With last week’s news that Kim Kardashian is three months pregnant with boyfriend Kanye West‘s baby, it seems that the media can only talk about one thing this week: their impending spawn. People have speculated about everything from a KimYe baby clothing line to weight loss deals for Kardashian, although the duo have stayed mum about actual plans. Like any couple expecting for the first time, they need guidance—and who better to turn to than West’s mentor, collaborator and best friend Jay-Z, who welcomed a high-profile baby of his own last year with superstar wife Beyoncé.
Since Jay-Z and Beyoncé seemed to have done everything right—from pregnancy to birth—we decided to offer up tips from Jay and Bey’s method that KimYe should channel as they await their firstborn.
1. Keep the public appearances to a minimum. Yes, we know we’re talking about one of the most fame hungry couples in the business, who are tracked by paparazzi 24/7. They can’t help candid photos showing up in the media, but Kim can definitely hold off on the public appearances that have become her trademark. We’re not saying she has to completely shun the spotlight, but don’t bask in it.
When Beyoncé was expecting Blue Ivy, she made a couple of appearances, memorably turning up at a Halloween party at The Darby in New York in a chic bee costume that emphasized her baby bump. Bey also graciously posed for occasional red carpet photos, but she ducked out of events early. Right after the pregnancy announcement, Kim partied until the wee hours at 1OAK in Las Vegas. We’re sure she had that appearance in the calendar for months, and it probably netted her hundreds of thousands of dollars, so we understand why she went ahead with it—but that should probably be the last one.
2. Maintain control of the baby’s press (from first pictures to social media). These days, it’s de rigueur for celebs to net big bucks by selling the first pictures of their kids to a weekly magazine. In fact, it’s already being rumored that the KimYe baby shots could sell for over $1 million. Since Kim famously sold pics of her second wedding (to NBA star Kris Humphries—to whom she is technically still legally married to) to People, and her sister Kourtney‘s two children Mason and Penelope made their debuts on Us Weekly, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if she wanted to follow suit—but this is where they should really channel Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
Back in February, the couple debuted shots of Blue Ivy on Beyoncé’s Tumblr with a short message of thanks to their fans reading, “We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives.” Kim may opt to post pics on her Celebuzz blog, but we think a personal Tumblr post that doesn’t give away too much about the baby would not only be classier, but also drum up intrigue and be good for their personal brands. Kanye is way more private than she is, and may insist on channeling Jay with this one.
3. Kim needs to channel Beyoncé’s pregnancy style. So far, Kim’s maternity outfits consisted of gym clothes (she’s been spotted going to the gym three times since New Year’s Eve), and a super-skimpy sheer Julien Macdonald dress that channeled Kanye’s pregnant ex-girlfriend Amber Rose. Given the makeover Kanye’s given her over the past year, we hope she starts to strays from that style and channel Beyoncé, who didn’t shy away from sequins, leather, and Louboutins (she is a rock star, after all), but she pulled it off with elegance and was never vulgar. We think being pregnant in five-inch heels is fabulous, but we do take issue with being pregnant in sheer cut-out dresses and ill-fitting gladiator heels.
4. Kanye should release a song upon the birth. When Jay-Z released “Glory,” the track he wrote for Blue Ivy that came out days after her birth, we were all touched. The tribute features lyrics like “You’re a child of destiny,” alluding, of course, to Bey’s tenure as the front woman of legendary R & B band Destiny’s Child. The song even featured Blue Ivy’s laugh. If Kanye can do this in an equally endearing fashion, we think this would be viewed positively. Even though Kanye has had his share of career snafus (Taylor Swift, anyone?), his music has always been critically acclaimed—and in many ways, his saving grace.
5. Take some time off. While both couples are known workaholics, Bey and Jay definitely made the most of their alone time after Blue Ivy was born. Kim may be eager to do a slew of magazine covers showing off her post-baby curves or dramatic weight loss, and Kanye may want to embark on a world tour (or at least head to Fashion Weeks all over the globe), but it would probably best if they got to know each other better as a family unit.