I’ve been waiting to write about Pippa Middleton because I hoped there would be some kind of announcement about a baby overnight. There was not. According to widespread British-media reports, Pippa Middleton checked into the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London on Monday evening. That’s the same maternity/delivery wing that the Duchess of Cambridge used for all three of her deliveries. James Matthews was reportedly with her, and carrying her bags, as they checked into the hospital. The buzz is that she’s in labor “right now.”
Which brings me to this question: why did she attend Princess Eugenie’s wedding again? When Pippa turned up, I think most people were like “oh, she’s still got a few weeks to go,” and now just days later, she’s in labor? It seems like such a gamble to go to Windsor for a wedding and be stuck there for a significant amount of time so close to one’s due date. It’s especially weird because the first pregnancy is usually overdue, right? So why go to Windsor for a posh royal wedding on your due date or even AFTER your due date? Did Pippa just want to make sure she was included in a royal function?
Are we even taking bets about whether Pippa and Terribly Moderately Wealthy James are having a boy or girl? I’m getting a girl vibe, maybe I’m wrong.
Update: I was wrong about the girl vibes! Pippa gave birth to a baby boy “weighing 8 lbs. 9 oz. on Monday” according to People. Mother and son are “doing well.”
Photos courtesy of WENN.
The wind was SO DISRESPECTFUL that day!!!!
Haha! So true!
Mazel tov to the happy parents! Glad she delivered safely. Hope it’s a happy, healthy baby. I’m sure the entire family is thrilled to bits. And it’s a new cousin, close in age to Louis, so a built in playmate 😊
I didn’t even think of this baby and Louis near each other! How very nice for the two close sisters!
Another cousin on the way!
And James’ brother had a baby a few months ago as well (well, his wife did, ha.) So lots of company for this new baby!
Ugh to all of these pregnancy rules!
Why did she go to a wedding? Uh because she flippin wanted to. Pregnancy isn’t a massive disease and, if push came to shove, she could have delivered in any hospital on earth.
I totally agree!!!! What what she supposed to do??!! Sit at home waiting to go into labour?
Exactly! My best friend’s wedding and my due date were coincidentally on the same day. There was no way I was going to miss her special day, and if I’d gone into labor, well laboring takes a while anyway. Sure I was massively pregnant at the wedding, but baby didn’t arrive until a week later.
Yes, Pippa looked about to pop! But bless her, she went and shared the joy and soaked up some good vibes. I’m sure it relaxed her and gave her the opportunity to walk around-a good prelude to laboring.
Congratulations to the wee one and his parents. And yes, Louis will have a playmate (albeit a commoner-sarcasm).
I was surprised at that too. I think pregnant women should get out and about as much as they like; it sure takes one’s mind off worrying, and beats twiddling your thumbs!
I’m pretty sure one of the Swedish princesses (I don’t remember her name, I don’t follow them as closely) attended a family members wedding like they day before she gave birth. If you’re still feeling good just go about your normal business!
This! That’s beside the point that most first labors are at least 10 hour affairs, many stretching on twice as long. I think that’s time enough to grab some cake, do the electric slide, and get to the hospital before things got too uncomfortable, in the event she even did go into labor. But sure, let’s judge Pippa for her choices instead of deferring to her own judgment about her body. She IS a pregnant woman… 🙄
Congrats to them!
I’m pretty sure Windsor has hospitals in the event of an emergency. My doctor didn’t want me driving through western Kansas and Nebraska at 34 weeks — but there you can be on the main highway and still be 100 miles from any hospital.
Cousin of mine danced till 2 in the morning at her sister’s wedding… which happened to be on her due date.
Had a fab night and gave birth 4 days later!
It looked to me like the baby had dropped, so, not surprising she’s in labor.
*puts hand up*
Person with no children here. What do you/other people mean by the baby ‘dropping’? It’s a term I’ve heard before but I haven’t got around to searching for it yet
You tend to carry higher earlier in your pregnancy, and then closer to delivery the baby moves further down (“drops”) to prepare for birth.
