

It's Giving Baby Fever: Celebrity Pregnancies Are Taking Over The Rest Of 2021
One thing that we can rely on to keep us on our toes, is celebrities popping up pregnant at some of the most unexpected times. And 2021 is no different as babies have been making their debuts left and right. Last year, celebs such as Christina Milian, Kelly Rowland, Nicki Minaj, and Eniko Hart all welcomed their bundles of joy and now, it's time to double back with a new year.
We can't wait to see who else announces they are expecting as the year goes on, but for now, here are all the pregnant celebrities that you'll be hearing about in 2021. Congrats, all!
Cardi B + Offset
Cardi B and Offset of Migos perform onstage at the BET Awards 2021.
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET
After revealing that she and husband Offset are expecting baby number 2 at last week's BET Awards, Cardi B took to social media to confirm that our eyes weren't playing tricks on us. Accompanied by an intimate maternity photo, the "WAP" rapper shares:
"We listened to each other, communicated, prayed and then God blessed us and our family with another little blessing. Our home feels so blissful and very busy, but we are ready and so happy!! Thank you soo much everyone for the congrats and well wishes"
The couple are already parents to daughter Kulture Kiari Cephus, who turns 3 in July. Offset is also dad to daughter Kalea (6), and sons Kody (6) and Jordan (11), from previous relationships.
Ludacris + Eudoxie
Ludacris and Gabonese model Eudoxie Mbouguiengue, married back in 2014. Since, they have welcomed a daughter Cadence (5), and back in May, announced that their rainbow baby is on the way. The couple made the announcement on their Instagram accounts on the Lova Lova's birthday. She captioned a photo of her flaunting her baby bump in front of bouquets of flowers:
"Blessed year indeed."
Luda followed up with,
"How is it YOUR birthday [and you're] giving me the greatest gift?"
The couple is also parents to Ludacris' daughters Karma and Cai. They're also raising his youngest sister, Christella.
Erica Mena + Safaree
They may be going through some things, but back in May, the Samuels announced that they were expecting their second child together. Since, there has been a bit of ups and downs, but Safaree shared the happy arrival news on a now-deleted Instagram post captioned:
"MR Straittt Jr is here!!"
Mena has recently revealed that their son's birth was an early arrival amid their divorce. The couple are also parents to their 17-month-old daughter, Safire.
Aja Naomi King
Our girl Aja Naomi King is a new mommy! The How to Get Away with Murder alum announced via Instagram that she recently welcomed her first child, and showed off her postpartum body. King even penned a letter to her unborn child, opening about her pregnancy struggles and previous miscarriages.
"I suffered two miscarriages and even now trying to capture what it felt like in words is simply absurd to me because I will never have language enough for it."
She continued:
"At first I wasn't sure about sharing my experience because I felt like so many other people had way worse experiences than I did, but I realized that I can't treat pain like an Olympic sport, as if it's a competition and only those who have the worst stories win the right to talk about it."
King has not revealed her baby's name or birthdate, but we couldn't be any happier for her!
Usher + Jenn Goicoechea
Usher and his girlfriend, Jenn Goicoechea, are expecting their second child together. She debuted her baby bump on the red carpet of the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, which Usher hosted.
Goicoechea, who is an Epic Records A&R exec, wrote on Instagram:
"'Another One' in my @djkhaled voice #Iheartawards"
The couple have not announce the sex of their baby-to-be or when Goicoechea is due but they've been pretty busy as Usher and Goicoechea already share daughter Sovereign Bo, whom they welcomed in September 2020.
Sydel Curry + Damion Lee
OK, so if you didn't know, Golden State Warriors player Damion Lee is married to Stephen Curry's sister, Sydel. And the Curry family is growing by one as later this year, Sydel and Damion are expecting their first child.
Sydel Curry-Lee had a rather difficult journey to getting pregnant, which she recently documented on social media.
"A small glimpse into my #ivfjourney. While there is so much to this part of the journey, I wanted to share what it looked like for me. I dealt with this in private (off social media) for a lot of reasons & thankful that I did because, whew the hormones. it was hands down one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do, but it wasn't impossible."
This would explain why, in a now extremely viral video, brother Steph, and sis-in-law Ayesha, went absolutely apeshit when they learned the news. Loooove!
