Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Prince William were enjoying a week-long vacation in the Maldives without baby. That is just when 8-month old Prince George decided to crawl for the first time.
Baby George was in the loving care of his grandparents Carole and Michael Middleton back home in Buckleberry, England, when the momentous event occurred. This was the first vacation that the Royal couple had taken together without baby.
Although the Duke and Duchess are likely at least a little sad that they missed a big milestone, a source close to the family told Us Magazine that “William and Kate are excited about the many milestones ahead. George already has a tiny tooth coming in. And his cheeks are chubbier than ever!”
No matter how devoted a mother is, there will inevitably be times that important events will be missed, and Kate Middleton is no exception to that rule. Royals of old would typically leave their tots in the care of nannies around the clock, but Kate and William have chosen to be much more hands-on in the raising of their young prince. They are not the typical aloof, untouchable royals at all.
Kate Middleton has, in fact, made choices that more closely align with attachment parenting styles than with the distant parenting-from-afar models of yesteryear. She chose natural childbirth attended by midwives in St. Mary’s Hospital in London. According to the New York Post , Kate insisted on a peaceful birth and rejected any type of painkillers. She had what some midwives term a “butter birth.” Kate herself “described the birth as perfect,” says one source in Vanity Fair . Kate “said it was straightforward and there were no complications. She wanted a natural birth and she was so happy she was able to have one.”
Although the Duchess could have had her choice of nannies to take over many of the tasks of parenting, Kate Middleton chose instead to breastfeed and care for the little prince herself, committing herself to round-the-clock care of her own baby. When a nursing infant is hungry, no one else will do, except mum.
Prince William has not left Kate alone in parenting duties. “William said he didn’t want a nanny or a nurse coming in and doing shifts. They were agreed on that. They wanted to do the early days themselves.” It was he who changed Prince George’s first diaper in the hospital.
Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, who herself has some training in midwifery , came to the couple’s Buckleberry residence to help out during those first few weeks. The elder Middleton’s have remained quite involved in their grandson’s life, and they are the ones who were privileged to bear witness to the first crawls of the young prince.
Even though they missed one momentous milestone in their son’s life, there will be plenty of others. And there is little doubt that Kate Middleton and Prince William will be on hand for them. Let’s hope they are there for Prince George’s steps!
[images via Bing]