Signed,
Muffy, who can’t wait for this “kick mommy in the lungs” shit to be over 🙂
When the baby moves lower in the body getting into position in preparation for birth. I’ve no kids either and I’m certain there are much better explanations but I hope this helps.
Laura, I believe it means the baby shifts into position (head first hopefully) to exit the birth canal. It looks/feels lower. Maybe…(no children either; going off bio class memories which could be wrong)
When I first saw that wedding pic of Pippa in her green dress I could see the baby dropped and it reminded me of how I looked all those years ago when I was at the end of my pregnancy. I had a boy. Wonder if she is having a boy.
Ha, ha: best wishes, Muffy! Hang in there!
Muffy, take care!
Could be worse, Muffy – that could be a head up under your ribs and not feet! Good luck!
Maybe she went in to labour earlier than expected? Babies come went they want, they don’t care what else you’ve got going on.
I’m thinking earlier than expected, or possibly induction.
All I can say is I’m super jealous. I’m a few weeks behind her and I look like a whale. She looks, like, 7 very fit months pregnant, tops. I don’t know how these Middleton ladies do it.
8hrs pregnancy yoga a day, and a macrobiotic and yak butter tea diet.
I think she looks great. I hope I can be so active and fit with my next pregnancy.
She obviously was up fo going to the wedding, so why not?
JadedBrit, I have to ask: are you being ironic? You are, right??
I worked until the day I gave birth (and had finished my daily commute), baby came 4 weeks early. It’s a thing.
esp with it being so windy I’m sure the pressure change from the weather had something to do with it as well.
I went to the gym and my office the morning I gave birth. I was a little early and finally felt better in my third after feeling sick and exhausted forever. People get way too amazed by women being out up until the labor date, I remember getting annoyed at people who kept asking “why are you out?!” Trust me, if I didn’t want to be, I was happy to use the nine months pregnant excuse!
This has become the norm in the US unfortunately. We get such limited maternity leave that new mothers end up working until the moment of birth. I was on a conference call with a moderator who was actively in labor at the hospital, she literally worked up until the moment doctors told her to push!
Windsor is about 35-45mins drive from the Lindo. Even if her waters had broken in the chapel she would have been fine.
With my second, my waters broke at lunchtime. Went to the clinic, got sent home, labour wasn’t really starting so I went to the mall with my husband and had supper. Labour can really take for bloody ever to get started. Baby born by c-section early the next morning only.
I really really don’t get the pearl clutching. It is a pretty short drive from Windsor to London. I had an hour to drive to the hospital and in the North of my county it is 3 hours on a good day.
If she was feeling well why not go out? The media obsesses about due dates but normal deliveries can occur at anytime during a 5 week period (37-42 weeks) so you really don’t stay home. On my due date I did University exams despite it being a high risk pregnancy.
In any case you rarely go to the hospital straight away as you will just get sent home unless you are in established labour.
That’s a totally reasonable drive. Labor isn’t like the movies where a woman has a first contraction and then it’s a wild race to the hospital where she turns into a screaming mess. Early labor can be pretty long, and only something like a 3rd start with the water breaking (which is when you need to go to the hospital directly). I don’t think it’s weird that she went.
This ^^^, labour usuallytakes way longer than you think, especially with the first baby. She would have had plenty of warning, these are not the days of confinement.
My water broke about one minute before he was born. I thought I had popped my baby’s head off.
You don’t even have to go in right away if your water breaks. With my first two children, my waters broke 12 and 14 hours before labor even started, but the labors were very fast once they did start.
Usually takes a while…. I had a friend who had her first child in the lobby of the birthing center. Forty-five minutes from start to finish. But that’s definitely as statistical outlier.
Thank you, I was wondering the distance. That is not too far.
