Celebrity moms are a category unto their own. There are websites devoted to them, surveys conducted about which are best dressed and we listen with interest for their parenting advice.
This past year has been full of exciting celebrity pregnancies, raising the bar for creative new baby announcements. Victoria Beckham started the year off with a bang, announcing to the world that she was pregnant with her fourth child on January 10th. Just two days later, Us Weekly broke the news that A-lister Kate Hudson was pregnant. Both Beckham and Hudson gave birth in July.
Since 2011 was such a banner year for pregnant celebs, we've put together a list of the top 11 celebrity pregnancies of the year. Which celebrity moms were you most excited to hear about? Click through below and tell us in the comments.
PHOTOS:
Jessica Alba(01 of11)
Jessica Alba was one of many celebs to use social media to announce her pregnancy. Back in February she posted a message on her Facebook page, writing "It's been a while since I've been on FB & I thought I'd drop by to let you all in on some exciting news>Honor is going to be a Big Sister!" Alba and husband Cash Warren welcomed baby girl Haven into the world in August. The couple also posted new baby photos on Facebook soon after. (credit:Getty)
Tina Fey(02 of11)
Everyone's favorite funny girl announced that she was expecting a second child in April. The 40-year-old actress, comedian and author chose to reveal the big news in a big way -- during an interview with media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey. She and husband Jeff Richmond already have a 6-year-old daughter, Alice. This announcement was even more surprising given that she had recently published an essay in The New Yorker that made us think she was stopping at one child. Their new addition, Penelope Athena, was born in August. We bet those two girls will grow up with a fantastic sense of humor. (credit:Getty)
January Jones(03 of11)
News surfaced that the "Mad Men" star was pregnant back in April, leaving the masses wondering who the baby's father was. The actress had split with boyfriend Jason Sudeikis a few months before. However, Jones seemed more focused on becoming a mother than spilling the dirt about the baby's father (and we commend her for this). She gave birth to Xander Dane Jones in September. (credit:Getty)
Lily Allen(04 of11)
Lily Allen didn't publicly announce that she was pregnant until her wedding day to longtime boyfriend Sam Cooper in June. The news was especially exciting since Allen had experienced her second miscarriage in October 2010. The singer gave birth to a baby girl on November 26th. (credit:Getty)
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy(05 of11)
Although the First Lady of France didn't officially open up and confirm her pregnancy until July, rumors had abounded for months before. She finally sat down with French magazine Nice Matin speaking about a "happy even that is more and more difficult to conceal." Back in May Bruni's mother and father-in-law had confirmed her pregnancy, but she remained reticent to expose her private life to the public. In the Internet age, this type of "discretion" is nearly impossible to achieve. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in October. (credit:Getty)
Hilary Duff(06 of11)
The former Disney star broke the big news about her pregnancy with husband Mike Comrie back in August. Like Jessica Simpson, Duff made the announcement on her website. After writing briefly about her one-year anniversary, she proclaimed: "We also want to share the exciting news that...... BABY MAKES THREE!!!" (credit:Getty)
Jennifer Garner(07 of11)
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner already have two beautiful daughters -- 5-year-old Violet and 2-year-old Seraphina. However, in August the couple announced that they'd be adding a third child to their family. True to form, rather than sell the story on the cover of People, the couple released a short statement announcing the pregnancy, simply saying that they were "thrilled." (credit:Getty)
Beyonce Knowles(08 of11)
Although Beyonce always makes headlines, she drew even more attention (if that's even possible) at August's Video Music Awards. The singer first announced that she was pregnant on the red carpet -- a fact that was quickly tweeted by MTV. Later on in the evening, right after her performance of "Love on Top," she announced the good news to the world by saying "I want you to feel the love that's growing inside me," and rubbing her belly. This is her first child with husband Jay-Z. Beyonce's twitter announcement was so explosive that it generated the most tweets of the year -- even more than Steve Jobs' death. (credit:Getty)
Jessica Simpson(09 of11)
Jessica Simpson announced that she was expecting a baby with fiance Eric Johnson this past Halloween. Her announcement was one of the more creative we've seen. She took to her website, posting a photo of herself decked out in a mummy costume and holding her visibly pregnant belly. The caption? "It's True! I am going to be a mummy." (credit:Getty)
Maggie Gyllenhaal(10 of11)
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard seem like the ultimate cool parents. They're indie film darlings, live in Brooklyn and Maggie's brother is Jake Gyllenhaal. We kind of wish they were our parents, which is why the news that they're expecting a baby was so exciting. Just a few short weeks ago, Life & Style broke the news that the couple was expecting their second child -- and that Maggie was already six months along! And like many of her fellow pregnant celebs, this woman sure can work a baby bump on the red carpet. (credit:Getty)
Kourtney Kardashian(11 of11)
The eldest member of the Kardashian clan, Kourtney announced that she was expecting her second child at the end of November. In true reality star fashion, the announcement was made on none other than the cover of tabloid-mag, Us Weekly. This will be Kourtney's second child with boyfriend Scott Disick. We feel confident that her new baby will be just as stylish as 2-year-old Mason is. (credit:Getty)