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The offspring of Angelina Jolie, Katie Holmes, Rachel Weisz and Gwen Stefani each arrived with more media hype than most struggling actors could hope for in a lifetime. We find out how these famous mums and babes are getting along
Angelina Jolie
The latest addition to the Jolie-Pitt brood are twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline born on 12 July 2008 by caesarian section. They join Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, the first biological child for 31-year-old Angelina, adopted tots, five-year-old Maddox, and Zahara, aged one. Before Shiloh Angelina was quoted as saying she'd never have her own biological children because it would mean one less home for an orphan.
Getting back into shape As well as yoga and breastfeeding, Angie has been drinking African ginger root and garlic tea after being introduced to it in Namibia where she gave birth to Shiloh.
At home Life with Brad seems to be peachy for Ange - the pair have moved away from Malibu (and Jennifer Aniston) into Los Feliz, a fashionable suburb of Los Angeles, in 2006. After giving birth to the twins they have been holed up in their 35 bedroom chateau in France.
At workAfter the birth of Shiloh Angelina did two voiceovers, in Kung Fu Panda and Beowulf, and starred in A Mighty Heart. This time round she seems to be taking it a little easier.
Top marks for Donating the millions from the twins' first magazine spread to charity. Ange, Brad and the new arrivals were splashed over 17 pages of Hello! for a cool $11 million.
Katie Holmes
Suri Cruise, which means 'princess' in Hebrew and 'red rose' in Persian (and 'pickpocket' in Japanese!), was born on 18 April 2006 to proud parents, 27-year-old Katie Holmes, and Tom Cruise, 43. Her 'joyous arrival' took place naturally at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. where Suri weighed in at 7lbs, 7oz.
Getting back into shape Katie went to work on a bridal boot camp in order to get in shape for her recent nuptials. Two weeks after giving birth to daughter Suri, she enlisted the help of a fitness company to tone up for her big day. 'I'll forever wage the battle of the thighs,' 5'9' Katie has said in the past. 'But I try to eat healthily.'
At home Tom denied saying while Katie was pregnant that he had her 'tucked away so no one will get to us until my child is born.' But, apart from a few shopping trips in New York and Colorado (wearing skinny jeans!), Ms Holmes avoided much of the limelight after the birth to spend time with her daughter at Tom's compounds in L.A. and Telluride. She is also close with to Tom's home-schooled adopted kids from his marriage to Nicole Kidman, Isabella, 13, and 11-year-old Conor, and has been seen at their soccer and baseball games, as well as hanging out with her new best pal, Victoria Beckham, at Paris fashion week showing off her newly-toned bod.
At work Since Batman Begins and Thank You For Smoking, Katie has been keeping a low profile, preferring to be a stay-at-home mum for her baby. She did appear at Tom's US premiere for Mission Impossible III, just two weeks after Suri was born. She is now starring in the Arthur Miller play, All My Sons on Broadway.
Top marks for Not succumbing to media pressure and only releasing pictures of baby Suri when the time felt right. It has since been claimed Tom was reluctant to show off Suri because Scientology doctrine teaches followers to avoid taking newborn babies out unless absolutely necessary. Regardless of such guidelines, when Vanity Fair finally published pictures of the new baby, they took no payment for the feature.
Gwen Stefani
Kingston James McGregor Rossdale is the first child for music's golden couple, 36-year-old Gwen Stefani and Bush frontman-turned-actor Gavin Rossdale, 40. Kingston was born by caesarean on 26 May 2006 at the Cedars-Sinai Center in L.A. and weighed 7lbs 8oz.
Getting back into shape Since meeting up with Brad and Angelina at their Santa Barbara home, Gwen has taken some tips from the Tomb Raider star. Former No Doubt singer Gwen exercised all through her pregnancy, often hiking in the hills near her L.A. home, and didn't put on too much weight.
To help shed her pregnancy pounds, though, she favours eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fresh milk - and she has been spotted jogging in New York while staying there with Gavin.
At home Gwen has rarely left Gavin's side in the months since Kingston was born, even taking her son to watch her husband play tennis at the local park. The only cloud on the horizon is Gavin's allegedly strained relationship with his teenage daughter Daisy by Pearl Lowe, after only finding out two years ago she was the result of a fling in the late 1980s. 'I definitely don't call Gwen Step-mum,' said Daisy, 17, recently.
At work As well as her ongoing work with her clothing label L.A.M.B, Gwen has signed up to star in a remake of the Tennessee Williams film, Baby Doll. She has added a range of handbags to her line, and is also working on a second solo album to follow her 2004 hit, Love, Angel, Music, Baby.
Top marks for Never being seen without her trademark red lipstick - and even sporting a leopardskin-print maternity bra. When she turned up for her scheduled Caesarean, she was still on fine form with gorgeous hair, red lips and freshly-manicured nails. 'I'm hoping my children will save me from my vanity,' she has said in the past.
Rachel Weisz
Henry Chance Aronofsky came into the world on 31 May 2006, the first child to 35-year-old Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz and her director fiance Darren Aronofsky. He was born in a New York City hospital, near the couple's Manhattan home, and mother and baby were 'happy, healthy and wonderful,' after the birth, according to Rachel's spokesperson.
Getting back into shape Just a month after the arrival of her tiny tot, Rachel was spotted carrying her boy to the hair salon, looking like she had lost most of her baby weight. Getting back to work so soon after the birth has obviously given her an incentive to stay trim and she got fit again by pounding the New York streets.
At home Her life with Requiem for a Dream director Darren in Soho, New York, couldn't be happier. Although she has been hard at work, she is still besotted with him, especially now he is a father. 'I've found myself a sophisticated, educated American,' she says. 'He's travelled the world and he knows where Europe is, unlike a lot of Americans. He's very cultured, but he's all man.' But she has slammed criticism of their decision to have a baby out of wedlock. 'We haven't yet tied the knot,' she says. 'We're not married and people have said to me "Was the baby a mistake?" And I thought to myself "Did the '60s happen? Are we in the 1900s or something?" That did surprise me a little bit.'
At work Cambridge-educated Rachel doesn't hang around, and had just a few weeks off with Henry before she started work on My Blueberry Nights with Jude Law. Her latest film is adapted from the bestselling novel, The Lovely Bones
Top marks for Carrying little Henry in an African-style sling around her body, which also disguises any spare flesh around the midriff area from lurking paparazzi!
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