Particularly with a first baby – they are completely unpredictable. I’d been at a cousin’s baby shower on a Saturday afternoon, about an hour from the hospital where I was supposed to deliver. I felt like crap, but I hadn’t been sleeping well for a few days, so I thought nothing of it. My Mom commented that she thought my baby had dropped, but I still had two weeks before my due date.
At 5:30 on Monday morning, my water broke. Baby finally arrived at 9:15 that night.
My first child came two weeks early without warning. So maybe she thought she still had time.
Yeah, mine was 3 weeks early, water just suddenly broke. People have this misconception that you always give birth on your due date, whereas in reality full term is sometime between 37 and 42 weeks, not 40 weeks on the dot.
Another big misconception is that your water breaks before any other signs of labour. See that on tv shows all the time
Same – my first was 37 weeks. (As was my second.)
Yup, my water didn’t break until transition (right at the very end, basically). Birth is not like TV/movies AT ALL.
The doctor had to break my water, they also did a membrane sweep, now that is awful
My second was also three weeks early and began with PROM. Yuuuuuuckkkkkk, right?
Same. Mine came 4 weeks early. I had a brutal cold and my water had started leaking. I was in complete denial and thought I had just peed myself after sneezing, lol. My mom had to convince me it was probably the real deal and go to the hospital (she was right, by the time we were halfway there the contractions started).
I had plans that night and thought I had plenty of time. Pippa probably did too, we don’t know when her due date actually was.
Attending the wedding that close to due date seems like a thirsty move.
And perhaps she scheduled a c-section, i.e. #TooPoshToPush?
Just….HUH. Not everyone who has a C-section is “too posh to push”…my mom and myself are TINY women. My mom was in labor with my brother for 19 hours but he was a big baby and she just couldn’t do it.
She didn’t say that everyone who has a C-section is too push to posh. Come on now.
Signed,
two C-sections, one scheduled
C-sections are medically indicated for women for a variety of reasons. Sometimes they are scheduled for the health of baby and mom, especially in cases of gestational diabetes when it is dangerous for the baby to be too late. I don’t usually call people out for comments here, and yes some people do schedule C-sections, but I’d never call anyone too posh to push. Birth plans are deeply personal. It can also be very upsetting and stressful for moms to hear they have to have a C-section. Surgery for any reason is risky and scary, especially when you’re being told “We have to do this for the baby’s safety.” C-sections are risky for both mom and baby, it is a longer healing process for mom, bleeding risk, DIC, etc. Again I don’t usually comment on other’s comments but there’s nothing posh about a C-section. It’s surgery? Shrug.
Thanks or your comment Elena. I just had a csection two months ago because my baby was breach. We tried EVC and everything else and she just didn’t want to budge. So it was really the only safe option.
Honestly I had a great time. Loved my surgical team. I was basically doing a stand up act before surgery, mostly cause I deal with nerves by being sarcastic and making jokes. But the recovery was fine and I’ve been working out for several weeks now and baby is super awesome.
I know I was lucky by the way. It’s a major surgery and many things could have happened. I also made sure to work out almost every day of my pregnancy. I 100% think that helped the recovery process go quicker.
Brilliant Elena! I was advised to have a scheduled c-section due to having a myomectomy done and I couldn’t get a hold of my medical records (move from another country to the UK) so I can show them that. I didn’t want a c-section due to a poor recovery post-op, it took me almost a year to come back to my normal self after my myomectomy, what more with a baby to care for? but the consultant said they want to lessen the risks like internal bleeding, placenta abruption and the like plus if I was to choose normal delivery (I wanted a water birth) and there were complications to arise they would rather not have the uncertainty and so I agreed with them. However I went into labour, 1 week prior to my scheduled c-section but I was fortunate that the consultant who booked me in, was in theatre that day and she recognised me straightaway and she went ahead with my c-section. I’m happy that it was such a different experience from my first surgery and I was able to be up and about with my baby albeit a bit slower.
