Celebrities - are they real?!

[Lizzer]

Just been catching up on the latest celeb gossip after being away and been shocked by two things, the first being the news that Madonna has (allegedly - but this was apparently said by the woman herself) never ever changed a nappy for either of her children????

The second is that Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton have left their THREE WEEK old baby with his grandparents for an 11 day holiday and while he was recovering from an operation on his tongue!!!! Is it me or are they all mad, what does fame do to these people? Do you know anyone who would want to be away from their newborn baby for even a night, let alone a holiday? I thought the other one, Meg Matthews, was bad enough for being on her hols and mising her daughter's 1st birthday but they really take the biscuit with that news, weirdos.

As for the nappy changing, I can see how being able to afford anything on the planet would sway you into employing someone to do it, but hands up how many of us have been a little proud of our darling's 'productions' on occasions, or at least astounded - who would want to miss out on that experience?!

Completely agree. All that waffle from Nicole/Liam in the press about what great parents they were going to be and after the first three weeks they've thrown in the towel and gone off for a break. I think this is a growing trend, led by celebs, to give the impression that babies don't have to change your life at all. Which gives completely unrealistic expectations to the rest of us (i'm expecting my first)when it quite clearly does.

Hi Lizzer, I read that they were going to a concert that Liam was doing and that Doctors don't recommend you take a newborn on a flight longer than 4 hours.

I find it quite amazing that she can walk upright and is skinny again only 3 weeks after a caeserean! I have distinct memories of things still being numb, sore and having a tummy that swilled from side to side when I walked!!!!!!!!!!

Meow - yeah, don't believe it for a minute! The fact is the thought of having a break for a few HOURS would be very appealing (though I think I first went out for a drink when my little one was 12 weeks), but believe me getting on a plane and leaving the country for DAYS would have killed me, they change and grow every single minute at that stage you just wouldn't want to miss it for the world...

Rhiannon - yeah you are right, they flew to Tokyo for the Oasis concert and THEN are having a break in another country for a further 3 days, totalling 11 altogether. I know it's not recommended to take a new born on a plane - but why is she going? Surely if your partner had work commitments you wouldn't ditch your baby for that, it's his band she doesn't even shake a blinkin' tambourine for them?! Especially as the poor little thing has had feeding problems connected to the operation for his tongue (which was tied). The report I heard he had barely come round from the op when they jetted off. It's just plain selfish behaviour - but then again the child better get used to it with them two as his parents, there's another re-hab casualty to look out for in 20 yrs time, just what the world needs...!
I didn't know she had a c/section (mind you could have guessed given the current 'trend') but even after a normal birth a long plane flight to a hot country wasn't exactly high on my list of wants!
Oh, and that well quoted phrase that Liam said "she be the best mother in the world" or whatever is hilarious to think of now...Maybe he meant the best mother on the other side of the world!

Can only summise that they deserve each other - unfortunately it would appear their son deserves much better. Mind you, if Liam's reported past is anything to go by, Nicole's probably petrified about letting him out of her sight at present, lest she find herself dumped for a newer model without a c-section scar.

I agree. I was absolutely horrified when I read about the pair of them jetting off and leaving the baby behind, especially when he was recovering from an operation. I haven't been able to bring myself to leave my daughter with someone for 1 night, never mind days on end, and she's over a year and a half.
Lizzer, you're right, it does seem very selfish and worryingly enough you frequently read stories about celebs going off and doing their own thing, leaving their babies behind. Some of them seem to be normal and take motherhood seriously (Kate Winslet, Kate Beckinsale) but it makes you wonder why some people have babies at all if they'll readily absolve all responsibility and don't want their lives to change as a result.

This is the first I have heard of them doing this. Well, not much you can say really, just the type of behavior you would expect I suppose. Bexi, I too havnt left my son, not even for an evening and he is 10 months, dont know how she can jet off for 11 days. I suppose some people are not maternal and find it very easy or all and sundry to look after the baby. But she must be very scared or just down right hard to leave a newborn just after an operation.
Madonna not changing nappies, just ego gone mad.

