The Duchess of Cambridge welcomed her third baby yesterday, but despite being well versed in motherhood it seems the royal is set to do things very differently with baby number three.
When Kate went on maternity leave last month, aides confirmed that the Duchess would not be returning to official duties until the Autumn and even then her ‘primary focus will be on her children’.
It is in stark contrast to her quick comeback after having Prince George when she opened the Ring of Fire marathon in Anglesey, six weeks after giving birth, and attending the America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth two months after having Charlotte.
Kate went on maternity leave last month and will not be returning to official duties until the Autumn and even then her ‘primary focus will be on her children’. Pictured, the Duchess of Cambridge with her newborn son on the steps of the Lindo Wing yesterday
This time, she will take a back seat while all eyes will no doubt be on newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan, who will be undertaking their first overseas tour together in October to Australia.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed a baby boy shortly after 11am yesterday and returned home to Kensington Palace just hours later.
Former midwife Diana Woodhead who now works for The Women’s Health Clinic said that Kate may have learned from coming back too soon previously, as well as a possible make the most of every minute with her ‘last’ baby.
Speaking about her return to duties six weeks after George’s birth, she said: ‘Certainly for most new mums, this is remarkably early. In terms of how the body recovers, Kate will only just be beginning to feel like her normal self.
The Duchess bounced back into action following the birth of Prince George in 2013, pictured
Just six weeks after welcoming her eldest son, the Duchess joined her husband to open the Ring Of Fire Marathonn in Anglesey, Wales, pictured
The Duchess was similarly active following the birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015, pictured
Two months after her daughter’s arrival the royal attended the America’s Cup in Portsmouth, above
‘At six weeks we expect the uterus to have started to settle down again and for the bleeding to have stopped, but for a lot of women it takes time to lose the “Mum tum”, not to mention the dark circles from the late night feeds.
‘With the media spotlight on her, she must have been under a lot of pressure to look her best. This can be very stressful for anyone, but especially those who probably just want to stay home and cuddle their newborn.’
Although the Duchess is not returning to a nine to five job, Diana said it’s important to remember there’s more to royal duties than meets the eye.
‘It’s something that will take a lot longer than the few hours she is out of the house.
‘I imagine preparation for such events can take days, so there’s no wonder she wants a bit of time back for this baby.
‘I think people underestimate the amount of stress an engagement could cause.
‘This isn’t a case of popping down the shops, there will be timings to adhere to – and these never work around a baby – they have their own time!
‘Then there’s planning that will go into the event such as clothing, hair, and make-up.
‘With breastfeeding mothers or just any new mum in general, your shape changes after a baby so those clothes you expected to slip back into might look completely different.
‘For engagements that entail a lot of preparation, for example greeting guests she might not have met before or speaking to the media, this demands an awful lot of clarity and recall – something in short supply when you have a newborn.’
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, seen on a visit to Berlin, welcomed a baby brother yesterday
The Duchess, 36, may wish to make the most of her ‘last’ baby if she’s not planning on expanding her family further
The Cambridges’ third child could be their ‘last’, and so the Duchess may wish to extend her maternity leave with this baby
It’s also possible that Kate is keen to make the most of precious time with the new arrival if there won’t be a royal baby number four.
‘Women who are aware that this might be “the last one” are keen on spending more time at home, wanting to really remember those last newborn cries or thigh dimples,’ Diana explained.
‘What is the most difficult to predict is the baby itself, so where you might have had the perfect sleeper first-time around, there really is no guarantee that this will be the case with the next one.
‘I think the Duchess is making a wise decision by not planning any engagements too soon until she knows what the new arrival requires.’
Kate was taken by car before 6am this morning to the private Lindo wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, and welcomed a baby boy shortly after 11am yesterday.
Prince William was the first to emerge from the hospital, when he left to collect Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two, from Kensington Palace.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge later posed on the hospital steps with their newborn son before returning home at around 6pm.
The prince, who has yet to be named, weighed 8lbs 7oz.
Growing brood: Next Christmas there will be five members of the Cambridge family on their official card (pictured is the photograph they used on their 2017 card)
This time, she will take a back seat while all eyes will no doubt be on newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan (pictured), who will be undertaking their first overseas tour together in October to Australia