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Knowing and naming
Getting fatter by the minute
Health and wellbeing
Emotions
The birth itself
Being a mum
What about dad?
Knowing and naming
After much speculation, Madonna confirmed on radio that she knew she was expecting a boy. Several names were bandied about, but in the end it was Lourdes who chose. "She'd run to Madonna, kiss her belly and say: 'Hello baby Rocco,'" Madge's former butler reveals. Guy adds, "A relative is called Rocco, so we named the baby after him." Their son's Christian name comes from South Italy, to reflect Madonna's heritage, and his middle name is John, after Guy's father.
Getting fatter by the minute
Madonna's two pregnancies were like chalk and cheese. With Lourdes she had swollen ankles, backache and haemorrhoids, and recalls, "Most of the time I didn't want to go out in public. I felt very self-conscious about being the size of a house. Some women find pregnancy very sexy but I had no desire to show my big, fat tummy to the world." However, Rocco's imminent arrival saw her munching on olives and eggs, and revealing her belly with pride as she wallowed in therapeutic mud at seven months pregnant, wearing just a skimpy bikini.
Health and wellbeing
Before conceiving Rocco, Madonna became a lean, mean fighting machine with the aid of power yoga and Pilates. She continued gentle exercise - walking and cycling - throughout pregnancy and after her Caesarean section was told to take it easy for at least six weeks to recover from surgery. Major factors in her incredible weight loss so soon after giving birth were breastfeeding and the demands of a world tour. "I feel great," she says. "My weight fell off through running around and rehearsing my show and my body's back to normal."
Emotions
"I don't want to sound immodest, but I don't think having a child has made me un-sexy," says Madonna. "There's nothing sexier than a mother. Having a child has made me a lot more sensitive and responsible, a lot more aware of my actions and words. I've gone through all of my sexual rebellion and don't need to do it any more." Before Guy and Rocco joined her little family, Madonna was determined not to let her unusual lifestyle come between her and Lourdes. "Like any other mother, I've made sacrifices for the sake of my daughter but it's meant that I have an incredible relationship with her."
The birth itself
"I knew that having a child would be an incredible healing experience - because I didn't have a mother," said Madonna of Lourdes. "I just knew my karma was to have a girl, and I instinctively had a longing for her." Years later, media speculation dominated Rocco's birth on 12 August 2000, with reports that Madonna's placenta had detached, cutting off the baby's oxygen supply and requiring an emergency Caesarean section. "None of that is true," said a statement released by her publicist. "Both the baby and Madonna are home and healthy and fine. There was never any life-threatening situation to anybody." Rocco was born prematurely at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills, weighing 5lbs 9oz.
Being a mum
"I enjoy being a mother of two but I'm balancing a lot of things - trying to be a good mum and running my own record label," says the superstar. "Sometimes I wonder how I get through the day. I've learned to be more relaxed and I'm less obsessive, less selfish - but that's being a parent. Should I get my nails done or go for a walk with my daughter? I know what I'd do."
What about dad?
When asked about Rocco and Madonna just after the birth, Guy told Radio 1: "The baby's very fat and she's very skinny and everyone's very happy. He's as good as gold. I don't know if you know, but they don't do a lot when they come out, they just stare at you. He looks a bit like my daddy, which makes me a bit suspicious!"
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