Kate Middleton heaps praise on midwives during secret visit
THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE wrote an open letter to midwives yesterday praising their work after secretly joining them on visits to people’s homes and in a hospital maternity unit. Kate, 37, revealed she spent a two-day attachment to Kingston Hospital’s maternity unit in south-west London in the letter marking 2020 as International Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
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Kensington Palace also released four new pictures of her time there in late November. “During my time at Kingston I accompanied community midwives on their daily rounds and was welcomed in to people’s homes,” the Duchess said in the letter. “I was truly touched by the trust that people placed in me, sharing their experiences and voicing their fears openly.
“I also spent time in hospital clinics and on post-natal wards. No matter the setting, I was continually struck by the compassion that those of you I spent time with showed and the incredible work ethic you demonstrated on behalf of your entire profession – not only performing your rounds but working tirelessly through the night to support people that were at their most vulnerable.”
Kate, who has made it her long-term mission to help improve early years’ care and give Britain’s children a better start in life, also paid tribute to the vital work of midwives.
“You are there for women at their most vulnerable; you witness strength, pain and unimaginable joy on a daily basis,” she said.
“Even before we are born, our mother’s emotional and physical health directly influences our development and by the age of five a child’s brain has developed to 90 percent of its adult size.
“Your role is therefore of fundamental importance.”
The mother-of-three added: “Although this was not my first encounter with the care and kindness provided by midwives, it gave me a broader insight into the true impact you have on everybody you help.”