Column: Oh baby, didn't the other Kate do well

There she was a glowing new mum standing on the steps of the Lindo Wing in St Mary’s Hospital, London 
SEVEN hours after giving birth!

Seven hours, I ask you. Seven weeks after I had each of my two I was still lucky if my face had been washed and my hair combed by mid-afternoon. And the second time was even worse with a toddler running around and here is the Duchess of Cambridge looking 
radiant having just produced her third little royal bundle of joy.

Now before you all start saying that she would have had her hairdresser on call, along with an army of staff to help her get ready, the duchess still needed to have the energy to get herself out of that birthing suite, washed, changed and ready to face the world’s media.

Wouldn’t have been me!

And I don’t care how royal she is, giving birth is the same for that Kate, this Kate and every other woman in the world. It’s blooming painful and exhausting – unless you are one of the lucky ones who has ultra-quick deliveries but they are certainly in the 
minority.

I think seven hours after I had Emma I was still in the labour suite waiting on a bed on the post-natal ward, happily munching on toast and drinking tea, as well as vowing never again! But like most mums, I soon forgot the painful bit and only remembered that magical moment when your new baby is placed in your arms and gives that first cry. Perfect.

Of course, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the duchess. Her early pregnancy was blighted with severe sickness – and it was so bad that she even missed taking Prince George to his first day at school.

Now no mum would want to miss that moment unless she was really unwell.

Then of course there was the fact that the eyes of the world were on her throughout the entire pregnancy with all the speculation about was she bigger this time? Was it a boy or a girl?

And don’t get me started about how catty some people were about her clothes. I’m sure some days the poor girl would have loved to have pulled on a pair of leggings and a baggy jumper rather than get dressed up to the nines to go and press flesh at some official occasion.

Yes the Royal Family have a very privileged life and to have servants at your beck and call must be great. But there are some times when it is really nice to be ordinary – and when you are having a baby is certainly one of those times.

Best wishes to them all.