Harry and Meghan Are Expecting, Baby Due Spring 2019

[Denville]

I certainly don't believe they're dong their own housework...……...

[Lady Reem]

Originally Posted by Osipi

For all we know, Harry and Meghan may opt out of having household "help" in the weeks following the birth of their first child. I'm sure that eventually, they'll have some staff at Frogmore Cottage but Meghan does seem like the domestic "hands on" kind of person that loves to cook and most likely does her own dishes and cleaning.

Doria may be a godsend in the weeks following the birth but I don't expect Doria to give up her life for her grandchild. Nor do I think Harry and Meghan would expect her to. Most often for grandmothers being around after a birth of a grandchild, it is mostly to include the grandmother in welcoming the baby home and for moral support for a first time mother and not for what a grandmother can do domestically.

Besides a nanny/granny space at best, frogmore cottage neither has the capacity nor is large enough a home (in comparison to the ‘official residential homes’ allocated to other senior working royals by the queen) to house live-in-staff with their own quarters. Unless Harry & Meghan wish to forfeit all forms of privacy. I think the queen intended for things to be this way. There’s a reason other senior working royals that are based in Windsor with sprawling country homes that can home regular staff, office space/office staff still have homes based in London. Commuting to London from Windsor on an almost daily basis is not as viable as some make it sound. There’s the travelling security detail/logistics, distance & daily peak hours traffic to consider etc. I’m sure H&M will cope toiling on behalf of the queen/crown and rushing back home to their child(ren) and manage their own cleaning, ironing clothes, preparing family meals etc

[ACO]

Originally Posted by O-H Anglophile

But they probably have a cleaner come in there and definitely at the Cotswolds rental.

For sure but there is a difference in that and being around for the more intimate stuff. Personally in those initial weeks they likely don't want a lot of strangers around if not needed.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Lady Reem

Besides a nanny/granny space at best, frogmore cottage neither has the capacity nor is large enough a home (in comparison to the ‘official residential homes’ allocated to other senior working royals by the queen) to house live-in-staff with their own quarters. Unless Harry & Meghan wish to forfeit all forms of privacy. I think the queen intended for things to be this way. There’s a reason other senior working royals that are based in Windsor with sprawling country homes that can home regular staff, office space/office staff still have homes based in London. Commuting to London from Windsor on an almost daily basis is not as viable as some make it sound. There’s the travelling security detail/logistics, distance & daily peak hours traffic to consider etc. I’m sure H&M will cope toiling on behalf of the queen/crown and rushing back home to their child(ren) and manage their own cleaning, ironing clothes, preparing family meals etc

Meghan is not going to be cleaning Frogmore Cottage. Cooking some meals, yes more than likely.

[soapstar]

Let’s get back to discussing the pregnancy. Thanks.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Denville

I think that thre has been a change.. to a more cosy middle class, kind fo family life among most royals. All the same, none of them Im sure do without nannies, esp when they are back to working life. (and Im equally sure that Doria will not be drafted in to act as an unpaid nanny for her grandchild).. I think that the royals do want to be seen as more "normal", and so they certainly try to be seen as "looking after the baby", getting up in the night, changing the nappies, taking the kids to the shops with them etc.. but its problaby fairly true that they are MUCH more involved in their children's care and have less staff than the queen and Philip had... to help with their general care.

Just out of curiosity, does anybody know if the Queen ever changed diapers (or "nappies" as you call them) ?

[Countessmeout]

Originally Posted by Osipi

Another tactic that I think Meghan and Harry may adopt is one that William and Kate followed and was stated publicly by William, himself. After they returned to royal duties, they scheduled their events such that one of them is always home with the kids. There's always Mummy or Daddy to tuck them in at night. Nanny Maria is a very close member of the family too and the kids are growing up with her being around but the nanny is not replacing the parenting.

This is the model I see Meghan and Harry following. Both families are adamant in putting their family first and have found/will find ways to make this work along with being full time working royals.

Not always possible. Considering how many evening events Kate and William attend together. And the odd day event as well. Certainly Nanny Maria puts those kids to bed at night at times.

Kate and William also had slightly more freedom with their older kids. They weren't full time working royals when George and Charlotte were born. William was still flying, and they were part time royals. Harry and Meghan are starting out their parenting life as full time working royals.

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Just out of curiosity, does anybody know if the Queen ever changed diapers (or "nappies" as you call them) ?

I would doubt it…..

[Osipi]

Originally Posted by Countessmeout

Kate and William also had slightly more freedom with their older kids. They weren't full time working royals when George and Charlotte were born. William was still flying, and they were part time royals. Harry and Meghan are starting out their parenting life as full time working royals.

Very good point and one I'd forgotten to include in my thinking. With being full time working royals, their schedules aren't going to be a strict 9-5 but often will extend into the evening hours and perhaps days away (overnight engagements) and the nanny will take charge of everything in relation to the children. Its part of the "norm" for a full time working royal.

[Cocoasneeze]

Apparently Meghan touching her baby bump will be discussed on Lorraine today, they have got the royal reporter Rhys Myers giving his expert opinion on this 'issue'. And there aren't enough roll eye emojis for me to use, this is so ridiculous.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Cocoasneeze

Apparently Meghan touching her baby bump will be discussed on Lorraine today, they have got the royal reporter Rhys Myers giving his expert opinion on this 'issue'. And there aren't enough roll eye emojis for me to use, this is so ridiculous.

