Entertainment
Author, presenter, and podcaster Giovanna Fletcher has dedicated her career to discussing what it really means to be a parent in 2020 and in the latest episode of her podcast she spoke to one of the most high profile mums in the country, the Duchess of Cambridge. Here’s five things we learnt from Kate Middleton talking to Giovanna Fletcher on Happy Mum, Happy Baby.
The royals have put their names to many good causes over the years. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have spent a lot of time talking about mental health, creating the Heads Together Campaign with Prince Harry. And Kate Middleton has focused her attention particularly on the mental health of mothers and early years development.
It’s clear the Duchess of Cambridge has been passionate about early years development long before she had children herself. She may live a privileged lifestyle but it appears she feels many of the same pressures as other parents. Lots of Insta-mums and mummy bloggers have opened up about topics like mum guilt and mental health professionals have spoken about the strain it can have on new and expecting mothers and it seems Middleton is no stranger to the emotion and many others that come with being a mum. Here are five of the thing she shared with Fletcher on the show.
1
The mum guilt is real
Fletcher has spoken many times on Happy Mum, Happy Baby about balancing work/life commitments and how parenting plays a role in that. When the Duchess of Cambridge was asked if she ever gets the feeling, she said, “yes absolutely, and anyone who doesn't as a mother is actually lying. Yes, all the time."
Middleton continued, “even this morning, George and Charlotte were like, 'Mummy how could you possibly not be dropping us off at school this morning?'”
2
Bringing Home Prince George Was "Terrifying"
People say nothing can really prepare you for the first time you bring a baby home and the Duchess of Cambridge said she could so relate. She didn’t want to stay in hospital too long as she said, “ for me, being in hospital, I had all the memories of being in hospital because of being sick [with acute morning sickness] so it wasn’t a place I wanted to hang around in. So, I was really desperate to get home and get back to normality."
After Prince George was born the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge emerged from the hospital and put him in the car to drive away. However, she said they didn’t breathe a sigh of relief that it’d all gone to plan. She said, “you’re driving away with a newborn baby. It’s terrifying.”
3
She Tried Hypnobirthing
The Duchess of Cambridge has spoken very candidly about her experience with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness, during her pregnancies and the podcast was no different. She told Fletcher that birth seemed like a relief because it brought the sickness to an end. And to get through birth Middleton explored hypnobirthing. She said, “I'm not going to say that William was standing there, sort of, chanting sweet nothings at me. He definitely wasn't. I didn't even ask him about it, but it was just something I wanted to do for myself."
She continued: “I saw the power of it really, the meditation and the deep breathing and things like that, that they teach you in hypnobirthing, when I was really sick, and actually I realised that this was something I could take control of, I suppose, during labor. It was hugely powerful."
4
She Tries To Create Special Moments Everyday
The royals attend engagements all over the world and sometimes the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge bring their three children. However, it’s the simpler moments with her family that Middleton appreciates the most. She said, “I’ve got this one photo of Charlotte smelling a bluebell and really, for me, moments like that mean so much to me as a parent. I try everyday to put moments like that in, even if they’re small and even if I don’t have time.”
5
She Loves Being "Dirty"
The Duchess of Cambridge revealed to Fletcher that she draws on her own, very happy childhood when she thinks about parenting herself. It’s not a secret that the royals spend a lot of their free time in the countryside and she said, “I had an amazing Granny who devoted a lot of time to us, playing with us, doing arts and crafts, going into her greenhouse and cooking with us. I try and incorporate a lot of the experiences she gave us at the time to the experiences I give my children.”
And when asked when she’s happy she said, “I’m with my family outside, in the countryside, and we’re all filthy dirty.”
6
You can listen to the full Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast episode with the Duchess of Cambridge here.
