Over the last few decades, pregnancy and parenting culture has taken on a new life. People are more open about their pregnancy journeys. Many fans look at their favorite celebrities for inspiration as they get honest about fertility, pregnancy, and parenting.
As celebrity stardom has become a bigger phenomenon, the hype around celebrity pregnancies has become huge. Pregnancies are so exciting, and we can all use a little more of that joy. It's also interesting to watch our favorite celebrities transition from one stage of their lives to the next.
From 1990 to today, some of the world's biggest stars have tackled pregnancy publicly. Some made it look like a breeze, while others were brutally honest about their struggles. It goes to show that every mom's experience is different, and celebrity status can afford you only so many comforts. These celebrity pregnancies have been some of the most talked-about and watched of all time.
1990: Andie MacDowell
Andie MacDowell married fellow model Paul Qualley in 1986. That year, they welcomed their first child, son Justin. Andie's second pregnancy was in 1990 when she welcomed daughter Rainey Qualley. Rainey is currently an actress and musician and was 2012's Miss Golden Globe.
Andie welcomed a third child, daughter Sarah Margaret, in 1994.
1991: Demi Moore
Demi Moore changed the perception of pregnant people forever with her striking August 1991 Vanity Fair cover. The actress was pregnant with daughter Scout when she had the iconic photo shot by Annie Leibovitz. The shot was originally meant for Demi and Bruce only, but the image was later included in the spread.
1992: Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon shocked many when she announced her 1992 pregnancy. She was 45 years old when she and then-partner Tim Robbins announced their third child. Miles was born on May 4, 1992.
1993: Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston's 1993 pregnancy was full of hope for the megastar. She'd suffered a miscarriage about two years prior while filming The Bodyguard. On March 4, 1993, Whitney and then-husband Bobby Brown welcomed their only child, Bobbi Kristina Brown. Whitney miscarried again in 1996.
1994: Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer and husband David E. Kelley welcomed son Jack in 1994. Her fans were fascinated to see the glamorous actress pregnant for the first time. Jack was their second child, however, as they adopted daughter Claudia Rose in 1993.
1995: Kim Basinger
All eyes were on Kim Basinger during her pregnancy with her and then-partner Alec Baldwin's first child. Not only was the child of two high-profile stars on the way, but Kim was 41 during the pregnancy. Ireland Eliesse Baldwin was born on October 23, 1995.
1996: Madonna
Madonna's first pregnancy was major news. The pop star was dating her personal trainer, Carlos Leon. She found out she was pregnant while working on the film Evita. The two welcomed a daughter, Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, on October 14, 1996.
1997: Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson's 1997 pregnancy was another chapter in her whirlwind romance with Tommy Lee. The media was captivated by the sexually charged couple's bikini-clad wedding. The couple's first child, Brandon, was born in 1996. As the world got used to Tommy Lee and Pam as parents, the two announced they were expecting baby No. 2. Dylan Jagger was born on December 29, 1997.
1998: Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith's marriage to Will Smith was still pretty fresh when the two announced they were expecting their first child together. Jada was already stepparent to Will's older child, Trey. Jada and Will welcomed son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith on July 8, 1998.
1999: Cindy Crawford
America's favorite supermodel was positively glowing throughout her first pregnancy. She and husband Rande Gerber married in May 1998. The following July, Cindy and Rande welcomed son Presley Walker Gerber.
2000: Iman
The world was captivated by the romance between Iman and David Bowie. When fans found out that Iman was pregnant with their child, more than 20 years after she welcomed her first child, they were hooked on the couple's every move. Alexandria Zahra Jones was born August 15, 2000.
2001: Céline Dion
Céline Dion had tried for years to conceive before ramping up efforts in 2000. She had two small surgeries and began in-vitro fertilization. It took six rounds of IVF for her to become pregnant with her first child. René-Charles Angélil was born on January 25, 2001.
2002: Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker was still at the height of her Sex and the City fame when she became pregnant with her first child with husband Matthew Broderick. James Wilkie was born on October 28, 2002. The couple would have twin daughters in 2009 via surrogate.
