Beyoncé Knowles is reportedly due to give birth in February and is hoping for a baby boy.

The 29-year-old singer announced yesterday at the MTV Video Music Awards that she is pregnant with her first child.

But a source has told RadarOnline that she is expecting her baby early next year and is hoping for a son with rapper husband Jay-Z.

'Beyoncé is about three months along and is due in February,' a source told the site.

The Single Ladies singer is very close with her six-year-old nephew Daniel Julez Smith Jr who is the son of her sister Solange Knowles, 25.

The insider said that the whole family are 'really excited' for Julez to have a cousin to play with.

'Of course having a little boy for Julez to play with would be ideal, so they have their fingers crossed,' the source added.

'But both Beyoncé and Jay are so happy to be having a baby, they don't care what it is!'

Beyoncé shared her happy news at the beginning of her performance where she told fans that she wanted them to 'feel the love that's growing inside of me' and rubbed her burgeoning baby bump at the end.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z wed in 2008 but have been together for nine years.