By Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton just welcomed their third child on Monday—and promptly headed back to Kensington Palace before the day ended.
When Kate gave birth to Princess Charlotte, Kate only stayed in the hospital for about 10 hours after giving birth, and with Prince George, Kate did stay overnight but left quickly that morning. These stays are shorter than most for new mothers. Why the quick exit?
First of all, we Brits actually tend to leave the hospital pretty quickly to begin with. The Guardian reported in 2016 that new mothers in the U.K. tend to stay an average of a day and a half in the maternity ward after giving birth, and that’s the shortest length of time out of any high-income country. In America, the average length of stay is two days, and that’s also on the low end; Ukraine is at highest at 6.2 days in the hospital, according to Business Insider.
Second is that all the attention surrounding her birth might be a bit of a distraction. Could you peacefully recover in the hospital while crowds cheered and press jockeyed for a good spot in front of the entrance? Plus, other mothers who aren’t royal will also be receiving medical attention at the same time, and Kate may want to spare them from any unnecessary stress.
Third, it’s important to remember all the resources the Duke and Duchess receive. They have a medical team on call to help with anything, regardless of whether Kate is resting in a hospital or at home.
According to the Daily Mail, that birth team consisted of 20 doctors, led by obstetrician Guy Thorpe-Beeston and gynecologist Alan Farthing; those two doctors were also present for the births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Other experts included anesthetists, pediatricians, lab technicians, and backups in case anyone couldn't make it for the birth. With a team like that, it’s easy to see why William and Kate would prefer get care away from the prying eyes of the public.
