The French first lady Carla Bruni said on Sunday, she will keep the baby she is expecting with President Nicolas Sarkozy strictly out of view and not allow any photographs to be shown publicly.
Carla Bruni, 43, who is due to give birth in the coming months, says she does not know whether she is expecting a boy or a girl, but her main aim is to protect the infant from the glare of publicity.
'You don't have a child for the gallery', Carla Bruni told French television in an interview.
I understand the media interest (but) for children it's not possible.
Bruni said, 'I will do everything to protect this infant and I'll be absolutely rigorous. I will never show photos of this child, I will never expose this child'.
Carla Bruni's remarks suggest Mr Sarkozy will shy away from using glossy magazine spreads of a newborn baby to polish his family man image later this year when he announces a widely expected run at a second term in next year's presidential election.
The conservative is expected to announce his re-election plans in early November, just after France's G20 heads of state summit in Cannes and close to the time Carla Bruni is expected to give birth.
Mr Sarkozy's low popularity ratings have inched up during the summer as photos of him relaxing at the beach with the heavily pregnant Bruni gave him a family glow. That has contrasted with coverage of his erstwhile election rival on the left, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who has been in New York fighting sex assault charges.
Carla Bruni shed no light on when Mr Sarkozy will announce his election plans, saying only she hopes he will be there for the birth of their first child together.
