Princess Anne and Kate Middleton teamed up for a royal outing to the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The royals took part in a discussion with experts and new moms about the measures being taken to tackle inequalities in maternity care, and Anne also opened up about a scary experience she had while pregnant.
- Princess Anne and Kate Middleton joined forces for a special royal outing to two charities both patronage, where the pair were praised for their "interest" and curiosity.
- While visiting the Royal College of Midwives, Anne opened up about a scary fall she had while pregnant, and how she was concerned the baby might have ended up stuck as a result.
- In other royal news, Prince Charles shows his down to earth 'fun' side on latest royal outing to community center.
Princess Anne and Kate Middleton teamed up for a special royal visit to two charities they both patron—the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
During the royal outing, the pair were shown a demonstration of a new Intrapartum Fetal Surveillance tool, the purpose of which is meant to monitor if the baby's head gets stuck in the mothers' pelvis during labor.
Anne, showcasing her dry wit, was said to have cracked a few quips before sharing a personal story related to the tool.
After hearing the purpose of the tool, Anne asked, “Wedged?” referring to the baby’s head.
The quip was said to have raised a laugh from Kate and the medical professionals before Anne recounted a story involving her own pregnancy.
Professor Tim Draycott, Vice President of RCOG and Professor of Obstetrics, later shared that Anne revealed that "she had tripped over a horse lorry while heavily pregnant and thought that had happened."
Anne, who has two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, proved she had the stereotypical British stiff upper lip by not dwelling on the accident too much. Instead, she joked with the professionals that the baby “ended up the right way up though.”
As it turns out, unusual and unexpected pregnancy mishaps and moments seems to run in the family.
Princess Anne's daughter, Zara, also had a very surprising labor experience when it came to her third child, Lucas; Zara ended up giving birth on the bathroom floor.
Not quite the birth story you’d expect for the daughter of the Princess Royal, but Anne’s son-in-law Mike Tindall explained how it all came to be on his The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast.
Recounting the unexpected birthing experience, Mike explained that "fortunately," Zara's friend Dolly Maude was with them "and recognized that we wouldn't have got to hospital in time."
"So, it was run into the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, get a mat on the floor, towels down, brace-brace-brace.”
That baby came out the right way up too, fortunately.
Kate has also opened up about her own experiences with childbirth and pregnancy in the past, giving insight as to why these charities might mean so much to her.
While battling hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness, Kate revealed she took it upon herself to learn about the birthing method.
"I got very bad morning sickness, so I'm not the happiest of pregnant people," Kate said on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast back in February 2020.
Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, praised the royal visit. He described Kate and Anne as “interested… and curious” with a real concern “about looking after future generations and looking after mothers of today for the benefit of women and children of tomorrow.”
