As if by magic, the Floras and Doras of Britain are no longer just the ones hanging out in bingo halls. They’re in playgrounds, prams and pushchairs, proudly bearing the monikers of their grandmothers and great-grandmothers. The older Georges and Alfreds and Stanleys of the world now have miniature namesakes, little grandsons and great-grandsons named in their honour. And with Alfie the 22nd most popular boys’ name in 2005, Emily at the top of the girls’, new parents all over the UK are showing that “old-lady chic” and “grandad cool” have well and truly arrived.

Just like flares and hairstyles, baby names seem to come and go in cycles. But why should this be? Names our own parents might never have dared inflict on us: geeky, awkward ones like Edith, Reggie or Florence: have emerged from the charity-shop box of names, transformed, with a definite whiff of vintage glamour

With doting parents-to-be willing to pay up to £250 for images of their unborn children, baby scans have suddenly become big business.

Conventional pregnancy scans, the standard option for offered to most NHS patients, are static images taken with a two-dimensional (2-D) scan. Parents take home a grainy black-and-white photograph. At the moment mums-to-be have NHS ultra-sound scans at 12 and 20 weeks to check that the foetus is healthy. These new moving 4-D images are performed at 24 to 30 weeks and can be downloaded onto an iPod, e-mailed to friends or even used as a screensaver. Dr Panday has recently opened a new scanning unit at The Portland Hospital in London, “with 4-D scanning, the image is in real time and you can show parents moving images of the expression on their baby’s face”.

The technology company Philips has just released a cutting edge vision of how pregnancy scans might look in the next three to five years. Both parents will sit on a comfortable double seat and a fabric belt is wrapped round the pregnant belly. This projects real time sound and vision from the womb on to a giant rounded tummy-shaped screen on the wall. This is still a concept theory but is predicted to become reality within three to five years.

Recently in the Times Newspaper there was a very interesting article following a study from Exeter University revealing how we can help to determine the sex of our offspring by what we eat. “If you want a boy, eat a healthy diet with a high calorie intake, including breakfast,” says Fiona Mathews, the lead researcher of the study.

Yet as a nation we are becoming heavier by the day – 56 per cent of British women are classed as overweight or obese. So is it sensible to give all women of childbearing age who want a baby boy carte blanche to pack away the calories? Gaining those extra pounds may be fine for women whose weight is normal, but not for those who are already too heavy. Doing so could increase their risk of raised blood pressure and pregnancy-related diabetes if they conceive.

Although the researchers say that it would be ethically wrong for women who want a baby girl to go on a low-calorie plan, that is precisely what those women would be tempted to do.This could reduce their fertility – a rather obvious own goal – and affect nutrient intake at a time when a diet containing adequate vitamins and minerals, essential fats, protein and energy is crucial for development of the foetus, whatever its sex, as well as the mother’s health.

This research should be viewed with caution. After all, Victoria Beckham has three bonny boys and she, for one, seems clearly to contradict the study’s findings.

Jennifer Lopez’s hubby has apparently splashed out a whopping £1.3 million on diamond earrings to thank her after she gave birth to their twins.

Songwriter Marc Anthony even had the earrings engraved with the initials ‘M’ and ‘E’ in honour of their new arrivals, Max and Emme, reports the Daily Mirror.

A source said: “It’s no secret that J-Lo has expensive taste, so Marc was going to have to spend a serious amount to show her how he feels.”

The paper says the proud parents – who welcomed the twins last month – are currently looking for a nanny who they can “trust to give the twins a good sense of grounding and some proper discipline when they aren’t around”.

Singer and actress J-Lo, 38, recently revealed having the babies has changed her life.

“You win an Oscar, get nominated for a Golden Globe – you know, whatever things you think are big – I can’t even think of anything that can match the actual miracle of giving birth and having your own child. It’s beyond anything you could ever imagine,” she told People.

Here’s how to keep yourself and you baby fit… She may be expecting a baby in June, but Nicole Kidman is determined to keep her body and baby in the best of health. Earlier this month, the 40 year old actress was pictured out walking with her personal trainer in Sydney’s Centennial Park.

The Oscar winning actress is certainly not alone in her desire to stay in shape throughout her pregnancy. Elizabeth Hurley did Pilates when she was expecting her son Damian. Cindy Crawford, Sarah Jessica Parker and Gwyneth Paltrow all favoured yoga for keeping trim during their pregnancies, while Geri Halliwell was often seen out power-walking while preganant with her daughter Bluebell Madonna. Staying reasonably active throughout the nine months is essential, it seems, if you want to tone up in record time after the birth