Duchess Kate, We Need to Talk Mom to Mom

Royal Wedding of William and Catherine Duke & ...
Royal Wedding of William and Catherine Duke & Duchess of Cambridge (Photo credit: Defence Images)

Duchess Kate, it’s time you and I had a conversation, mom to mom.

Right now, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. Forget about the fact you just gave birth to the third in line to the throne. There’s some things you really need to know.

Babies cry. I don’t just mean they whimper or have a mild outburst. They cry. And cry. And cry. Prince or not, there will be days this child will make you wonder why you thought having children was a good idea. You will try to feed him, cuddle him and entertain him. You will walk up and down those long palace halls, bouncing him and wondering when the crying will stop. Nothing will work (including your blindingly wonderful Duchess charm). Mothers around the world have all faced this at one time or another. You’re not alone.

You will receive the most adorable baby gifts. With everything to choose from, the prince will get attached to the scruffy looking stuffed animal dog from a little girl in the crowd. He will not care about the Tiffany silver duck. He will not give the Barton & Reed music box a second glance. He will not treat the satin blanket with respect. Fancy gifts mean nothing to children, but loving ones mean the world. Don’t get frustrated. You’re not alone.

What worked one day will not work the next. What made your little prince smile yesterday will not work today. What made your little prince go to sleep yesterday will not work today. What made your little prince eat his peas yesterday will not work today. Children are not static. They are constantly changing, including what they respond to. Stay on your toes as much as possible and remember, you’re not alone.

You will spend a ridiculous amount of time worrying about decorating the nursery. You will obsess over the color scheme. You will look at hundreds of baby bumpers. You will try to get the cutest framed pictures for the walls. But in the darkness of the night, all you will care about is if you picked the most comfortable rocking chair, looks be damned. The color, fabric or decor won’t matter. You’re not alone.

You’re going to have a lot of people telling you what to do. You are the Duchess after all, and people are invested in your little guy. But all mothers have families that think they know better. People always believe they have the right answers. They will tell you how and when to put the baby down for a nap (because you’re doing it wrong). They will tell you how to feed the baby (because you’re doing it wrong). They will tell you what fabric softener to have the staff use (because you chose the wrong brand). They will make you doubt every decision you will make for this child. Don’t listen to them. Every mom runs into this with strangers and family alike. You’re not alone.

I know you’re a beautiful, cosmopolitan gal with the world at your fingertips. I know you’re going to have staff to help. And I’m pretty sure you’re going to get your body back in shape an annoying month after giving birth. But at the end of the day, you’re still just a mom who wants the best for her baby. Remember, you’re not alone.

18 Comments

  1. I am a soon to be mom. I’m really excited for it! I’m happy for duchess kate. 🙂

    1. I’m excited for her, too. I don’t get gaga for celebrity kids but this was pretty exciting 🙂

  2. Great advice for the new mom! Thanks for linking up at Friendship Friday! I hope to see you again this week!

    1. Thanks. I really wish someone had told me about the whole rocking chair thing. We did manage to get the right one the second time around!

      Always glad to link up to Friendship Friday. Keep it up.

    1. I do, too. There are some “secret society” things that should be put into a pamphlet for new moms 🙂

    1. Thanks. I think we’re all just moms at the end of the day, no matter what our career titles say while we’re taking over the world during daylight hours.

  3. This is great! I can only imagine how overwhelmed Kate is right now. When it all comes down to it, she’s a new mom….to a prince. No pressure or anything.

    1. Thanks, Jennifer! I think it’s tough to be a new mom… but to a prince with the world watching. Yikes!

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  5. haha great post .. so true about the baby gifts – I used to get so frustrated after putting in hours of effort to get my son the perfect birthday and Christmas presents and all he was interested in was the wrapping paper! I’ll be wiser with baby number two 🙂

    1. Oh. They are that way. But once in a while, I gift would hit just the right spot and become a life-long favorite 🙂

  6. Great advice, my sister-in-law has had her second recently and she said she is soooo much more chilled out this time round!!

    1. I think part of the being more chilled is just knowing what to expect (somewhat). You just know what to sweat and what not to sweat. The first time around — it’s all sweat sweat sweat sweat sweat.

  7. Good solid advice! I can’t forget those days! 🙂
    -Resh @StackingBooks.com

  8. Great advice Jenny and I can so relate to the decorating the nursery I did that with my first so funny when I look back now 🙂

    Cheers

    Jana

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