Ne-Yo + Crystal Smith
Ne-Yo and wife Crystal Smith's Miss Independent has made her early debut, y'all! Sharing an image of the smiling singer and their newborn daughter, the entrepreneur announced Isabella Rose Smith's early arrival on Instagram.
"God said don't make plans honey!" She came 4 weeks early but right on time for mommy!"
The couple announced that they were expecting in February, after surviving a divorce announcement and very public separation.
"LADIES N' GENTS. Introducing the newest member of the Smith Clan ISABELLA ROSE SMITH! Welcome to the world lil' mama. And know that I got you thru when, where and whatever. Now and forever. You got 3 big brothers and a big sister that all love you and got your back too. Not to mention a whole tribe of friends and family. @itscrystalsmith we did that Lovely, yes we did. Thank you for this gift of a little princess. I LOVE YOU. #ATHO4L #ProudPapaMoments"
A happy ending that gives us all the feels!
Meghan Markle + Prince Harry
After a very tumultuous few years, Meghan Markle has somehow managed to keep her mental health in tact to give birth to her second child. Their daughter Lilibet "Lili" Diana, joined brother Archie, last month and the family in LA. Meghan and Prince Harry released a message about their new joy, saying,
"On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."
Continue to protect your family and peace, guys!
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Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Why Do Millennials & Gen-Zers Still Feel Like Teenagers? The Pandemic Might Be The Reason.
There’s nothing quite as humbling as navigating adulthood with no instruction manual. Since the turn of the decade, it seems like everything in our society that could go wrong has, inevitably, gone wrong. From the global pandemic, our crippling student debt problem, the loneliness crisis, layoffs, global warming, recession, and not to mention figuring out what to eat for dinner every night. This constant state of uncertainty has many of us wondering, when are the grown-ups coming to fix all of this?
But the catch is, we are the new grown-ups.
As if it happened without our permission, we became the new adults. We are the members of society who are paying taxes, having children, getting married, and keeping our communities afloat, one iced latte at a time. Still, there’s something about doing all these grown-up duties that feel unnaturally grown-up. Enter the #teenagegirlinher20s.
If there’s one hashtag to give you the state of the next cohort of adults, it’s this one. Of the videos that have garnered over 3.9M views, you’ll find a collection of users who are overwhelmed by life’s pressing existential responsibilities, clung to nostalgia, and reminiscent of the days when their mom and dad took care of their insurance plans.
@charlies444ngel no like i cant explain to her why i had to buy multiple tank air dupes from aritzia #teenagegirlinher20s #fyp
The concept of being a 20-something or 30-something teenager is linked to the sentiment of not feeling “grown up enough” to do grown-up things while feeling underprepared and even nihilistic about whether that preparation even matters.
It’s our generation’s version of when we ask our grandmothers how old they are and they simply reply with, “I still feel 45,” all while being every bit of 76 years old. In this, we share a warped concept of time while clinging to a desire for infantilization.
Granted, the pandemic did a number on our concept of time. Many of us who started the pandemic in our early or mid-20s missed out on three fundamental years of socialization, career development, and personal milestones that traditionally help to mark our growth.
Our time to figure out and plan our next steps through fumbling yet active participation was put on pause indefinitely and then resumed provisionally. This in turn has left many of us hanging in the balance of uncertainty as we try to make sense of the disconnect between our minds and bodies in this missing gap of time.
Because we’re all still figuring out what the ramifications of being locked away and frozen in time by a global pandemic will have on us as a society, there really is no “right” way of making up for lost time. Feeling unprepared for any new chapter of life is a natural rite of passage, pandemic or not. However, it’s important to not stay stuck in the last age or period of life that made sense to us because self-growth is the truest evidence of personal progress.
So whether you’re leaning on your inner child, teenager, or 20-something for guidance as you fill the gap between your real age and pandemic age, know that it’s okay to grieve the person you thought you would be and the milestones you thought you’d hit before you ever knew what a pandemic was. If there’s anything that the pandemic taught us, it’s that we have the power to reimagine a better world and life for ourselves. And if we tap into our inner teenager as a compass, we can piece together our next chapter with a fresh outlook.
Sure, we’ve lost a couple of years, but there are still some really amazing ones ahead.
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