What do you think of Kate Middleton's new hair do?

[iPaid]

I love the fringe!

[Millymollymama]

Kate does very little apart from spend a bit of time with the children. Her Mother helps, she has a full time nanny, a bevvy of cleaners, a dresser, a secretary, a cook, and anyone else she needs! Why is she remotely tired or worn out or lacking in sleep? We hardly ever see her! Does she ever do the shopping or take the dog for a walk? In fact, what does she do on a daily basis?

If she has to go out, she hands the children over to her staff. They don't have to pile in the car early in the morning to get to the child minder, be fed a awkward times, fall asleep on the way home, get ready for nursery etc. She does not appear to breastfeed. She does what she wants, when she wants. That is what lesser Royalty do. It is not a job. She just makes the odd appearance.

[DiamondoInTheSky]

I don't think she does breastfeed Charlotte - though she might express - she has been out and about on full day trips to farms etc just with George - our country doesn't print the news or photos but you can find the details online.

[DiamondoInTheSky]

And I mean recently - not from when she was pregnant! :o

[pinkfrocks]

Gob Maybe you should take your own advice? You can't be sure she isn't expressing simply on the basis of your own bursting breasts. That was YOU- you aren't her. I saw the pics of her at the polo match and - this is getting petty- unless any of us were there we have no idea how long she was there and the state of her breasts. The 'vulgar' comment was about your use of language...
Likewise, the fact you have produced babies with barely a gap between them and presumably from choice and are coping, doesn't mean that another woman feels the same. We are told her pregnancies were hard and no matter how much support she has, being PG and giving birth takes its toll, more so in your 30s than if you are 20.
I don't care how much help she has at home , she still has 2 young children to look after and presumably spend time with, so that's what she will do all day. It was well documented that before she had kids she did her own food shopping, cooked and tried to live as normal a life as possible. I think the lack of media exposure is very intentional because it starts speculation and criticism and we all now where that ended up with Diana.

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

pink - I said the "likelihood" was that she was mixed feeding. Rather different to your absolute pronouncements

And, FWIW, I'm actually older than the DofC.

You really do need the stop with the sweeping assumptions.

[pinkfrocks]

Gob- sorry but you are equally guilty of making assumptions, based on your own bursting breasts! Plenty of women could go that long between expressing so just because you didn't or couldn't doesn't mean there is a 'likelihood' of the DofC mixed feeding. You are making assumptions. You are clearly in a very different place to her if you have become PG again only 5 months after the birth of each child, so maybe you don't understand women who find pregnancy and birth quite tiring.

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

I'm sorry - I know a lot about expressing and there is no way you could go that long between expressing when the baby is that age.

Just the same as breast-feeding. No breast feeding mother would not feed their 6 week old for hours during the day.

The most you can go between expressing at that time without risking supply issues is 3 hours max. And I was unusually lucky in that I could express unusually large amounts quickly so didn't have the soul destroying experience of having to express for 45 minutes to get 100mls of milk which is the experience of the majority of women and hence why exclusive expresing is so rare.

I kept a diary of all the times I expressed and amounts because I am anal to keep an eye on supply which I actually handed over to the La Leche league and our local midwifery team at their request (as well as being interviewed by lots of local infant feeding specialists) as there is very little support for women (in the UK - it is more common in the U.S. where people return to work more quickly - although it's still unusual to exclusively express) who do exclusively express and very little actual collected data.

That said, I have stated in my posts what I believe is the "likelihood" is of the DofC's feeding methods based on what is most statistically likely rather than making bald statements that she is definitely breast feeding.

Re: being tired, the number and type of staff whom are employed is a matter of fact (accepted by Clarence House). Again, the more assistance that a parent has allows them the opportunity to have more rest and flexibility etc. That is just common sense - whatever the age of the parent

You're clearly a big fan of the DofC and I accept that. But what I will question (and correct) is when you make absolute statements without any fact (eg the breastfeeding point) and sweeping generalisations, such as insinuating that I am you get than the DofC

[spiralstaircase]

pinkfrocks- your posts are full of strange assumptions stated as fact about how she does breast feed, how she is a hands on mother, how she won't be lounging around all day. You have no idea about any of these things.

Gobbolin is simply expressing that it is unlikely that she is breast feeding based on the fact that she spends hours apart from her baby. As she says, all the breast feeding mothers I have known with small babies need to feed or express very regularly. It is therefore unlikely that she is breast feeding.
As I said before it doesn't matter in the slightest how she choose to feed but there is no denying that she has a huge amount of support and money compared to the huge majority of the population and will have every chance to rest and pursue her own interests compared to most mothers of two small children. It is nonsensical to suggest otherwise even if you are a huge fan.

[pinkfrocks]

My 'assumptions' are based on what I read in the media- no more, no less- and have the same credibility as anyone posting here, who unless they are bosom pals with Kate, know sweet FA about the reality of her life because all your comments are based on assumptions, no matter how much you try to dress them up as 'facts' based on your own experience.

If you read the entire thread, it is FULL of assumptions about her- so don't single me out, thanks.

I have no strong feelings about DofC at all. What I take issue with is the notion that she ought to be doing more publically because of her 'cushy' life and that her staff are running around after her all day long. I only know what I read- the same as you all- which is that she was reluctant to employ a nanny, preferring like many women to use their mum for support, and that she tries to maintain as 'normal' a life as possible. If she spends time and money on her appearance that is because it's expected of her- and as others have pointed out she's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't.