I don’t see Pippa choosing an elective c-section. She has written about staying active while pregnant, Kate seemed to have had easy (and natural) labor’s and recoveries. A c-section is a much harder recovery and an elective one doesn’t seem to fit Pippa’s approach to pregnancy, especially if she is also considering her sister’s Experiences.
#TooPoshToPush?
Really??? I thought we were better than that now. You know, shaming women for what we perceive as their birthing choices. Although I’m no fan of Pippa Middleton and all my deliveries were vaginal, it really bugs me when I hear women being judged for C-sections. It comes from such a ridiculously idiotic and patronizing notion that women are supposed to suffer and any effort to mitigate that fate is immoral. Never mind that having a c-section is not the easier option, as others have pointed out.
I guess I was crazy for working until 41 weeks pregnant? Going into labor isn’t like the movies. It takes HOURS of labor until it is time to push. Pippa is super fit and an athlete who would probably HATE to have a csection. I had an emergency c-section and it’s not a walk in the park. I can’t believe all of these women judging other pregnant woman. It is gross and so unnecessary.
I have two children, and gave birth to my second as a c-section (breach position). I am unsure of why people think that this is the easier option. For me, it was not! I found the actual c-section procedure to be terrifying and the recovery to be very painful and long. Everyone has their own experience, but a c-section was awful.
Were Princess Madeleine and Zara Phillips also thirsty for attending weddings so close to their due dates or is this a dig reserved solely for Pippa? I’m not a fan of the Middletons at all but this is reaching. She is fit as hell and I wouldn’t see her missing much of anything to sit on her ass and eat bonbons.
Maybe she’s being induced?
She’s been there at least 20 hours. I was expecting an announcement too.
My first was two weeks early too and my second over five weeks early 😕
Don’t really like her but I hope all is well..
Maybe she had an induction scheduled so felt confident going to the wedding? (no clue how common inductions are in England, and she didn’t look overdue but who knows?)
Anyway, the answer to this question – “Was Pippa just that desperate to be included once again in a royal function?” is yes. Always yes. LOL.
Is this Hospital like the Cedars Sinai of London?
I don’t think a lot of European people know that Cedars Sinai is a hospital.
Windsor is really close to west London, where she lives and where St Mary’s hospital is. Lots of women are fine up until the last minute and would be happy to go to a wedding. Don’t see any issue with this really.
I’d say the cedars Sinai would be the Portland hospital, but St Mary’s is closer to where Pippa and Kate live, so presumably that’s got something to do with why they chose there.
Portland is where the rich people go and Lindo is where the posh people go.
My daughter has treatment at the Portland for hip issues (we have good private insurance) and it is like a 5-star hotel. All the signs are in English and Arabic and the drop-off area in front of the hospital is always full of Porsches and Range Rovers. There is 24-hour room service for god’s sake and if you ask for coffee it comes on a white tablecloth trolley in full silver service. I can see that being too OTT for the aristocrat types.
I’m not British but can you explain the difference between rich and posh? is it like nouveau riche and the aristocracy/titled folks?
Basically yes. Posh people (or Sloanes as they used to be known. Diana was nicknamed a Sloane Ranger in the 80s) tend to stick to the same places, hotels, clubs, hospitals etc because it’s the done thing.
Hilariously explained in this article about Boris Johnson’s taste in mugs:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/ugly-mug-shows-posh/
I mean, if she was invited and she had a date for induction or something, why wouldn’t she attend? Or maybe her doctors told her there was no room of the baby being born last week or something. We don’t know
My mum traveled out of state 8 months preggo with my sister to be a bridesmaid for a sister-in-law she didnt even like. In Maryland. In July. There wasn’t even a question of her not attending. And while she was hoping she’d go into labor any minute to avoid wearing a godawful teal maternity bridesmaid dress, she didn’t and she maintained a pretty normal life schedule up until the day she did. Everybody handles pregnancy differently.
