Baby fever has once again gripped Royal Family fans, after Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank announced they were set to welcome their first child to the Windsor fold early next year. Admirers of the Royal Family have continued to speculate as to whether Eugenie’s sister Princess Beatrice, or fellow Windsor favourite Kate, will also confirm they are expecting. The Duchess of Cambridge has also been in the spotlight in recent weeks regarding whether she is pregnant or not after she discussed being a mother on a podcast.
But during her first pregnancy with Prince George, fears were sparked over Kate’s health after she was hospitalised with hyperemesis gravidarum, a rare form of acute morning sickness.
The condition, which saw Kate spend “a few days” in hospital, often leads to weight loss and doctors confirmed that it accounts for around two percent of all morning sickness.
Dr Ashley Roman, a professor at New York University Langone Medical Centre, spoke about the difficulties it caused following the announcement that Kate needed medical attention.
The expert explained that the condition doesn’t pose a danger to the babies they are carrying, but in some situations it causes the woman to lose around five percent of their pre-pregnancy weight.
She added: “It’s traditionally thought that nausea and vomiting is a sign of a healthy pregnancy.”
Fellow academic, Dr Nancy Cossler of the University Hospitals in Ohio, also explained the consequences of the condition, with ABC describing it as “torture to endure”.
She said: “The biggest problem with this is how it interferes with your life.
“Constantly feeling sick and puking is difficult.”
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“Whether it’s male or female, the firstborn will be in line to the throne. It’s that simple.”
Kate would eventually give birth to George in 2013, before welcoming Princess Charlotte and Princess Louis to the Cambridge fold.
Earlier this year, the Duchess opened up on life as a mother to royal children – as well as the future heir to the throne.
She told ‘Happy Baby, Happy Mum’ that she believed all mothers suffer from “mum guilt”, and that “anyone who doesn’t as a mother is lying”.
The royal added: “There’s such a pull, but I am such a hands-on mum, and whatever you’re doing you want to make sure you’re doing the uttermost best job you can for your children.”
