Latest news with #parenthood
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Was this the moment Jamie Laing changed his mind about being a dad? Ex MIC star spoke on podcast about 'secret battle' he hid from Sophie
Former Made in Chelsea stars Sophie Habboo and Jamie Laing have announced they're set to become parents - just weeks after Radio 1 DJ Jamie admitted to his own 'secret battle' over becoming a father. The reality TV couple shared their happy news on Instagram on Tuesday, posting a photo of them staring in awe at an ultrasound scan. The post, captioned with a heart emoji, evoked hundreds of well wishes from fans congratulating them on the incoming pitter patter of tiny feet. However, parenthood hasn't always a given for the couple, who married in a lavish Spanish wedding in 2023 after getting together on Made In Chelsea - with Laing being frank about whether he wanted to become a father at all, saying there's 'no eject button' with children. An episode of his Great Company podcast, in which he shared the mic with University Challenge host Amol Rajan, saw the MIC star admit that the prospect of parenthood once spiked his anxiety levels so badly he fled a restaurant when Sophie told him she thought she might be pregnant. Laing opened up to BBC broadcaster Rajan, 41, saying that he'd been addicted to the 'dopamine' hits of his former party lifestyle - and made the decision at one point that he wouldn't have children at all. In the episode father-of-four Rajan, who endured a long fertility battle with his partner, Charlotte Faircloth, urged couples who are undecided on having children not to use IVF as a 'fallback' - after Laing admitted he wasn't even sure if he was fertile, saying: 'I also don't know if I can, you know I'm 36.' The University Challenge host told the now dad-to-be that his own experiences with struggling to conceive a family had left him fearing that many people still regarded IVF as a 'fallback' - and urged undecided couples not to put off becoming parents because of it. The couple announced they are expecting their first child in a post on Instagram on Tuesday He told Laing: 'I worry about the idea that a lot of people think that you can delay having kids because IVF is, like, this fallback option.' He added: 'IVF is a near miracle technology, it's an amazing thing and it's a wonderful thing but it doesn't work for everyone and it's a lot of heartache.' He said: 'As I got older, I thought I was going to have kids and I was going to have a family, and then that shifted in my mind and I thought "I'm not going to have kids, I'm not going to have a family'". Laing said his 'dopamine-craving period' had seen him not wanting to stop having fun, sparking an 'internal battle' that he didn't share with Sophie, admitting: 'I never told her "I don't think I want to do this"'. He told Rajan that perhaps his biggest fear was that you can't change your mind about being a parent once a baby has arrived. 'I run businesses and different different things but there's always an eject button there's always a way out - with kids, there is not, you're locked in,' he said. Rajan, who also presents Radio 4's Today programme, explained the heartache he and his partner had suffered when fertility treatment hadn't worked. He said: 'The whole time that I was editor of The Independent, I had this kind of secret life where I was trying to run a newspaper, turn a business round.' He said he was also trying to 'be a good boss, be a good journalist, be a good leader - but at the same time my heart was hurting because we were going through IVF.' In another episode of the Great Company podcast in December last year, Laing also opened up about his fears over having kids when his producer Jemima interviewed him. He explained: 'I would really like to have one, but it has been a real long road because I was really scared of babies and I was really scared of commitment. 'The idea of not being able to escape something, with work or even divorce, there's always a way out. But with a baby there's no way out. There is no way out because you are committed to that little human forever and that for me is really quite scary. He went on to add: 'Still really scary, it is a real fear. To the point where at the start of last year, Sophie thought she was pregnant and I had to leave the restaurant because I was so stressed. The news this week of the couple's pregnancy saw a host of famous faces offer their congratulations, including Molly-Mae Hague, Strictly's Dianne Buswell and author and Jamie's close pal Elizabeth Day, who wrote: 'So happy for you both!' Sophie's sister Georgia - who welcomed her first child last year - reshared the post saying it was the 'best news'. The sweet clip showed them having an ultrasound as Sophie looked delighted staring at the screen The announcement comes just after Sophie joined Jamie in presenting his Radio 1 drive time show when his co-star Vick Hope left on maternity leave. Vick, 35, who is expecting her first child with DJ Calvin Harris, 41, hosted her last show on the station last week. Sophie and Jamie already host their podcast NewlyWeds together - with the duo recently revealing it would be going on a break. In an Instagram update last week, they announced: 'The podcast is taking a break?! We're pressing pause but only for a moment.' A source later told The Sun: 'Sophie is joining the Radio 1 family and everyone is really excited that she'll be bringing her chemistry with hubby Jaime to the airwaves. 'They're already pros after doing their podcast for so many years but this is a huge moment for them and they can't wait. Sophie sweetly looked at the screen as Jamie filmed her having the scan 'It could lead to endless opportunities for them as a couple. They could even be a modern day Richard and Judy.' Sophie recently sparked pregnancy rumours as she shared a bikini Instagram while touching her stomach. Back in April Jamie and Sophie spilled the beans on their baby plans, during a chat with The Times. 