Will The Royal Baby Miss Out?

It has been reported that the Duchess of Cambridge plans to shun the idea of having a maternity nurse to assist her with her newborn baby, and instead she will be moving back home with her parents. It goes to show that whatever money might buy you, sometimes home grown support remains more attractive to people than expensive professional help.

Removal from Reality?

A maternity nurse can be invaluable for helping a new mother get their baby into a routine and also for providing the much needed rest time for mum to recover from the birth. However, many couples can find that the presence of a stranger in their house is uncomfortable, even frustrating whilst they are trying to learn the ropes with their new child. There's is no doubt that If William and Kate can get through the early weeks without having a maternity nurse their relationship between one another and with the baby will benefit. Whilst a nurse can give a couple more rest time, there is a lot to be said for getting to know the baby as a couple without such professional interference. A nurse means less direct involvement from the parents, and whilst more sleep might sound appealing, sleepless nights helping your wife to settle or feed a baby are hugely important for giving the father a proper understanding of her role as a mother and also for bonding with his baby.

With Kate having led a relatively grounded childhood in comparison to the Royals, giving their child a balanced upbringing must be a concern for her. The child will live an unquestionably privileged lifestyle but that comes at an expense. Childcare will be in the form of live-in nannies. So the child will miss out on the social lessons that come from attending a nursery or being cared for by a childminder who might typically take them to the local library, to the supermarket or teach them about riding on buses and crossing busy roads.

An Isolating Experience

Neither Kate or the baby will be able to introduce themselves to strangers at toddler groups over a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit, making friends with likeminded people and flexing the muscle of their baby's immune system by frequent exposure to other babies and toddlers. She will have a social circle but it is impossible to replicate the experience of getting to know others in the same boat as you are.

Kate may have friends or family with babies, but it will be hard for her to recreate the bond and security found in friendships formed from antenatal groups, postnatal exercise groups or with other mums at school. Being mother to the future king or queen of England could give rise to the paradox of being a woman who has it all yet finds parenthood extremely isolating.

Whilst the Royal couple may miss out on the freedom of spontaneity - they can't take a picnic and a ball to Hyde Park, they can't decide today to pop down to the local fair or take their child around the market teaching them about food and about money - at least not without drawing a great deal of attention and disruption to their day, people will still look up to the example they set as parents. Many women look to Kate with envy, but they should also remember all the freedom they have to bring their child up in their own way and to live motherhood the way they choose. In that sense Kate doesn't really have it all, so be careful what you wish for!

This article is a feature from the MUM.com Trusted Bloggers Club.

About the author

Siobhan Thomas

Siobhan left the corporate world behind when she had her first daughter in 2010. After that she got involved in Mum.co.uk and became Senior Editor in 2012. She now has two little girls and loves being a mum.

Click here to read my full biography.

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