To say YABU if you think Kate deserves no sympathy because 'she knew what she was getting into!'

[ChipperChapper]

It sounds like the sort of people use to say (and often still do), if a younger mother dared complain if she was drained - All because 'she knew what she was getting into' when she decided to have a baby, and that 'she knew the dad probably wouldn't stick around, she knew babies aren't dolls'

^The above is no reflection of all or even most young mums! I am one.

Anyway, moving on... Isn't it quite tactless and a bit lacking in compassion to say "She knew what she was getting into!"

I don't know her personally, but Will, and her three children, are just that to her. Not Royal figures for show.

I understand she may be feeling a million dollars, though. I suffered with HG and felt like going to the Ritz after my DC's birth. Sadly, I neglected to pack a dress and was quite disappointed I was going home in leggings and a top

I don't think she has that much to worry about. She wears heels all the time so is probably used to them. In that first rush of excitement and happiness after birth it's probably a good time to give the media five minutes.

She can go home and relax after with as much help as she wants or needs. I don't think the photo call is a massive deal in that context.

It appears that she has a husband who loves and considers her, and who makes time for his family. If this is correct, I reckon that makes everything much easier - whether it's a life in media scrutiny like Kate has or a whole set of different problems. A supportive husband and loving environment make all the different. Much more than all the money etc, though that too must make life easier.

For me personally- I would have been fine to do this a few hours after giving birth, and then go home for a proper rest etc. You still have the adrenaline rush at thst point ( or I did). A few days or a week late might have been a different story!

she looked spectacularly healthy and well for having being up all night pushing an eight pound baby out of a sensitive area. I don't feel sorry for her, nor do I get any "woe is me" vibes from her, ever. Quite the opposite.

I imagine she was straight home (to the palace), nice hot shower, into a great big pillowy Royal bed (alone) and the baby is being brought to her for feeds only. If that.

No, I'll save my sympathy for somebody else!

I imagine she was straight home (to the palace), nice hot shower, into a great big pillowy Royal bed (alone) and the baby is being brought to her for feeds only. If that.

Why do you imagine that? Why would she be any different from any other new Mum in wanting her baby with her? Do you imagine that if we were all In her shoes we would wave the baby away after each feed? Of course we wouldn't (well most of us anyway)we would want to hold and cuddle him and lie awake just looking at him and I don't imagine she's any different in that respect

BUT I think if she does want someone else to wind and settle the baby etc. while she sleeps after a feed there will be someone to do it. She won't be left to get into the states of exhaustion you read about on here!

Oh my, posters weeping over poor Kate having to wear heels for 60 flipping seconds! She wasn't asked to do a walkabout round Paddington in them. It was a small effort, followed by vast, blissful nesting and snuggling with her baby at the palace for months on end where she will not be troubled by anyone and she will have every care and support she could wish for.

oh give over. she had to stand for a few pictures, not go down a mine. it's hardly a massive hardship when put in the perspective of all the privilege she has for the role is it?
so, yes, I felt a pang of 'poor woman' when i saw the picture, but the truth is she DID know that marrying into that family would result in this should she ever have a child. and i'm sure she can live with it. hence why she's done it three times!

And nobody asks her to dress the way she does. Neither Diana nor Fergie made themselves look as immaculate as she does when they brought their babies out of the hospital. Diana wore flats. Kate could have worn flats. She chose to wear short floaty dresses and tights. She could have worn smart maternity trousers with flats and a beautiful top and the world's press would still lap it up and we would all coo over the baby and she'd still look great.

She chooses this. She has created the expectation. It's all part of the image that they have carefully designed together of how they want to present their family.

See the articles that will now follow. Supermum, superhuman? Kate and her spectacular appearance. How does she do it? She's not like the rest of us. She's amazing, a deity almost. Look at her glowing face? I was a mess, weren't you? So slender, so coiffed, I could barely crawl into my leggings...blah blah goes the narrative of the plebs. Poor Kate, but isn't she a goddess, isn't she wonderful? Better woman than me.

Isn't she perfect?

They feed this. There's no need.

I really can’t see any reason at all that she would need our sympathy.

There are women all over the country that DO need our compassion and sympathy. Meanwhile refuges are underfund, services have been cut, there’s a “hostile environment” for immigrants etc.

Oh my, posters weeping over poor Kate having to wear heels for 60 flipping seconds!

And she didn’t even have to do that. She chose to.

She does considerably less than the role she signed up for typically requires, and she and William have been given an unprecedented level of protection from the press. They’ve got a pretty good thing going on. All the perks, very little of the work.

Sympathy for what exactly?

Choosing to pose for a photo after giving birth? Choosing to have a baby? Having 3 healthy children?

Or is it being fawned over by total strangers who act like they know you and think your amazing because your hair looks nice? I imagine that gets irritating but I'm sure the money and privilege soothes the blow.

Nothing against her btw, don't know her, she doesn't say anything much so we don't really know what she's like beyond pics.

It's the people idolising a stranger for having a baby and shiny hair that's weird.

Agree with PP. No sympathy here - she chose this image and had it pretty easy, I would say. I found William’s comment about “thrice the problems” crass. Let me lead you to this doorway with this homeless man under a duvet and then you can tell me what problems are, pal.

Outdated and superficial. Such a waste of money! Those articles about how wonderful Kate looked, etc. will only be in crap papers like the Daily Mail, but they bash women for anything anyway.

Besides which, she went home to 2 nurseries, a Norland nanny and goodness knows what other perks. She should have given birth there, if she found it so difficult - I’m sure it could have been arranged.

One of the reasons people knew the baby announcement was imminent was the arrival of her stylist. Who wouldn't look great in a two minute photo call with a stylist to dress you after you had squeezed out your third.

I don't feel sorry for them. They have carved out quite a 'naice' ordinary life for themselves. Remember her shopping in Waitrose with a trolley when he was in the army. They have given up the formal Christmas day at Sandringham to spend it with her parents. They have much less staff than he did as a child. And don't forget she went out with him for years before they married - remember 'Waity Kate'. And they split up for a time and got back together. She knew what she was getting into but she seems to be handling it well.

I’m just at plumper? Really?

I don’t think she’s looking for sympathy. No one would have cared if she came out in a tracksuit and slippers.

This is such a strange thread.

I think it's plainly obvious that Kate gives birth quite easily! I left hospital within hours of having my second. I could certainly have walked down some stairs in a dress and heels, smiling and carrying my baby, just like she did, and endured a short car ride home before being able to relax.

I'm absolutely certain that had she had a traumatic time and needed days hiding away in hospital she'd have had them. No need to feel sorry for her at all.

I don't feel sorry for her at all, but that's because I think she genuinely seems very happy!

Sympathy? 🤔

I think there are simply unpleasant people in the world.

She seems a nice woman and got dressed up to show the public that she take a it seriously. All the ruminating is spurious: if she had no make up and flats = savaged, dressed up and made up = savaged.

People are dicks.

At least they didn’t have her in a white/yellow dress again.

Oh FFS. Nobody “had her” in anything. She chooses her own clothes.

What is all this tiny violin playing in aid of?

Strange thread. She looked fine and happy to me. I expect she could have stayed longer in hospital if she'd wanted to.
It seems to be the norm on mumsnet that everyone feels like shit after having a baby and just wants to lie around in their pyjamas. That simply isn't true for a lot of people. I would have had no problem with doing what Kate did. I don't do the whole hair and makeup thing or wear high heels, but Kate does, it's what she's used to, so why would this occassion be any different?

Kate often wears sturdy wedges, so she could have easily worn those if she wanted, not the heels.