Windsor and St. Mary’s Hospital are 26 miles apart…I hardly find that risky…🤷🏼♀️
I’m having a small panic attack. Push, breathe breathe PUSH. Can hardly wait for my turn again!! 👶👶
Just because she was close to her due date doesn’t mean she can’t go out and do things. Most women don’t stop normal routines even that close to giving birth, especially if they are very active before pregnancy.
Agreed, and to me it seems that Middleton women deal well with pregnancies. If she was ok why she should have stayed at home?
I second that, I was still scrubbing floors and stripping paint right near to my due date. I do not recommend buying a house whilst pregnant and only stopped working two weeks before I was scheduled for a c-section.
Exactly. I would have gone to a wedding if I were past my due date, not a big deal. I went to a Billy Squire concert a few days before my due date.
Is this the only hospital to deliver at? When I read it, I thought to myself, “Of course she is at the Lindo wing.”
I was 37 weeks pregnant and asked about driving 2 hours for my FIL’s birthday. My midwife shrugged and went “sure, there are hospitals there”. Life doesn’t stop because you are pregnant and honestly the last weeks of pregnancy are this awful waiting game and I don’t blame Pippa for wanting to keep busy and if she had gone into labor, they could have gotten her to a hospItal in time.
Same when I was flying across county late in my pregnancy-my OB said “there are hospitals everywhere.” It’s fine.
Tbh the thing I don’t understand is… why was she even invited?? Like, putting aside the rumours that the York girls don’t like the Middletons, why would you invite your cousin’s wife’s sister and her husband to your wedding? Isn’t that weird? Or do I just not know enough about wedding etiquette??
I know this is a shocking concept but maybe they are…friends?.
Eugiene and Jack were invited to Pippa’s wedding, they have probably attended Christmas/New Year church services at Sandringham together as well as other social events that were are not aware of.
Pippa was there as her husbands plus one, the groom is friends with James and also James Middleton.
I think Jack and MWJM (is that the new name? I don’t think I got it right) are friends. Or Jack and Pippa are friends. Eugenie and Jack went to Pippa’s wedding. I think its less about the connection via Kate and more about Jack and his connection to the couple.
Similar social circle. But people here focus too much on the “no one likes the Middleton sisters” narrative.
Not sure why some people are acting like Windsor and London are on opposite ends of the country. Its just 25 miles from the chapel to the hospital. Plenty of women live further away from the nearest hospital, let alone their preferred hospital.
Plus — hold the presses — EVERY hospital likely has someone on staff that has experience supervising a childbirth!
And, given that she was at a Royal Wedding, there might have been a police escort available to get her to the nearest hospital without much effort of dealing with directions and traffic. And, GASP, had things really gotten dire, they could have MEDIVACED her out by helicopter. I suspect the Queen has one or two available at her disposal.
… and Pippa’s brother-in-law is an experienced Air Ambulance pilot 😉
@Lunde…..bwahahahahahahaha. That may be my favorite comment ever on here lol.
@Lunde oh how i wish your version of events happened! the headlines would be priceless and her child’s birth would certainly forever be in the history books.
LOL Priceless, Lunde.
@lunde I swear to god I was trying for a few minutes to figure out who you meant. I was like… the husbands brother? Well played!
Lunde LOL!!!
I hope and pray that every child born worldwide today will be happy and healthy, their mothers equally so.
She could have gone into labor early. All 3 of mine were 3 weeks early (give or take a couple days). I’m going to go with a bouncing baby boy for Pippa, based only on how she’s carrying. She looks like she stuffed a basketball under her dress, little to no swelling or much widening going on. Which is how I carried with my boy, gained the recommended 30 lbs. With my girls, I had so much swelling and gained 50+. Everyone is different though, and I know it’s just an old wives tale but I’m predicting BOY!
Yep. I had basketball bellies for my boys, my girl was more spread out.
I’m placing bets on whether or not Pippa and James come out onto the steps with the full court press acting as if this is a royal baby. I haven’t decided if they are that thirsty or not.
