An ecstatic Britney Spears announced she is pregnant with her long-term boyfriend Sam Asghari on Monday.
The 40-year-old delighted fans when she shared her exciting baby news as they know all too well the struggle she’s endured to get pregnant.
The Baby One More Time singer, 39, was entered into a legally mandated conservatorship - also known as a legal guardianship - lead by her father Jamie, and had not been able to live her life freely since 2008.
She was finally freed of the legal mandate in November 2021, and allowed to make her own decisions again.
Britney's breakdown and hospitalisation - which saw her shave her whole head in 2008 - sparked legal action from her father to seek legal guardianship.
The legal guardianship she was placed under required Britney to follow the direction of lawyers and medical consultants, including her 67-year-old father, who made up both sides of her conservatorship team.
Each year, the probate court compels the parties involved to justify their reasoning for continuing the conservatorship, and for 13 years, the star's dad did not let the mum-of-two live her life independently.
During her plight to free herself from the conservatorship, a court heard how Britney had an IUD birth control device implanted so she could not get pregnant for years while under her father’s control.
Britney is already a mother to two boys - Sean, 14, and Jayden, 13, - whom she shares with DJ ex-husband Kevin Federline.
But the star has been desperate to have another baby, telling of her dream many times over the years.
Here we look back at all the times Britney Spears spoke about wanting third baby throughout her conservatorship as she shared her happy pregnancy news…
#FreeBritney is born
The #FreeBritney movement began in a bid to free her from her father's control after Britney told a court official in 2019 that she wanted to have a baby with her boyfriend Sam.
However her dad Jamie was against the idea, a report claimed.
A source told UsWeekly at the time: "Britney told the probate investigator late last year she wanted to have a baby. Her dad [Jamie Spears] had always been against Britney getting pregnant."
Court battle
During a Los Angeles Superior Court hearing in June 2021, Spears spoke out against her 13-year-long conservatorship.
One of the most disturbing allegations she made was that she wanted her implanted IUD birth control device removed so she can have more kids but was told she could not.
“I want to be able to get married and have a baby,” Spears told Judge Brenda Penny in the public statement.
“I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby. I have an IUD inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant.
“I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have any more children.”
‘Desperate’
A former partner of Britney's, who asked not to be named over concerns of retribution from the Spears' family, told The Post during her court battle that the singer was 'desperate' to extend her family with a daughter.
"What she wants more than anything is to have a baby girl," he said.
"That's all she's ever wanted, really. They kept that from her. They told her she had to do the Vegas show instead."
Britney's ex told The Post: "I just assumed they were giving her birth control pills every day since there was no way they’d let her get pregnant when there was the Vegas show to do."
During her virtual court appearance, Britney claimed she had been forced into work, including a tour in 2018 that she said she agreed to 'out of fear.'
Vegas residency
In 2014, before the conservatorship was public knowledge, Radar reported that Britney wanted to expand her brood when her Las Vegas residency ended the following year.
The singer started dating David Lucado, who was a researcher at a law firm, in March 2013, just two months after ending her engagement with Jason Trawick.
A source told RadarOnline: “Britney cannot wait until the Vegas show is done because she wants to start a family with David.”
Heartbreakingly, the source added: “She says she will get pregnant as soon as the show is finished!
“David is always with her in Vegas and they act like an old married couple together. He is really good with her kids and has taken to the father role pretty easily.”
‘Mini-me’
The Criminal singer admitted earlier in 2014 that she would love to have more children so she didn’t feel so lonely.
She said: “I would really like to have another baby, a girl.
“I think she would be like a mini-me. I think it's going to be crazy.
“I'm not going to feel as alone in the world anymore. I'm going to feel like I have a second person, like, that's me.”
Happy ending
Britney has finally been granted her wish and is set to become a mum for the third time.
The “Piece of Me” singer and Sam Asghari have been romantically linked since meeting on the set of Spears’ 2016 “Slumber Party” music video.
The couple got engaged in September 2021.
She shared the happy news on Instagram on Monday, revealing she got a pregnancy test after partner Sam suggested she take one following their trip to Maui.
Sharing the news on Instagram, she revealed that she was confused after appearing to put on weight after her trip to Maui, prompting her partner to suggest that she could be pregnant.
She referred to Sam as her husband in the post, suggesting that they may have married in secret.
Britney also admitted that she was concerned as had suffered with perinatal depression in the past.
She wrote: "I lost so much weight to go on my Maui trip only to gain it back … I thought “Geez … what happened to my stomach ???” My husband said “No you’re food pregnant silly !!!” So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby … 4 days later I got a little more food pregnant It’s growing !!! If 2 are in there … I might just loose it …"
Britney added: "It’s hard because when I was pregnant I had perinatal depression … I have to say it is absolutely horrible … women didn’t talk about it back then … some people considered it dangerous if a woman complained like that with a baby inside her … but now women talk about it everyday … thank Jesus we don’t have to keep that pain a reserved proper secret… This time I will be doing yoga every day !!! Spreading lots of joy and love !!!"