Appletons best quote was that childbirth was easier than having a tattoo done!!!! Uuugh!

Personally, I'm very dissapointed at the thought that Guy Ritchie cannot join in discussions about poo. I think this is an essential part of being a dad, and it just diminishes him as a man. ;)

Well I too think its absolutely discusting Nicole leaving her newborn for 11 days. Think how much her baby will have changed. She will probably miss his fist smiles. How sad. I pity her.

She is putting her man before her baby and that is so wrong. It is usually the father who feels pushed out after a new baby arrives. How sad that in this case it is a tiny baby that is pushed out and made to feel like a gooseberry in her love affair with her man.

The woman must have NO maternal feelings whatso ever.

I also blame her parents for looking after the child instead of sitting her down and telling her stright to get her priorities right.

Im afraid its the norm in her dysfunctional family . Her sister natalie left her then 3 yr old to be brought up by her parents so she could pusue a jetsetting rock star life.

Even now the 8yr old does not fully live with her.

It also poses the question . If their daughters were not rich and famous would their parents still look after a 3 week old baby for 11 days while they jet off. I doubt it .

My mum would think I needed help if I made such a reqest.

I think of that mum dawn whose newborn was stolen from hospital for 16 days. Wouldnt she do anything to get those days back. Nicole is willingly giving up those days for a holiday.

It truly sickens me.

The point is celebs very often have different levels of 'acceptable' behaviour than others. I am constantly amazed by the fact that many have a string of children with different people in a really, really short space of time. If you or I did this, we would be condemned!!!!!! I hate the fact that so many babies are seen as little more that accessories.

Winnie... "but dahlink, children are so much more noughties than Gucci slippers, and now that Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren design clothes for them there really is no excuse not to have one." Oh God, and to think some people really do think along those lines....

Out of interest, how many of you would / do have holidays without your children?. Most of my colleagues take at least one 7 - 14 day break a year without their kids. From my perspective, I can't imagine anything worse as our 2 year old has enhanced our enjoyment of holidays hugely and I never feel I have enough time with him anyway. However, I work outdside the home and I wondered whether mothers who stay at home with the children all the time do feel the need to get away?. (not that many celebs fall into this category!!).

Bells, having recently deposited my 7 year old with his grandparents for a holiday in Devon, I can see the appeal. Son can too, his sense of excitement was palpable as he slid into the leather interior of MIL and FIL's car, Gameboy in hand, and prepared to be spoiled for a week. It was only my frantic tapping on the window that persuaded him to come out for a minute and give me a last goodbye hug.

Sorry to hijack this conversation about celebrities leaving their newborns, but leading on from Bells' question, I'm interested to know at what age people would let, or have let, their children take a separate holiday.

My son first went to his grandparents alone at 5 years - a holiday in addition to our family holiday, I should add. We're hoping that MIL and FIL will take both sons when the youngest is 4, but only, of course, if he wants to go and join his brother. Has anyone else let their children go on holiday without them at this age?

Bells1-We wouldnt dream of going on holiday without our son. When we found we were pregnant we were so excited and planned all the things to do as a family and one of the things we have looked forward to, especially dh, is our family holiday and breaks (you know the good old Butlins style holidays and in a few years Disney cruise ship). We havnt even left him for an evening yet, our time with him is precious (and he is with me 24 hours). We went on holiday in June and my husband was so happy to have this time with us both as he works such long hours. He had his daddy and son time going for walks and getting ready together before we went out. I dont think some people know what they are missing. But it does take allsorts and what is good for one is not necessarily good for another.

I've just had my younger brother staying with me for two weeks whilst my mum and step-dad were in Turkey. My brother is seven and he really enjoyed staying with me and his neice. He missed my mum quite a bit though as it was the first time he'd not seen them for that length of time but overall he had a great time. (Plus he tirelessly entertained my daughter for the whole fortnight - she will really miss him now he's gone home.)
Leaving my daughter to go on holiday is not something I'm planning on doing any time soon, but at 7 years old her uncle didn't seem to upset at having a separate holiday away from his parents.