What I find odd is that they can't either find someone who has been pregnant before or an expert in maternity field to talk about this. Rather someone who has not been pregnant, and is not qualified to discuss the science behind it. BTW, I stopped reading the response to their tweet promoting this segment after about the first 20 responses. It was pretty one-sided supporting Meghan in doing whatever she feels like with her baby bump.

[ACO]

What is funny is that the Daily Mail (or Mirror?) did a article asking experts about this and they all were positive saying it was a good thing and the benefits and how nature it is. It literally made me laugh because I am 100% sure that is NOT what they were expecting.

I watched the Lorraine clip and they agreed this obsession with nitpicking Meghan and her body is over the top. She is pregnant. Leave her be. I also was glad one of them (I think Lorraine) reminded them that Meghan is being photographed constantly and of course you will see the image of her doing it a lot. That is the shot they want you to fixate on.

How people can be so bothered about another person touching their own body is beyond me.

[_Heather_]

Well, there's this...yes, it's from the DM so take it as you will.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...baby-bump.html

[jacqui24]

Why are people so obsessed with what she does with her bump? It's a very noticeable bump no matter what she does with it. Why is it attention seeking if she wears form hugging clothes? Are going to miss it if she's not? It's a very strange thing to nitpick about.

[Ista]

The DM article is ridiculous.

That said, Meghan is getting commentary about the belly cradling because it is constant, and because she is doing it when she is in public, on official engagements. Maybe she has round ligament pain. Maybe she is so thrilled to be pregnant that she can't help touching herself. I have no idea. But the fact that it is ubiquitous is noticeable, and it is also not something that most women, in a professional setting, do as frequently as she is doing.

I don't think it is being nitpicky to notice it, and to notice that in some settings it is viewed as unprofessional.

[Cocoasneeze]

Women are allowed to touch their baby bumps in professional settings, and owe no one any explanations why they do it. Imho it's extremely nitpicky to try to say, that it's any way unprofessional. This is absolutely insane, imho, to say, that Meghan shouldn't touch her bump while on royal engagements. Or any other time.

Imho there shouldn't even be any discussion about this.

[ACO]

I have seen more articles and commentary about her touching her belly than I have seen her actually doing it. Meghan is snapped 32368564 times at an engagement and at this point they are very much nitpicking and hyper-focusing on it. She can't hide her belly. It silly to expect her to like that article seems to suggest.

[jacqui24]

Originally Posted by Cocoasneeze

Women are allowed to touch their baby bumps in professional settings, and owe no one any explanations why they do it. Imho it's extremely nitpicky to try to say, that it's any way unprofessional. This is absolutely insane, imho, to say, that Meghan shouldn't touch her bump while on royal engagements. Or any other time.

It's no different to me than a woman that's not pregnant or a man put their hand on their hip at the office while standing and chatting. It happens. It's pretty normal. People don't think of it as scandalous. Unless someone's hand in on an inappropriate place, it's a hand. So why is it a problem with a pregnant woman put her hand on her belly?

[Cocoasneeze]

Originally Posted by ACO

I have seen more articles and commentary about her touching her belly than I have seen her actually doing it. Meghan is snapped 32368564 times at an engagement and at this point they are very much nitpicking and hyper-focusing on it. She can't hide her belly. It silly to expect her to like that article seems to suggest.

Yes, and like you said, Lorraine made the very good point, that there are thousands of pictures taken during engagements, and right now all the papers pick the ones with her touching her bump. They're the money shots. All the other non bump moments get ignored.

I just think ALL this discussion about Meghan holding her bump is crazy (and gere I'm taking part in it.. &#128515 It's the most natural thing, and this obsession over it is just really confusing.

[_Heather_]

Originally Posted by Ista

The DM article is ridiculous.

That said, Meghan is getting commentary about the belly cradling because it is constant, and because she is doing it when she is in public, on official engagements. Maybe she has round ligament pain. Maybe she is so thrilled to be pregnant that she can't help touching herself. I have no idea. But the fact that it is ubiquitous is noticeable, and it is also not something that most women, in a professional setting, do as frequently as she is doing.

I don't think it is being nitpicky to notice it, and to notice that in some settings it is viewed as unprofessional.

Agreed entirely. She's getting commentary on it because she does it so frequently and in such a deliberate way that it can become distracting. The biggest case in point, for me anyway, being at the fashion awards. She looked fabulous, she said lovely and wonderful things about CWK, it was a lovely evening with a very praise-worthy look and then come the images of her hugging this bump on both top and bottom, elbows straight out to the sides in an almost defensive stance, appearing for all the world to be putting the bump on show in a "look at me and please notice my bump" kind of way and then wonders why there's eyerolls from a lot of quarters.

I'd give any pregnant woman a pass on clasping their hands together under the bump while they're waiting to speak because, you know, what else do you do with your hands when you're not holding a microphone or a purse, even in resting both hands on top of a large bump when sitting because again, a natural pose and the hands gotta go somewhere. But the very deliberate, constant "make sure you see that I'm pregnant" way that it comes across sometimes can get old and distracting and is unprofessional. I can't imagine someone doing that in my office, especially during an important presentation or introduction, and it not being raised as an issue. It really does depend on the situation and circumstances but that one at the fashion awards particularly stood out for me as unprofessional because the night wasn't about her, it was about CWK, and the showcasing distracted from the real focus of the event, especially in the press. When the press about the evening should have been about CWK and her award and even about how wonderful Meghan looked and the very genuine and kind words she spoke, it was instead all about this one picture, this one pose, this one moment where she very deliberately framed the bump in an almost maternity photo shoot kind of way.