Her bags are packed, the nursery has been decorated and with the birth of her second child just a few weeks away, the Duchess of Cambridge is ready to go. Also ready is an emergency plan should Kate Middleton (33) go into early labour – and the royals are leaving nothing to chance. Because labour tends to be shorter second time around, leaving less time to get to hospital, Kate’s personal staff have been working to ensure the duchess gets first-class medical care if there’s a drama.
Kate, her husband Prince William (32) and their son Prince George (18 months) are planning on basing themselves at their London home, Kensington Palace, in the countdown to the birth of the new prince or princess so they’ll be close to the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, where Kate had George in 2013. But if this baby, expected in late April, decides to put in an early appearance, things could get tricky if Kate is still at Anmer Hall, her home in rural Norfolk. The Cambridges have been spending time at Anmer lately, and if Kate goes into labour, she faces a two-and-a-quarter-hour drive – longer in rush-hour traffic – to the Lindo Wing.
A helicopter flight would be much quicker and William could always fly his wife – he’s a former search and rescue helicopter pilot and due to start work in a couple of months ferrying patients to hospital for the local air ambulance service. Shortly before George was born, when Kate and William were living in Anglesey, North Wales, a helicopter borrowed from a friend of William’s was parked in the garden in case of emergency.However, flying by helicopter is generally not recommended for women in active labour because of the risk to both mother and child. So the next best thing is giving birth at another hospital within easy reach of Anmer Hall.
Kate has recovered from the severe morning sickness that plagued her early pregnancy and told a well-wisher at an event recently, “I sometimes forget I am pregnant”.
Royal aides have been sent to check out local hospitals to find one that would be a suitable back-up. One of the closest is Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, an hour away. It is a public National Health Service hospital and not as upmarket as the Lindo Wing, but is highly regarded. Staff will be briefed in case they are needed, and Kate’s maternity team, including obstetricians Alan Farthing and Guy Thorpe-Beeston, will be rushed from London to deliver the baby if necessary.
The royal couple is on emergency stand-by as Kate’s due date draws near.
A palace insider says the royals are not fazed about the possibility of having the baby in a public hospital. “If there is a sudden emergency in Norfolk and there is no time to get Kate to London, she will go to the nearest hospital. If the nearest hospital is an NHS hospital, then that’s where the fourth in line to the throne will be born.” If things don’t quite go to plan, it won’t be the first time a grandchild of the Queen’s has been born in traumatic circumstances at a local hospital. In 2003, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was rushed to hospital by ambulance after she went into labour four weeks early with her daughter Lady Louise. Sophie suffered a potentially fatal placental abruption and had an emergency caesarean. Both Sophie and Louise lost a lot of blood and could have died. It was frightening for Sophie’s husband Prince Edward and the rest of the royal family, who will have learned from the experience and be keen to avoid it happening again.