'I was really scared about kids,' Jamie explained. 'It's something you can't control. Sophie would then carry a baby, all these different things that I can't control and, 'Oh God, what happens if this happen or that happens?' But I saw a clip on Instagram where someone said, 'The best thing I ever had is being called Dad.' 'I was like, 'Oh, wouldn't that be cool?' So now I'm so down for it. I would like to have loads.' Jamie added he would be up for four kids, and the blonde beauty agreed with him sweetly. Sophie and Jamie had two weddings - a civil ceremony at Chelsea Town hall before jetting to Spain for a bigger, more lavish ceremony. A host of their Made In Chelsea co-stars were in attendance including Sam Thompson, Olivia Bentley, Emily Blackwell, Spencer Matthews and Oliver Proudlock. Blonde beauty Sophie got engaged to Jamie in December 2021 after they started dating in April 2019 on the show. At the time they revealed that they turned down offers to film their wedding for a Made In Chelsea special – just after the Strictly star quit the E4 series to save their romance. The couple revealed they had decided against turning their nuptials into a reality spinoff show because Jamie believed relationships have a better chance of surviving away from the cameras. The Candy Kittens owner told MailOnline reality TV is 'tough on the soul' and after realising he wanted to marry former co-star Sophie he knew his departure from Made In Chelsea was inevitable. Jamie revealed: 'We got asked to do a TV show but it's tricky. 'I have done reality for so long and it's tough on the soul. I don't think TV is ever on your own terms so unless you have control over those things then it's quite difficult. 'It's one of those things that you must decide whether you want to go down the reality TV route again or not.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
World champion Ironman Matt Bevilacqua welcomes first child with wife Brielle Cooper - and reveals special meaning behind baby's name
World champion Ironman Matt Bevilacqua has announced the arrival of his first child -a beautiful baby boy named Beau Peter Bevilacqua. The 33-year-old and his wife, fellow Ironwoman champion Brielle Cooper, 26, welcomed their son on May 28 on the Gold Coast and are now settling into life as a family of three. Sharing the joyful news alongside a heartwarming hospital snap to Instagram last week. 'We are just so filled with love. Can't believe how lucky we are,' he captioned the post. 'Brielle was simply amazing and to watch her switch into the role of Mum has been so special.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Matt couldn't hide his excitement about becoming a dad for the first time. 'We put him in the bath last night and he was right at home in the water as he should be,' he told The Mercury. The couple, who made headlines in 2018 when they won iron championships on the same day, say nothing compares to the joy of parenthood. 'This is the most amazing feeling. I couldn't even have imagined what it's like to become a dad,' Matt shared. The baby's middle name, Peter, holds a deeply personal significance. It honours Matt's late grandfather, Peter Bevilacqua, who passed away in March this year. Peter, a former Carlton VFL footballer and respected teacher, was a towering figure in Matt's life. The couple also revealed that Beau was conceived through advanced genetic IVF technology. It was a decision made to prevent passing on Matt's genetic skin condition, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare condition that causes the skin to blister and tear easily. Matt, who is an ambassador for the charity Debra Australia, praised the support he received throughout the process. Matt explained that EB had a profound impact on his own journey, shaping his path into surf sports when wearing football boots became too painful. The couple are now enjoying their first days at home with their new arrival.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
X Factor star Jai Waetford welcomes his first child with his partner Bec Donaghy
Jai Waetford has welcomed his first child with his partner Bec Donaghy. The former X Factor Australia child star, 25, announced the news by sharing a photo of his girlfriend Bec cradling their newborn baby to Instagram. 'Sleepy angel,' he simply captioned the photo. The couple first announced they were expecting a baby together on New Year's Day by sharing photos of Bec's growing baby bump. Jai, who was just 14 years old when he rose to fame on The X Factor in 2013, doted over Bec as he tenderly cradled her stomach. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. He cut a stylish figure in a black T-shirt and cargo trousers, which he styled with a pleather jacket and white trainers. Bec proudly put her blossoming bump on full display in a black bandeau top and low-rise grey jeans, while she swept a cropped pleather jacket over her shoulders. In an accompanying caption, the couple gushed: 'Baby Waetford coming 2025.' It is not known exactly how long Jai and Bec have been dating but they started featuring on each other's Instagram pages in 2023. They went Instagram official in July 2023 with a cosy photograph of them packing on the PDA, which was shared to Bec's account. Sydney singer Jai captured Australians' hearts when he rose to fame on The X Factor in 2013, when he earned the nickname of 'Aussie Bieber'. He impressed with his audition, where he sang Different Worlds by Jes Hudak and his own original song Don't Let Me Go. He eventually placed third on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia and his debut single Your Eyes peaked at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart. In 2016, he moved away from singing and went on to pursue a television career, making his acting debut on Neighbours as Angus Beaumont-Hannay. He portrayed the son of Sarah Beaumont and Peter Hannay for around 50 episodes before announcing he was relocating to Hollywood. He signed with the powerful US talent company Creative Artists Agency and spent some time in Africa and South America before returning to Australia. Since relocating back Down Under, Jai returned to screens in Stan drama Critical Incident.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Shining Light Baby Celebrates Five Years of Heartfelt Surrogacy Support Amid Global Change
