Before she even gave birth to her son, the Duchess of Cambridge was under a lot of pressure to breastfeed from the media and the general public. Now the new mom is breastfeeding Prince George, so how are mom and baby adapting?
Good news! Hollywood Life reports that Prince George is taking very well to breastfeeding, and the young prince is developing at a healthy rate.
"It would be fair to say that Prince George has a healthy appetite. He is a very hungry little boy," a senior royal source told the Mirror's Sunday People.
But what of his royal mama Kate Middleton? A source told Hollywood Life that the Duchess has gotten the hang out of it already, even though it's only been a few days, and she even finds it "relaxing," although it wasn't easy in the beginning.
"I gather there were some difficulties at first - there often can be, as new mums can get a little tense," said the source. "But after some help from the midwife, they both caught on very quickly. As far as I can tell, Kate finds it very relaxing and George is just like any other little baby. He can't get enough. And they all certainly know when he's hungry - his screams are very difficult to ignore. But don't expect Kate to be photographed breastfeeding. She does not want to become a pin-up for the breast-feeding lobby. She feels that it is a matter of personal choice, and that new mums should do whatever feels right for them and their baby."
The source also dished that Middleton is hoping to be completely reliant on breastfeeding for Prince George's first few months in the world, ditching the bottle for the more traditional approach to feeding her baby.
Although she may have a laissez-faire approach to the practice, many mothers and breastfeeding advocates hoped to make her an example of their idea of the best approach before the Duchess was due to give birth.
An opinion piece for The Telegraph written earlier this month reads: "We need women with power and influence to get their milky bosoms out and feed smiling in paparazzi pictures. Celebrity is depressingly powerful in dictating trends. As if there wasn't enough pressure on her already, what we really need is The Duchess of Cambridge to get her Royal orbs out to feed our future monarch. And to be applauded - not seethed at - for doing so."
The Duchess also reportedly gave birth naturally (no painkillers!) to the heir to the throne in the luxurious Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital, following in the footsteps of her late mother-in-law Princess Diana.
While it's highly unlikely the Duchess will breastfeed in public, she can still be a source of inspiration for women who take the more traditional feeding route, and not just when it comes to breastfeeding itself. The royal mama's Seraphine maternity dress she wore on a recent outing with her new family is already sold out with a long wait list to buy it. And as always, fans are eager to see what Middleton will wear next!
