K is for Kate

Today on the blog, we are indulging in the celebrity world as we take an imaginary babymoon over to the United Kingdom and visit the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Kate has earned a lot of media attention from the very start, but has also been a fabulous role model for her family, keeping their lives as normal as possible throughout all the hype, and we can all respect her for that!

Kate recently gave birth to her third child, a boy named Louis, on the 26 th of April. As usual she met us on the front steps of the Lindo wing to dazzle and charm us. A lot of jaws dropped and criticisms spewed as the duchess stood in high heels and perfect hair and makeup only seven hours after giving birth. While this isn’t completely realistic, as not all of us have our own hair and makeup crew, the duchess has been a fabulous icon for new parents.

Kate Middleton is our definition of a fierce parent. She has chosen the same care providers for each birth she has had, as she knows what she wants and can trust in the team she has if a birth does not go quite as planned. She respects tradition, but still has no problem setting boundaries so her family can have a normal life. She also makes decisions as they are right for her family without care for anyone else’s thoughts, and we even read lately that she recycled her daughter’s old baby outfit for Prince Louis' first official photos. We also cheer her on for seemingly having so much support in her life and seemingly having such a grasp on the needs of her and her family. Way to go, Kate!

However, the duchess doesn’t seemingly have the perfect fairytale story. The media loves to portray things in a way that grab our attention, and we know that this past pregnancy the news came out a little earlier than the duchess wanted due to her severe morning sickness, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum. While we deeply feel for Kate, as we know this condition is never easy, it is a display to us of her humanness. No matter who we are looking at, every parent struggles along the way, and even in the light of the media, Kate handled her struggles with grace and overcame them. As doulas, we can understand the recognition this deserves, as we pride ourselves on getting to play the part of the
support person and watch parents do this every day.

And so our message today to our readers and parents out there is this: While we can’t grant you the title of duchess or duke, we hope you can knight yourself with the support you deserve and march to the beat that is right for you and your baby, just like one of our favorite parenting icons!


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