Reflecting on five years of guiding families through surrogacy with integrity, cultural sensitivity, and compassion. 'As an agency, we consider it our responsibility to guide them through each step, clearly explaining the surrogacy process and matching them to the right surrogate with compassion and care.'— Vicky Li, Shining Light Baby Co-Founder/ Asian Program Director SCHAUMBURG, IL, UNITED STATES, June 2, 2025 / / -- This year marks five years since three women—Zara Griswold, Vicky Li, and Mariana Martinez—came together with a shared vision: to create a surrogacy agency that placed people, not process, at the center of the journey to parenthood. That vision became Shining Light Baby, founded in June 2020. What they didn't know at the time was how much they would need to overcome. A Mission Rooted in Trust The three founders brought years of experience in surrogacy, advocacy, and client care. But as they began laying the groundwork for the agency, the COVID-19 pandemic erupted—bringing with it closed borders, delayed passports, and global uncertainty. For international intended parents, the impact was immediate and devastating. In March 2020, Vicky Li received a call from clients in China. Their baby had just been born through surrogacy in the U.S., but they were unable to travel due to pandemic restrictions. That first call marked the beginning of an extraordinary chapter. She opened her home to a total of five newborns—becoming the legal guardian for two of them and caring for them as part of her family for nearly two years. 'Balancing work, parenting, and full-time infant care during a pandemic was incredibly demanding,' Vicky recalls. 'But my clients entrusted their babies to me, and I devoted my entire heart to their care.' Her dedication became part of the emotional blueprint for the agency's mission: to serve every family with integrity, transparency, and compassion. Loss, Legacy, and Leadership In 2022, the Shining Light Baby team faced another challenge—the heartbreaking loss of co-founder Zara Griswold to ovarian cancer. Zara was not only a seasoned professional in the surrogacy field, she was also a mother through surrogacy herself. She chronicled her personal journey in her published book, Surrogacy Was the Way: Twenty Intended Mothers Tell Their Stories, a title that has offered hope and insight to families around the world. 'Zara helped define who we are,' says Mariana. 'Her passion still influences everything we do, especially when it comes to making sure parents and surrogates alike feel respected, seen, and supported.' Guiding Spanish Families Through Legal Barriers As international surrogacy laws have tightened, Shining Light Baby has become a vital lifeline for Spanish intended parents navigating increasing restrictions. While surrogacy remains illegal in Spain and contracts are considered null and void, recent policy changes have made the path to legal recognition even more difficult. In 2024, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that foreign judgments establishing parentage through surrogacy were contrary to Spanish public policy. Then, in April 2025, Spain's civil registry authority issued a new directive clarifying birth registration rules, and by May 1, 2025, Spanish embassies and consulates were formally prohibited from registering children born through surrogacy abroad. Despite these growing barriers, Spanish couples can still pursue surrogacy in countries like the U.S., but must often prove biological parenthood and go through additional legal steps, such as domestic adoption, to gain full recognition in Spain. Recognizing the emotional and legal weight of this journey, co-founder Mariana Martinez, a native Spanish speaker, has stepped in to guide families through these complexities. Her culturally informed, bilingual support has made Shining Light Baby a trusted agency for Spanish-speaking intended parents seeking clarity, respect, and reassurance. 'Spanish parents often arrive with heavy hearts and a lot of questions,' says Mariana. 'Our job is to help them feel safe, supported, and never alone—even when the legal path isn't straightforward.' Lighting the Way Forward Five years in, Shining Light Baby has supported families from the U.S., China, Taiwan, Spain, Argentina, Mexico and beyond. The agency's multilingual team remains focused on building strong, ethical matches between intended parents and gestational carriers, while avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach that can be common in other agencies 'In my view, the surrogacy industry today often lacks genuine, human-centered support,' says Vicky. 'This is the core value that we have made central to our surrogacy agency.' As Shining Light Baby celebrates its fifth anniversary, it continues to honor the legacy of its founders, the strength of the families it serves, and the commitment to keep lighting the way for families on the path to parenthood through surrogacy. For more information, visit or contact [email protected]. Vicky Li Shining Light Baby Surrogacy Agency 847-585-8767 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook TikTok Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Before the bump: Can pre-pregnancy planning affect child development?
