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IMAGES: The most high-profile celeb pregnancies!
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has given birth to a baby girl -- and as India welcomes B-Town's latest, most eagerly-anticipated new addition, we take a look at some of the most high-profile celebrity pregnancies!
Giving birth is a special time in any woman's life.
But when you're famous, special takes on a whole new meaning as hordes of fans celebrate with you and the media outlets go into overdrive in a bid to break the news first.
In the following pages, we bring you a bevy of beauties whose pregnancies have created quite a stir, both in India and abroad!
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
As we speak, the Bachchan bahu and family are bonding with their newest, little-est member.
Aishwarya kept mum about her pregnancy, as is the Indian custom, for the first three months; after that, excited granddaddy-to-be Amitabh Bachchan broke the news to fans on his Twitter account in June.
Ash has kept a low profile since then, but she has been spotted occasionally, sending flashbulbs into a frenzy. In fact, so intense is the speculation surrounding her delivery that the Broadcast Editors' Association has imposed several restrictions on the media over coverage of the Bachchan delivery.
Beyonce
When the most powerful couple in music wanted to tell everyone the stork had come a-visiting, they did it on a huge platform!
Beyonce debuted her baby bump at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in August -- after her performance, she popped open the buttons on her jacket and rubbed her growing belly. The camera then panned to husband Jay-Z, who was beaming with delight as famous friend Kanye West backslapped and congratulated him.
Karisma Kapur
Of course, there are some A-listers who refuse to address pregnancy speculation altogether. Lolo refused to comment on either of her two pregnancies -- when she delivered daughter Samaira in 2005 and son Kiaan in March last year.
At the same time, she didn't hole herself up and was seen at a few social dos while heavily pregnant. Guess she decided to let her body speak for itself, without encouraging idle chatter and speculation!
Victoria Beckham
Mrs Beckham also went the silent route with her fourth pregnancy this year, but husband David was more forthcoming -- he announced in January on Facebook that they were with child.
The excited father was also over the moon that after three boys, they were finally having a girl and declared the same in March, post a benefit football match. And ever since little Harper Seven Beckham arrived in July, each public outing with her famous parents turns into a media circus!
Gauri Khan
When the Badshah of Bollywood sneezes it makes the headlines, so it's an understatement to say that both Gauri Khan's pregnancies were surrounded by much hype, even if they were a decade ago -- son Aryan was born in 1997 and daughter Suhana in 2000.
Jessica Simpson
Jessica's weight and curvy figure in recent years has triggered several false alarms, so it was easy for her to outwit the press when it finally came down to it!
After months of 'Is she? Isn't she?', the singer/actress-turned-entrepreneur finally announced her pregnancy to the world on Halloween, with a photograph of herself in an Egyptian mummy costume with the caption 'It's true! I am going to be a mummy!' It was easy to see her blossoming belly despite her get-up, leading her to state that her 'stomach spoke for itself'.
Suzanne Roshan
Like Gauri, Suzanne's pregnancies delighted the nation -- after all, Hrithik is one of B-Town's leading heartthrobs!
The first time around, after months of circulating whispers, the shy Mrs Roshan finally admitted her condition to the media after being pressed upon. And the second time was within two years -- sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan were born in 2006 and 2008 respectively.
Miranda Kerr
She got engaged to Orlando Bloom last June, married last July and announced her pregnancy last August, in an interview with Spanish Vogue's September edition.
These three huge steps in three months' time saw one of the world's biggest supermodels catapulted into the limelight for the duration of her pregnancy and even more so after! And that's because Miranda's now a yummy mummy, back on the catwalk within 12 weeks of delivery and in better shape than ever.
Kajol
After suffering a tragic miscarriage early on in their marriage, Kajol and Ajay Devgn did release a statement about the complications that led to it.
But the actress did not speak about both her succeeding pregnancies, which saw daughter Nysa born in 2003 and son Yug born in 2010. That's the Bollywood way, of course!
Mariah Carey
The same goes for Mariah Carey -- the singer was left devastated when she and hubby Nick Cannon miscarried three years ago. So the second time around, she waited till she couldn't hide it anymore -- which was her fourth month, but then she was having twins!
In April of 2011, the diva delivered a son and a daughter and is now well on her way to getting back her svelte bod.
Mandira Bedi
Mandy wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret, but was forced to give it up in January when her dress at a social do made it apparent!
She and hubby Raj became parents in June, when she delivered son Vir. Last we heard, this yummy mummy is struggling to divide her time between work and baby!
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Last month, the President of France and his stunning wife gave birth to a little girl.
And Carla, whose struggle to conceive in her 40s was well-documented in the media, played it coy by admitting nothing till the later stages of her pregnancy -- but then she proudly displayed her pregnancy curves throughout!
Did she want us to know? Did she not want us to know? We'll never know!
Lara Dutta
The lovely Lara Dutta didn't keep shut about being knocked up for long -- she was delighted!
In August, she came clear on the reports doing the rounds in an interview and then the same week, she displayed her growing belly as the showstopper at a fashion show.
Jennifer Garner
Also in August, power couple Ben Affleck and wife Jennifer announced in a joint statement that they were expecting their third bundle of joy -- they're already parents to daughters aged 5 and 2.
And Jennifer's making quite the maternal style statement on the red carpet with every appearance lately too!
Konkona Sen Sharma
After her marriage to Ranvir Shorey last September, Konkona gave birth in March this year, leading many to speculate that she was pregnant before she got married.
Koko refused to address the rumours, but she was definitely excited to show off her baby bump and did so just the month before she delivered, on the cover of OK! Magazine. Now isn't that cute?
Natalie Portman
In December 2010, the beautiful actress confirmed that she was both engaged to be married and pregnant via a statement issued by her representative to People Magazine.
Once her condition was announced, a beaming Natalie showed off her tummy at various social dos and gave birth in Ju#8800 her son Aleph is now four months old.
Malaika Arora Khan
It's hard to believe mesmerising Munni is mother to an eight-year-old son, but she is!
More than her pregnancy (which, typically, was not announced, but eventually made apparent), the hottie made waves when she bounced back into shape quickly and reprised her sizzling item roles.
Kate Hudson
Nine months into a new romance with rocker Matt Bellamy, in January this year Kate's representatives confirmed to various news outlets that she was fourteen weeks along with her second child (she has a son with ex-husband Chris Robinson).
Doesn't sound like this one was planned, but an engagement followed and now she's mother to a second little boy. Wish her all the best!
Twinkle Khanna
Here's another pregnancy that took place nearly a decade ago, but Twinkle was quite the talk of the town -- even if she didn't talk about it!
Her son Aarav with hubbie Akshay, the Khiladi of B-Town, is now nine years old and the centre of their world. Proud papa Akshay even has his name tattooed on his back!
Adriana Lima
And finally, we come to the Victoria's Secret bombshell from Brazil and her basketball player hubbie, who like several other prominent couples, used People Magazine to make a statement via their representatives in May 2009.
Adriana was, of course, back in fighting form within weeks of giving birth in November that same year. She claims she struggled with the pregnancy pounds, but hey -- we can't really see it! Some women are just born beautiful!