Kate, 38, cooed over newborns in a video call to parents and midwives coping with hospital births during the coronavirus crisis.
The duchess, a mum-of-three, gushed over 16-hours-old baby boy Max on the call to Kingston Hospital’s Maternity Unit.
She spent two days on a work placement at the hospital, in south London, last November.
Speaking on video link due to coronavirus restrictions she joked with mum Rebecca Attwood and dad John Gill, of London.
She said: “This is definitely a first, I think.”
And added: “Well firstly, huge congratulations. Is it a little boy or a little girl?”
‘HE IS SO SWEET’
Rebecca, who sat beside her son’s cot, said: “It’s a little boy.”
Given a closer look at little Max, the Duchess said: “He is so sweet. Ah, congratulations! When did you have him?”
Told he had arrived at 10pm the previous night, the future queen replied: “My goodness, you must be exhausted.”
Rebecca replied: “Yep. I’m pretty tired now.”
Midwives wearing PPE described how staff were coping with anxious mums facing going into labour during the pandemic.
Jo Doumouchtsi, Perinatal Mental Health Midwife, said: “The main issues that women are having at the moment really are around coming into hospital and worries about catching Covid, but also about the isolation after the baby is born.
“They have to self-isolate, so they are having limited support from their other family members.
“We are finding that there’s women that have no mental health history that are actually becoming incredibly anxious because of the situation currently.
“So we’re having a lot more referrals which are specifically around anxiety to do with Covid.”
The duchess also held talks with midwives at the hospital over a zoom video call.
She spoke about the need for NHS staff to get help they need as they deal with coronavirus.
Kate said: “We’ve heard it with the frontline workers, for those who are struggling, they don’t feel they can reach out because they feel guilty for doing it, which is extraordinary to hear.
“With new mums and parents and families, they don’t want to feel like they’re overburdening, but it is so important to reach out and ask for help when you do need it.”
She added: “Parents do need to go out and reach out to those who can support them, particularly those who can provide knowledgeable resource as well.
“It’s important to access and reach out for help when you do need it.”
The mother of three, whose second child Princess Charlotte was five yesterday, also advocated talking to others at the same stage of parenthood.
She said: “You speak to six mums and all of you realise you are going through the same thing.
“Before that, you’re worried that actually what you’re experiencing, you’re the only one who’s going through it.
“And it’s exactly the same for new mums whether through pregnancy or with a newborn baby, you know you feel that you’re the only one actually experiencing something but actually to be able to share it in whatever way – whether it’s on the phone, through social media, in any form actually – if you have got access to it, it does provide that normality and normalising of some of these anxieties and these worries.”
Her virtual visit was held ahead of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week starting tomorrow.