[pinkfrocks]

and finally...you don't know that she spends hours away from her baby. How could you? You only know what you read or see in the media. No one is going to report her sneaking off home to feed the baby, or if the baby is brought to her, away from the camera lens, and then taken back home. All your comments are supposition based on what you think is going on, but the truth is you have no more idea than anyone.

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

The number of staff employed by the Cambridges is not a matter of supposition

The amount of time spent at the polo match (outside - watching) I referred to is not a matter of supposition.

The fact that receiving help is....er..... helpful is the basic premise behind organisations like Surestart etc.

[bigbuttons]

pinkfrocks you accuse us of supposition. Yet every comment you have made is based on supposition. Basing your knowledge on media reports hardly makes you correct.
Yet, on the other hand, it is hardly beyond the realms of fantasy to suppose that a very well off woman with a large number of staff and no daily job will not be having a hard time of it.

[pinkfrocks]

No- but your insistence that the baby was not there at all is supposition- can't you understand that point?
Unless you were there, how can you possibly know if Charlotte was brought along for a feed out of sight of the media, or if Kate went home to feed her?
Your info is based on what the media has fed you.
Stop behaving as if you were part of the polo outing and have some information that others don't.

[bigbuttons]

Clearly you are a big KM supporter. I have no more or less information than you. I base my thoughts on the fact that the royals have help a plenty, nannies a plenty, money aplenty etc.
She is not a new harassed everyday mother returning to work, that much is beyond supposition. She has all the help she could ever want and that is a fact.

[Gobbolinothewitchscat]

Ok pink - let's say that the baby was at the polo then. It was a private event so no formal confirmation.

There have been further public events where there is confirmation from Clarence House of who was attending - and that would include children.

The baby did not go to Wimbledon. Nor did she go to the rugby. Or the Ben Ainslie sailing event or the recent public engagement that the DofC did. Nor did d the DofC suddenly disappear -to express one could assume. . I think we can all agree that that would have been reported if she had.

So, given the foregoing, I think it's more likely than not that the baby is not being fully breastfed it breastfed at all. Again - note - I am stating what is more likely than not. Not making any absolute statements.

Notwithstanding that, we're meant to accept at total face value however your proclamations that the DofC is definitely breastfeeding and run-ragged . I can't be bothered to scroll back but I think you said that you had obtained that information from the media? Is this some specialist DofC fanzine or other publication that the general public can't access but promises 100% accuracy. I'm assuming not so you must see that it's a bit ridiculous to accuse us all of what you are actually perpetuating

[patsyintheworld]

I cannot believe some of you people are devoting so much time and energy to your petty squabble. Jeeeez

[bigbuttons]

Just a small distraction from the daily tedium.

[Floisme]

It always makes me laugh when someone doesn't only stop to read a thread they regard as petty and trivial but then takes the time to drop by and comment on it.

[TheCraicDealer]

I posted on this like a week and thought there now, "they can't be still talking about the woman's fucking fringe"- flicked to the last page and what do we have? BF or FF debate.

I will happily judge her heavy eyeliner and questionable coat dresses, but how she feeds her two seemingly happy and healthy children is no-one's concern but her own.

[LovelyFriend]

I wonder if she is regretting joining the firm yet?

[bigbuttons]

I thought I was talking about whether she was as tired as any normal new mum. It's highly likely that I'm having this conversation solely with my myself

[DiamondoInTheSky]

Well, The Fringe is looking a lot better in today's prison visit, I am not sure the dress was appropriate though?

[SuperFlyHigh]

I am wondering... if she's supposed to be a celeb then why can't she have hair extensions and everything else as a lot of them do?

I would totally lose the tattoed eyeliner and invest in a makeup artist or lessons on how to apply it properly.

She looks not bad on the one hand yet then flashes a good bit of leg for the other part - what is she or her advisers thinking?! Hasn't she seen how classy eg Princess Estelle of Sweden looks - well decent hemlines for a start?!

www.google.co.uk/search?q=swedish+royal+family+princess+estelle&biw=1600&bih=799&tbm=isch&imgil=MsHTv1T1OumOYM%253A%253By3t7Rc6QBu55QM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.zimbio.com%25252Fphotos%25252FPrincess%2525252BEstelle%25252FSwedish%2525252BRoyal%2525252BFamily%2525252BCelebrates%2525252BCrown%2525252BPrincess%25252FD0HdcGYym30&source=iu&pf=m&fir=MsHTv1T1OumOYM%253A%252Cy3t7Rc6QBu55QM%252C_&dpr=1&usg=__BzFiohRXNx8wHOL40J80OVG9tGw%3D&ved=0CC8QyjdqFQoTCKvL7Z_GksgCFSSd2wodapAOZQ&ei=rG4FVqvFDaS67gbqoLqoBg#imgrc=zmzUwKGgJaOfrM%3A&usg=__BzFiohRXNx8wHOL40J80OVG9tGw%3D

[SuperFlyHigh]

Millymollymama - totally agree with all you say... whatever you say about Kate she does come across as very lazy apart from the odd Royal visit...

and does what she wants when she wants is very apt - still I suppose the Queen/Wills has approved this...

Quite shocking really when you see the amount of charity/public visits/foreign travel done by Diana - I am surprised Wills doesn't notice/realise - but then again they both come across as insufferably smug, entitled and guaranteed to raise general envy in some corners of Joe Public.

[Dapplegrey1]

Apart from Superfly's comment, most of the comments on this thread are quite mild.
Normally on royal family threads someone says "they should be lined up against a wall and shot".
Rapt is a v worthwhile charity so it's good if its profile is being raised.