2003: Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields struggled to get pregnant before announcing her first pregnancy in early 2003. She and husband Chris Henchy publicly hoped for a happy, healthy baby. Brooke battled postpartum depression after welcoming her daughter, Rowan Francis, on May 15, 2003. She was one of the earliest celebrities to vigorously speak out about her experience.
2004: Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow's career was red hot when she fell for Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. The two married in December 2003. At the time, Gwyneth was already pregnant with their first child. Apple Martin was born May 14, 2004, arguably starting the trend of unusual celebrity baby names.
2005: Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger met on the set of Brokeback Mountain. Their astounding performances got all the buzz, but it wasn't long before their romance was central to the public interest. Michelle and Heath welcomed daughter Matilda on October 28, 2005.
2006: Angelina Jolie
The world stopped when it learned that Angelina Jolie was pregnant with her and Brad Pitt's first biological child. The two were already parents to adopted children Maddox and Zahara. The craze surrounding Angelina's pregnancy grew so intense that the couple opted to have their baby in another country. The child who now goes by John was born as Shiloh Jolie-Pitt on May 27, 2006.
2007: Salma Hayek
Salma Hayek surprised fans by revealing her engagement to French billionaire and Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault. Not only was the private actress getting married, but she was also expecting her first child. Valentina Paloma Pinault was born on September 21, 2007.
2008: Halle Berry
Halle Berry announced that she was pregnant with her first child at 41 years old. She and then-partner model Gabriel Aubry welcomed daughter Nahla in 2008. The two split years later, leading to an ugly custody dispute.
2009: Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. are one of those couples that everyone can't help but love. The two shared they were expecting their first child in 2009. Their daughter, Charlotte Grace Prinze, was born on September 19, 2009.
2010: Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey surprised the world when she revealed she was expecting twins with then-husband Nick Cannon. The two had gotten married in 2008. Moroccan and Monroe were born on April 30, 2011.
2011: Beyoncé
Beyoncé was constantly plagued by pregnancy rumors from the moment she married Jay-Z in 2008. At the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, she confirmed her pregnancy by revealing her baby bump at the end of her performance. Blue Ivy Carter was born on January 7, 2012.
2012: Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson was working on planning a wedding when she discovered she was pregnant with her first child. She confirmed the news on Halloween 2011. She and Eric Johnson welcomed daughter Maxwell Drew Johnson on May 1, 2012.
2013: Kate Middleton
It was world news when word came out that a new generation of royals was about to begin. Kate Middleton's first pregnancy was announced earlier than usual after a hospitalization raised suspicions. William and Kate welcomed the third in line to the throne, Prince George Alexander Louis, on July 22, 2013.
2014: Blake Lively
Blake Lively announced her first pregnancy on her lifestyle blog, Preserve. The pregnancy came almost two years after she and actor Ryan Reynolds were married. The couple welcomed daughter James on December 16, 2014.
2015: Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announced their second pregnancy in a Keeping Up With the Kardashians trailer. The couple were already parents to daughter North. Kim endured another difficult pregnancy before welcoming Saint West on December 5, 2015.
2016: Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen has been open about the fertility struggles that led up to her first pregnancy. She faced backlash upon revealing that she chose the gender of her child during IVF. She and husband John Legend welcomed Luna Stephens on April 14, 2016.
2017: Amal Clooney
Amal Clooney quietly confirmed her pregnancy to talk show host Julie Chen, who shared the news with the world. The 39-year-old attorney and her 56-year-old husband were expecting twins. They welcomed Alexander and Ella Clooney on June 6, 2017.
2018: Meghan Markle
From the moment Harry and Meghan said "I do," everyone was awaiting news that they would start their family. The news came in October 2018. Meghan continued appearances throughout her pregnancy, going on maternity leave in March 2019. The couple welcomed son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, 2019.
2019: Shawn Johnson
Olympian Shawn Johnson East was ecstatic to be expecting a rainbow baby after a difficult miscarriage a year and a half prior. She shared her pregnancy experience on her YouTube channel alongside husband Andrew East. Their daughter, Drew Hazel East, was born on October 29, 2019.
2020 (So Far!): Bindi Irwin
We've been needing good news in 2020, and Bindi Irwin's pregnancy announcement was the best of it. Bindi and husband Chandler Powell announced they are expecting their first child. Their "Baby Wildlife Warrior" is due in 2021.