Anticipating the conception of a child can be accompanied by a lot of uncertainty about how to plan for pregnancy and parenthood. But relatively few people are aware that the things they do months or years before conceiving can influence the development of their future children. The preconception period is often overlooked by prospective parents, but is crucial as it sets the foundation for healthy pregnancies and, ultimately, thriving children. Optimizing the physical and mental health of both parents during this time can help create an environment that gives their offspring the best possible start in life. While it's well known that exposure to adverse physical or psychological conditions during pregnancy can powerfully affect child development, emerging evidence suggests that factors occurring before conception can also have lasting effects on offspring. As professors of child development and perinatal psychiatry, our work is aimed at identifying which preconception factors have the potential to influence offspring outcomes, and how to intervene to reduce their effects to give all children the best chance to succeed and thrive. The period of pregnancy planning represents a critical opportunity for future parents to optimize the lives of their children. While some physical and mental health factors shift over time, others are relatively stable. Regardless, enhancing physical and psychological health months or even weeks before conception may have powerful positive effects on offspring. For example, public health authorities recommend that women of childbearing age take a folic acid supplement, as this can prevent neural tube defects and enhance the long-term verbal and social skills of offspring. Maintaining a healthy diet (for example, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein) and a healthy weight before pregnancy is also associated with a lower risk of behavioural problems, improved motor and communication skills and better academic achievement. Ultimately, optimizing one's physical health has many benefits for parents and their children and paves the way for improving their mental health as well. Even though planning a pregnancy may be stressful for some, optimizing one's mental health has benefits not only for parents, but also for their future children. For example, children whose mothers experience a worsening of depression from preconception to postpartum were less able to control their behaviour and attention. Furthermore, high levels of stress in mothers pre-conceptually are linked to more negative emotionality and impulsivity in children. As a result, increasing the focus of public health efforts on the mental health of parents could be crucial to enhancing child development as well. Even though the health of mothers and birthing parents can have an important impact on the development of future offspring, healthy partners can also help promote positive long-term outcomes in children. For example, paternal mental health problems present prior to pregnancy increase the risk of pre-term delivery, which is linked to a higher likelihood of behavioural problems and academic difficulties in children later in life. Partners can also provide support and motivation to improve and/or maintain the healthy habits of mothers and birthing parents, which can help optimize offspring development. A number of practical steps can be taken by parents when planning a pregnancy to help enhance child development. Eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise can improve your physical health. Optimizing mental health through exercise, nurturing relationships, building social networks, managing stress and seeking counselling and other help when needed can promote well-being during this important time. Research aimed at understanding the long-term effects of preconception conditions on later child development is still relatively new. Our work is attempting to expand this knowledge base by developing a cohort study that begins in the preconception phase and follows parents throughout pregnancy and into the postpartum period. So far, more than 500 women across Canada have joined the study, and we are continuing to enrol new participants until the end of August 2025. Please note that the web page is in French, but English speakers are welcome to join the study. However, since all research materials are in French, participants must be able to understand written French to take part in the study. Our work will examine how parents' mental health evolves across the perinatal period. This study is intended to help us understand the transition to parenthood and how factors present before conception can influence children's development. The pregnancy planning period is a time when parents can make positive changes in their lives that can benefit their health and the development of their future children. Investing in the physical and mental health of both parents is critical for preparing them to welcome a healthy child and can benefit both their family and society. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organisation bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Sabrina Faleschini, Université Laval and Ryan Van Lieshout, McMaster University Read more: What to expect when you're expecting: How will your sex life change during pregnancy and postpartum? Planning for a baby? Why both men and women should consider quitting alcohol before and during pregnancy Returning to exercise postpartum: Supporting women's physical activity after the birth of a child Sabrina Faleschini receives funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture. Ryan Van Lieshout does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
