but whose fame had waned were able to reinvigorate their respective careers after having a baby.

For example, Kim Karadashian West once lamented that she saw a spike in paparazzi photos whenever she is expecting.

About 10 years ago, Mommyish published a gallery of celebrities who became more famous after becoming pregnant or becoming a mom.

It is not clear is the general public is as enamored with celebrity pregnancy as it once was before so a baby may not be the career boost as it was in the past.

2. Launch a Maternity or Parenting Related Brand

Tia and Tamera Mowry famously launched a breastfeeding brand called Milky after becoming parents for the first time.  Others like Jessica Simpson, Heidi Klum and Jessica Simpson, Heidi Klum launched maternity lines or added children clothing to their existing lines as with Stella McCartney and The Kardashians after they became a mom, respectively.

Instagram famous women shift their feeds and started featuring their babies and promoting parenting and motherhood related brands as part of their new post baby rebranding.

So at least in social media, a new baby can create opportunities.

1. Being Open and Honest about Miscarriage

Micarriage is a taboo among many families. It is unspoken and women who go through it suffer in silence or keep it a secret. It occurs more often than many would believe, yet women usually keep it a secret from family and friends. It certainly taints and colors one’s journey to motherhood, whether it happened in the early weeks or mid term. A woman will earnestly never be the same after suffering through one, especially she and her partner were planning for the baby they lost.

In recent years, a lot of celebrities have been open and transparent about having gone through a miscarriage.

And a lot more are being open and transparent about losses they’ve had in the past.

From many of the stars of BravoTV‘s Real Housewives of Atlanta to Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mithcell to Michelle Obama to Beyonce and Carrie Underwood and Gabrielle Union, openly sharing about a miscarriage or pregnancy loss is the thing to do.

Because of their influence, platform and reach, it’s awesome that these women are sharing their stories to help comfort and empathy for those who have endured it or may be unknowing about how common it is.

In the coming decade, let’s hope the trend of being relatable and real continue and we can leave behind those trends that created stress and anxiety among their followers behind.

 

Bumps, Crimson and Noir at 2019 CFDA Awards

It was all about fashion and flare this year at the 2019  Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards held on Monday, June 3, at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

Third-time mom-to-be’s Jenna Bush Hager wore a crimson cape dress to the CFDA Fashion Awards that concealed her bump. She said the outfit got mixed reviews but her two daughters loved it. ††

Bellyitch Bumpwatch alum Jennifer Lopez showed off her rock hard six pack in an orange custom Ralph Lauren crop top layered with 43,200 crystals and matching floor length skirt on the red carpet and on stage when she received her fashion icon award.

CFDA Chairwoman, Diane von Furstenberg said JLo was a no brainer when it came to picking her for the award.

“Jennifer Lopez uses clothes as a way to express confidence and power,” the designer said. “Both designers and fans look forward to her fashion statements.”

Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA, added, “Jennifer Lopez’s style is bold, uninhibited, and always memorable. Designers, including many of our CFDA Members, love to dress her for both stage and private moments.”

Lopez joins past recipient that include: Rihanna, Beyoncé, Naomi Campbell, Pharrell Williams, and Johnny Depp.

Also, Lily Aldridge, another bumpwatch alum looked sizzling hot in a classic and elegant crimson red gown by Brandon Maxwell.

Oh and one more! Teyana Taylor in Thom Browne.

Finally, not a mom but my country mate, I am loving former CNN anchor Isha Sesay in a short fro in a look by Christopher John Rogers.

Celeb Mamas Slayed 2019’s Met Gala Pink Carpet

This year’s annual gala to celebrate the opening of a new exhibit at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of the Arts, was more over the top than ever before.

Perhaps because the theme was “Camp”, maybe, celebrities brought extra extravagance and bold and gregarious fashion and antics.

The official theme of the Met’s 2019 was “Camp: Notes on Fashion” and celebrates the newest exhibit which is inspired by Susan Sontag‘s 1964 essay that defines camp as “love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.”

I think Lady Gaga might have won with her theatrics that included he unraveling and revealing of not one but four looks by designer, with the assistance of a small army of flamboyant but meticulous handlers.

Cardi B’s presentation and actor Billy Porter’s were quite spectacular and so much so, I almost forgot previous mega head turners Rihanna, Beyoncé, Madonna and third-time mom-to-be Blake Lively were conspicuously missing.

