Kate Middleton Says Will Felt "Helpless" During Her Pregnancies

(Image credit: Mike Marsland)

published 16 February 2020

During her candid new interview on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, Kate Middleton opened up about all things parenting.
Among the many topics Kate discussed in the revealing interview was her experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a severe kind of morning sickness, the helplessness her husband, Prince William, felt when she was going through it.
Kate's appearance on the podcast, hosted by Giovanna Fletcher, was part of her ongoing campaign to support her Early Years initiative and her new Five Big Questions. survey.

Kate Middleton and Prince William have the same parenting struggles as every other mom and dad on the planet. Royals—they're people too. Novel concept, huh?

During her very candid new interview on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, Kate opened up about all things parenting, including her battle with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a form of severe morning sickness, which she dealt with during all three of her pregnancies.

"I got very bad morning sickness, so I’m not the happiest of pregnant people," she explained. "Lots of people have it far, far worse, but it was definitely a challenge. Not just for me but also for your loved ones around you, and I think that’s the thing, being pregnant and having a newborn baby and things like that, impacts everybody in the family."

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Kate went on to explain that her husband, like many dads-to-be, struggled with feelings of helplessness when she was pregnant.

"You know, William didn’t feel he could do much to help and it’s hard for everyone to see you suffering without actually being able to do anything about it," she said. "I was really sick. I wasn’t eating the things I should be eating. But yet, the body was still able to take all the goodness from my body and to grow new life, which I think is fascinating."

Kate's revealing conversation with host Giovanna Fletcher was part of the Duchess of Cambridge's ongoing campaign to promote her Early Years initiative on early childhood development and its new "Five Big Questions" survey.

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Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.