Some women have easy pregnancies, breezing through their trimesters with no more than a slight bit of nausea or an aching back. This has not been the story for Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. Despite a very healthy, active lifestyle, her pregnancy in 2013 with Prince George was fraught with misery — including the rare hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy that causes the mother to be weak, dehydrated, and may decrease amniotic fluid levels, which could harm the baby. The duchess received top-notch medical care and Prince George was delivered completely healthy and full-term with no complications, despite her trouble.
Kate, now 33, is expecting a second child that is due in April. As she nears her third trimester, the duchess has had some difficulties with hyperemesis gravidarum, but not near to the extent of her first pregnancy, which is typical of mothers who suffer from the complication. In fact, Kate has never looked better — still making public appearances and sporting a healthy baby bump.
The Duchess of Cambridge spoke about her second pregnancy during a coffee meeting with volunteer organization Family Friends on Monday in London. Family Friends is a British charity founded in 1993 to support disadvantaged families. The mother to be attended the event as part of her daily social engagements and gushed about her unborn child dressed in a baby blue cashmere maternity coat from Séraphine, a blue floral dress from the same maternity brand and navy shoes. Although certainly no formal indication of the baby’s gender, it did cause some speculation that she is indeed carrying another boy .
“[The baby is] moving all the time. I can feel it kicking now ,” Middleton told student Martina McDonagh, 17, according to Us Weekly. “I told her I hoped it was a girl, but she said she doesn’t know yet… She said it was moving around a lot.”
Middleton, who is 27 weeks pregnant, has not disclosed the gender of the baby, and it is not known if she or the royal family knows the gender, either. There was much speculation that her first pregnancy was a girl, but that turned out to be false when Prince George arrived. After the event, Middleton met with staff and students at the Kensington Aldridge Academy before visiting the Kensington Leisure Centre where she greeted local residents and community groups and was presented with an inflatable duck for her and the Duke of Cambridge’s son, Prince George.