Two Midwives Delivered The New Royal Baby, Not The Suited Surgeons On Standby
Many have criticized the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, for choosing a private care team instead of utilizing the NHS. However, it is an NHS midwife professor that has been most hands-on during both Prince George and the newest Princess’ birth. In fact, though the suited surgeons on the Duchess’ birth team get the most media attention, it was two midwives that actually delivered the new Princess.
The Daily Mail reports that two midwives delivered the newest little princess in the exclusive Lindo Wing of the St. Mary’s Hospital. Midwife Arona Ahmed and her boss, Jacqui Dunkley-Bent, Professor of midwifery at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, together delivered the Princess. Jacqui is said to have built a rapport with the Duchess after she successfully delivered Prince George in 2013.
According to the report, the suited surgeons that are most heavily covered in the press simply looked on to ensure that everything was going as planned, but the midwives were the ones that actually delivered both Prince George and the new Princess. It was noted that Duchess Catherine had a detailed birth plan and that she trusted Jacqui with the birth.
It is speculated that Kate Middleton did most of her laboring at home before coming to the hospital for the delivery as she was delivered just 154 minutes after arriving to the hospital. Though the Duke and Duchess have been criticized for having their own medical team outside of the NHS, the pair say that the team is established to ensure the care of other patients, both public and private, is not disrupted by the royal birth.
In 2013, with the birth of Prince George, the Duchess was said to have “tossed aside tradition” with the choice of using doctors instead of midwives. However, as it is now known, the Duchess simply had the team on standby but used midwives for the actual birth, not the suited doctors. Though the doctors have not been needed for the actual deliveries, the team includes Alan Farthing, the Queen’s surgeon-gynecologist, and Guy Thorpe-Beeston, an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies and is the surgeon-gynecologist to the royal household. In addition to the two high-profile doctors, Dr Sunit Godambe, consultant neonatologist at Imperial College NHS Trust, and Professor Huw Thomas, physician to the Queen and head of the medical household, were also present.
What do you think about the Duchess of Cambridge utilizing a team of midwives for the royal birth? Did you know that she had a team of midwives along with the surgeons on standby?
[Image Credit: NHS]
