The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, is more open than ever about her journey towards motherhood while a guest on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast.
During the nearly 35 minute episode, Middleton not only talks about her work around the early years of a child’s life and how that affects them as adults, but she also gets personal about her role as a mom of three.
RELATED: Kate Middleton Says Prince William Feels Complete As a Parent of 3
The Duchess of Cambridge Talks About the Moment She Introduced Prince George to the World
As the Duchess explained, she always had an interest in learning about early childhood development and in fact, her research has helped shape her as a mom today. But perhaps one of the most personal moments in the interview came when Middleton opened up about giving birth to her firstborn son, Prince George.
As fans of the Royal Family know, it is a tradition for them to introduce their newborn children to the world very shortly after birth. And it is often talked about how quickly Middleton was expected to pull it together after welcoming all three of kids into the world. Middleton said of those moments in her life:
“Yeah, slightly terrifying, slightly terrifying, I’m not going to lie. Everyone had been so supportive and both William and I were really conscious that this was something that everyone was excited about and, you know, we’re hugely grateful for the support that the public had shown us, and actually for us to be able to share that joy and appreciation with the public, I felt was really important. But equally, it was coupled with a newborn baby, and inexperienced parents, and the uncertainty of what that held, so there were all sorts of mixed emotions.”
Kate Middleton Talks Pregnancy and Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Middleton also talked about mom guilt, specifically when she has to leave 6-year-old George, 4-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 1-year-old Prince Louis for work. And her experience with debilitating mourning sickness, which as she admits means she’s not the “happiest of pregnant people.”
“[It was] utterly rotten! I was really sick – I wasn’t eating the things I should be eating – but yet, the body was still able to take all the goodness from my body and to grow new life, which I think is fascinating. It was through hyperemesis that I really realized the power of the mind over the body because I really had to try everything and everything to try and help me through it.”
Middleton also opened up how her husband Prince William felt about watching his wife battle the intense mourning sickness. “William didn’t feel like he could do much to help. And it’s hard for everyone to see you suffering without actually being able to do anything about it.”
Middleton Says She Used ‘Hypnobirthing’ for All Three of Her Child
The 38-year-old also explained how dealing with hyperemesis gravidarum led her to using a technique called “hypnobirthing” for all three of her labor and deliveries. According to the Mayo Clinic, hypnobirthing “is a birthing method that uses self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques to help a woman feel physically, mentally and spiritually prepared and reduce her awareness of fear, anxiety, and pain during childbirth.”
“It was through hyperemesis that I really realized the power of the mind. […] 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 realized that this was something I could take control of, I suppose, during labor. It was hugely powerful and because it had been so bad during pregnancy, I actually really quite liked labor! Because actually it was an event that I knew there was going to be an ending to! But I know some people do have really, really difficult times, and it’s not for everybody.”
Even For Royalty, Adjusting to Life as a Mom Wasn’t Easy
The mom of three revealed that she and William didn’t know until she gave birth that George was going to be a little boy. She added that it was amazing seeing her husband’s face as their son was born. Middleton also admitted that bringing their little prince home was the biggest adjustment for them.
“Particularly with your first-born baby, you think everything is going to go back to how it was. I totally underestimated the impact and the change it had on our lives from that moment really and I think, unless you’ve got children, you don’t realize. No amount of planning and preparation can get you ready for that moment.”
Including moments like putting their child in his car seat for the first time. As Middleton explained, while that iconic moment as they were taking George home for the first time may have looked flawless on screen, in reality, they were pretty clueless.
She explained, “We were like ‘What do we do? [He’s] in a swaddle? How’s this supposed to work?’ We’d even tried to practice with a little baby, like a little doll, at home but you know it just never works out the way you planned it so it was quite hard to do that on the world’s stage, but no, he did a very good job.”