Japanese Royal Family

[UrsulatheSeaWitch]

Hm. Boy born to second son leapfrogs girls of first son. Not so keen on that idea.

However, what really bugs me is:

HALF A YEAR???

I'd have only got out of bed just over a month ago then

How would you ever get going again if you rested for 6 months?

Half a year, wow

No idea.

Just sounds very appealing to me atm

i am jealous

Maybe that means 6mths without any official duties?

lol @ resting for 1/2 a year! The prince geezer looks like a comedy character with that grey hair dark mustache combo

Me too, NAO.

We should have married Japanese Princes!

It is a cultural thing ladies ...
I have a couple of asian friends here in NZ and it isn't uncommon for people to fly in their mothers/MILs from China, Japan, Korea etc to care for the baby so that the mother can rest. One of my friends told me that she didn't get out of bed for 40 days after having her baby ... she also didn't wash her hair for that long and was not allowed to touch cold water for that long either - had to eat certain foods and avoid others. They also (if they have had a natural birth) strap up their tummies really tightly (kind of girdle thing from bottom of ribcage to groin) for 40 days too to get their figures back. Auckland has a big population of Asian people and after my friend told me this I realised that you don't see many tiny newborn asian babies around - not the done thing to take them out for first 40 days.
Obviously there are many 'kiwified' asian people of our age - who go with a more westernised outlook but many of them turn to traditional ways when it comes to babies.
Fascinating stuff IMO I absolutely LOVE finding out about how other cultures work. My friend thinks it is totally bizarre that women get up within minutes of giving birth to do housework and cook dinner
Re. the boy baby leapfrogging his girl cousin to the throne, well, I am not too keen on that but not sure what to say on the matter.

My MIL flew to London from Perth to "look after me" for a month when I had ds2
However, I hate chinese food the way she cooks it and she wasn't going to learn to make bacon sandwiches, - so I still had to cook all my own food. she spent her time mincing garlic and ginger with a big F off cleaver on a wooden block on the other side of my bedroom wall in the kitchen and wound my ds1 up no end. He was freaked out that not only was there a baby shaped interloper in the family but a small Asian one as well who tried to make him eat slimey food. DH and I couldn't be ourselves, what ever that is once you've had a baby, and with hindsight it caused a lot of difficulties.
Whities - don't do it, it's just not in our Culture.

I think the worst thing about the leapfrogging is that they were on the verge of changing the constitution to allow the cousin to inherit until Princess Kiko got pregnant. Do you think they made her? Do you think they might have done selective IVF? (Am I over-cycnical? )

suzy, your MIL sounds sooooo "interesting", I'm amazed you didn't use her cleaver on her...are you still living with her over there?

yes
until we build our tin shack in her back garden. Then it's buzzer entry only for her.

She did have very good intentions but I needed someone who could do a Full English at the drop of hat and part time wet nurse. hey ho.