My son has stayed with my parents for two nights at a time while my husband and I spend some time alone. Not sure if that counts, as it's part of a larger holiday there. The first time we did it was when he was 2 and a bit and we've done it a couple of times since (he's 3 1/2 now). Actually, every time we have an extended stay there we go out for a couple of nights.

Because I don't work and my parents live in the US, my son and I take longer holidays than my husband who gets there when he can. It's not ideal, but does work for us, especially since a short visit isn't worth it due to jet lag and cost.

Bells1, oh yeah, I definitely feel the need to get away sometimes. I've taken two long weekends away by myself and both were wonderful. My husband watched the little guy and took a day off of work to do so each time. My husband also takes separate breaks every once in a while.. only when I force him to do it, though.

We're expecting baby number two in 7 weeks, so no more of those sorts of things for a while! No, that's not true, my in-laws are coming out next week and we get 2 nights next weekend as a last fling. Yay!

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I think if you've got someone you can trust and your children like, like grandparents, whom you can offload them on to, then it is too good an opportunity to miss (particularly as grandparents get older (!) and may not be around when the children are more independent of you). We went away for a weekend when our two were 3 and a half and one and a half, and came back feeling really refreshed. I think any longer and I would have started to miss them a lot, and as Bells1 said, they just enhance your enjoyment of a holiday. I suppose I can also envisage a time (not sure at what age) when they might want to go on holiday with a friend and parents and we might take one of our children's friends on holiday with us.

If we had any family nearby (or for that matter any that could be trusted!), I could certainly see my husband and I going off for the occassional weekend together. I would love the opportunity to have my son spend time with his grandparents on his own as I'm sure it would be positive for both parties. In our case though it isn't possible.

I do struggle with the idea though of going abroad for a holiday without your children of a week or longer though. I just think that being somewhere warm, with maybe a beach/pool available is such good fun with children. Especially considering the big welcome kids receive in so many European countries.

Definitely, the best holidays in terms of enjoyment that my husband and I have had are the ones since our son was born.

I think a weekend away is very different from going on holiday. I think when my son is older then I may be ready to leave him for a night or two to spend some time with my husband. I think by that time his job may take him to different places and it will be nice to meet up with him, but not sure if I could ever go abroad without him, seems a bit too far.

I have now left my 19 month old once overnight and then last weekend for two nights and it was so refreshing (although I didn't get a decent nights sleep as I was so used to hearing her in the night - I actually got 6 hours sleep in 2 nights - gutted!) The feeling of not being 'just a mum' was great, weird but nice. If anyone read my thread a couple of months ago I was beside myself with worry at how she would react being left with my parents, but she was fine. I hope that I can go away again for a break sometime next year -but as someone pointed out a weekend is different from a holiday and I'm not sure how I would feel jetting off on a plane without her...

Must admit though at the wedding at the weekend I shed a couple of guilty tears when I saw a little 3 yr old running around at the wedding being cute (the reason I didn't take her was because it was miles away) I was a little tipsy at the time though - always great to make a bit of a fool of yourself at weddings I find!

As to Nicole's parents looking after baby, I'm sure that mine would have been horrified if I had suggested doing something like that. What I was wondering, which no-one knows is that could she be suffering from depression or something? I don't know if that's how it would make you feel, but it would be a bit more understandable if she was. Personally I think, like Zoe7, that she is completely being manipulated by Liam who I imagine acts like a spoilt brat most of the time - I hope she realises the mistake she made when they no doubt split up in the near future (Oooo, I love bitching about celebs, my fave hobby at the moment!)

Yes, Lizzer, it also crossed my mind that Nichole could have a touch of post-natal depression. And it's easy not to be firing on all cylinders in the thinking straight department, so soon after giving birth. Especially when you've got someone like Liam to complicate your life.

I suppose time will tell.

Perhaps she couldnt decide which baby needed her more and the bigger one threw a bigger tantrum and won.

Ha Ha! Sadly, I can just see that happening.

Nice one Joe!