Dido Gives Birth to Baby Boy, Keeps Secret For Months

While some celebrities bombard the public with every last milestone of their child’s conception, gestation and birth, singer Dido took a different approach with her son, Stanley.

The child- who shares a name with the titular character in Dido’s collaboration, “Stan,” with rapper Eminem in which her track Thank You is heavily sampled- wasn’t a total secret. The singer announced in February that she was expecting, and also told fans she’d be unable to travel to perform her song “If I Rise” at the Oscars with AR Rahman. In her place, Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine performed the song with Rahman to much acclaim. At the time, Dido expressed joy about her pregnancy, but some disappointment about being unable to perform. She said:

“Hello everyone, It’s been a month of amazing news for me and now I have some more to share. Me and my husband Rohan are expecting a baby and we’re beyond happy and excited about it. So as some of you already know, I won’t be able to travel to LA for the Oscars ceremony to perform ‘If I Rise.’ Obviously I’m really gutted about not being there – going to the Oscars has literally been a dream of mine since I was about nine.”

The singer remained quiet about her pregnancy, until a Christmas day announcement on her Facebook page. She revealed:

“I wanted to wish you all a very happy christmas. I’m ridiculously excited about stanley’s first christmas this year! ? Hope you all have a brilliant one and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in 2012… Love, dido xx”

Baby Stanley, Dido’s son with husband Rohan Gavin, was born in July.