Meghan Markle Reportedly Ditched Her Home Birth Plan for the Hospital
We're still eagerly waiting on a lot of details about Baby Sussex's birth on Monday, but at least a few have started to slip out. It's been reported that Meghan ended up delivering her first baby in a hospital, rather than at home at Frogmore Cottage with a midwife team as originally planned.
The Duchess of Sussex allegedly had been planning for a home birth at her new home with her husband in Windsor.
Prince Harry and Meghan moved into Frogmore Cottage at Windsor Castle just weeks ahead of their baby's birth, and some sources say that she had been hoping to give birth at home, with an all-female medical team. Buckingham Palace hasn't officially commented on where Meghan ended up giving birth, but it's been reported that she was eventually whisked to a London hospital on Sunday night, likely the Portland. Harry's cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, were also born there.
The late-night journey was so secretive that apparently not even some senior royal officials were aware of it.
It's unknown if Meghan went into labor on her own or if she was induced, but she was reportedly a week overdue. The Sussexes were escorted to the hospital by their Scotland Yard security team, and according to the Daily Mail, they kept the trip so private that not even "senior royals" were told. We're just going to go ahead and assume that Queen Elizabeth at least got a text that her eighth great-grandchild was on the way.
Harry and Meghan issued a statement last month that she would not be walking in Kate Middleton's footsteps when it came to publicity surrounding their baby's birth.
Kate Middleton gave birth at the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London, and famously posed on the steps outside with each of her babies mere hours after giving birth. We were expecting something similar for Meghan, especially considering that Princess Diana also gave birth at the Lindo Wing, but the Sussexes put out a statement in April that they decided to take another route.
The palace stated, "Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep the plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family."
The new parents were evidently back home at Frogmore with their son by the time the birth was announced, and Harry stepped outside to gush about his wife and child.
He said, "It's brilliant. I'm absolutely thrilled. We're really grateful for all the love and support shown to us ... As every father and parent will ever say, you know, your baby is absolutely amazing, but this little thing is absolutely to die for, so I'm just over the moon."
Harry added, "It was amazing, absolutely incredible, and, as I said, I'm so incredibly proud of my wife. How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension."
Meghan may not have gotten the home birth she planned for, but it sounds like everything went smoothly.
After all, the end goal in any birth plan is to end up with a healthy mom and baby. Considering that Meg was moved back home so quickly after the birth, we're assuming that no complications arose, and that she is just resting and relishing those precious new moments with her little family. As much as we are dying to hear more about their new little one (and see a picture!), we'll just have to wait patiently until they're ready to share.