Shakira shows off baby bump, hosts online baby shower for good cause
Shakira is changing the meaning of a traditional baby shower.
The pregnant singer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, along with her soccer star beau Gerard Pique, won't be on the receiving end of gifts for their unborn child. Instead, they're inviting friends and fans to join their online baby shower to help support some of the world's most vulnerable babies, as part of a partnership with UNICEF.
Fans can visit the couple's interactive "living room" to purchase an "inspired gift" -- items that can help keep children safe from malaria, including a $5 mosquito net, $10 polio vaccine, $37 baby-weighing scale, or a $110 Therapeutic Food that helps malnourished children.
"To celebrate the arrival of our first child, we hope that, in his name, other less privileged children in the world can have their basic needs covered through gifts and donations," the invitation reads. "Thank you for sharing this unforgettable moment with us."
"Every expectant parent around the world shares all the same hopes and dreams for their children that we do," Shakira said in a statement. "Yet many don't share the same opportunities. Together we know we can change that."
According to a press release, "Some 19,000 children under the age of five still die globally every day from largely preventable causes."
Shakira, meanwhile, is working on a new album. She'll also serve as a judge on the upcoming season of NBC's "The Voice."
Shakira, 35, and Pique, 25, went public with their relationship in March 2011 and announced the baby news last September.
Go here to take part in Shakira's virtual baby shower.