My fave looks were by women who are not yet moms (per this is a celebrity pregnancy blog so they focus is on moms)

First was singer and Endgame actress Hailee Steinfield

My second fave was Lupita Nyong’o who is stunning!

And of course, we saw lots of the celebrity moms we have featured on Bellyitch who each brought their total A game to the party and did it up right!

I am proud of myself for having the institution memory to have been able to recognize all of these beautiful moms without reading the caption to see who they are. Woot.

Serena Williams
Kim Kardashian West
Irina Shayk
Kerry Washington
Mindy Kaling
Ciara
Kylie Jenner
Jourdan Dunn
Sienna Miller
Gal Gadot
Lily Aldridge
Jennifer Lopez
Gabrielle Union
Zoe Saldana
Salma Hayek
Regina King



Gwen Stefani
Emily Blunt
Emily Ratjakowski
Alicia Keys
Huma Abedein



Lilly Collins
Gisele Bundchen
La La Anthony
Penelope Cruz
Jennifer Connelly
Kate Hudson
The queen of the Bump watch who started it all Demi Moore

2019 Kids Choice Awards: Orange Carpet & Who Won

It was a fun time this weekend at the 2019 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 23rd.

We spotted several Bellyitch Bumpwatch alums walk the famous orange carpet before watching their fellow stars and TV, Movie and online personalities take home awards in fun categories like Favorite TV Drama, Favorite Funny TV Show, Favorite Movie,  Favorite Butt-Kicker, Favorite TV Judge and more.

Jennifer Hudson, Fuller House‘s Jodie Sweetin, Heidi Montag and Tia Mowry Hardrict showed up with son Cree Hardrict and each rocked the arrivals carpet in a colorful or eclectic outfit with flare.

Blog faves Mel B and Heidi Klum won along co-judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel for Favorite TV Judges for America’s Got Talent.

Jennifer Lopez for World of Dance and Kelly Clarkson for The Voice were nominated. Emily Blunt was nominated for Best Actress for Mary Poppins, Zoe Saldana and Scarlett Johansson for Best Actress for Avengers: Infinity Wars, and Johansson for fave Superhero, Black Widow. Beyonce and Cardi B were nominated for Favorite Female Artist and Cardi also for Fave Breakout Artist.

Fun Times!

You Could Never: JLo Rocks Trainers Night and Day

I’m pretty sure a lot of people couldn’t pull off trendy white platform sneakers for a date night the way Jennifer Lopez did recently while out with her new fiance Alex Rodriguez.

The mom to twins Max and Emme paired the Alexander McQueen oversized sole sneakers ($418)with acid washed distressed jeans and a cream cardigan under a luxe coat with fringe scarf.

In fact, this is the first time I’ve seen women over 40 sporting the white wedge thick soled sneakers look which has been common among Generation Z and millennial bloggers and YouTubers for awhile now.

But I am amazed that the hot bod could wear the same sneaks for running errands and working out as she wears hitting the night out with her hot rod!

Wow! Get the Look or similar:

The 2019 Oscar Red Carpet Rundown

Congrats to all of the nominees and winners of last night’s 91st annual Academy Awards held last night at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Special recognition goes to our frequent featured mama Regina King who walked away with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the James Baldwin adapted movie “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

She stunned in a white custom

Oscar De La Renta high split strapless gown with loose ringlets and parted hair accented with Chopard jewels.

As usual, I spotted several of our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alums on the Red Carpet during arrivals at the opulent affair.

Spotted were: Emily Deschanel; Jennifer Lopez in a mirrored high neck Tom Ford fitted gown; Jennifer Hudson in a ruffled burnt sienna Elie Saab gown; formal model Molly Sims also in a silver gown but with sequins and a little more intricate than JLo’s with side cut outs and a long train by Zuhair Murad; Serena Williams in black with red strapless Armani Prive gown; and Tina Fey in a totally gorgeous strapless Vera Wang gown.

Also, Charlize Theron stunning in Dior Haute Couture, Kristin Cavallari; Amy Poehler looking smart in a tailored and crisp Alberta Ferretti suit; and Maya Rudolph floral regal by Giambattista Valli

Also, Kelly Ripa in Cristian Siriano and Helen Lasichanh.

My faves were all the moms in their 40s and looking fabulous:

Photos: Getty

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