I wonder how they are going to announce it. You are right, it’s not a royal baby.
I believe she is that thirsty. And the media is interested.
They wouldn’t dare … would they? I’m sure there will be a Hello feature anyway. And Pippa would have attended that wedding even if she was in labour. Come on.
You know it! She’d a be strapped to a gurney mattress soaked and high heels and fascinitor on wheeled into the church. Never miss an opportunity to be upwardly socially stratified!
I don’t see an issue with her attending. There is no indication that she was overdue and as long as she felt fine I dont see a problem. Women do lots of things right up until the day they give birth, from working out to working. I have had many female coworkers work right up until the day they gave birth. And considering that James arrived at the hospital with her bags before she did it’s likely that she had a scheduled induction.
Babies do come in advance. I went to my SIL wedding 38 weeks pregnant, on a Saturday. My water brook at 3 am the Sunday. My mid wife was sure I would make it to 40 weeks. Baby decided he wanted out. It happens.
I really don’t see the issue. We are not in the Victorian Period where pregnant women were hidden and had to stay home.
I hope she has an easy, uncomplicated delivery.
If she’s been there for so long I hope everything’s OK. Hopefully the baby’s been born and they’re taking their time, for once, before making a parade for the media (we all know that’s coming!)
You know….I am really curious about this little one’s arrival. Safe and healthy babies is what you hope for. And it still throws me off that both her brother and husband have the same first name because my first thought was, ‘Why is her brother there first?’.
Pippa and Eugenie seem to be friends. And Eugenie did go to school with James Middleton, I know it hurts the “Everyone hates the Middletons” narrative, but it seems like they’re friends of the bride and groom, regardless of the Kate’s connection. Pippa seems to have had a healthy pregnancy, so I don’t see why she wouldn’t have attented the wedding.
“And Eugenie did go to school with James Middleton”
I completely forgot about this connection. There is only a 3 year age difference between James and Eugenie so its possible they could have seen each other around school and been on friendly terms maybe even friends.
Congratulations!
How nice that their son and Louis will be so close in age. Mazel tov, Matthews family!
If she didn’t feel well enough to go to the wedding, then I’m sure she would have stayed at home. She looked very well on Friday. Congratulations to her and TMW James. I hope Carole gives her as much help as she gave Kate if she needs it.
Aw congratulations to the Matthews! baby boys are super fun 🙂 (YES I am sure girls are too since people are so on edge here today…but I have two boys so I’m biased.)
I was teaching high school English fewer than 24 hours before my daughter arrived. It’s not too big of a deal, especially with a first baby.
Uh maybe because women like to go on with their lives while pregnant??
Yay for her. A nonentity had a baby.
You really don’t know, especially with a first baby; my first was two weeks early (which actually worked out well for an upcoming family event). If you feel well and your doctors are on board, you act as much like a normal person as possible until . . .
She seemed perky and healthy, so no reason not to attend.
And that is a very big baby for a first. If I remember, same weight as Prince Louis!
I saw online media headlines last night saying in effect “another royal baby being born”. I was so confused to read it was Pippa they were referring to ! I’m an American but even I wouldn’t be so confused as to call Pippa’s baby “royal”. What on earth …. just an effort not to label the baby “royal adjacent like its mother” perhaps ?
Pippa has kind of been SWFing Kate from the time of her wedding through the delivery of this baby. The wedding dress, her Maidenhair Fern tiara, the publicity and press pack, having announcements made through KP, the Lindo wing… she’s not a royal but damn if they aren’t still trying to weasel their way into the aristocracy once HM (and probably Charles) is gone.
Nobody said Pippa’s dress was ugly so calm your tits. Everything I mentioned is something she actually did. I’m not the one who made her do those things or that they were done in public. It’s not ripping her to shreds.
dang, i wish i had those middleton genes. they likely work at it, but dang still.
I think they both work out at least two hours a day, no joke
Congratulations to them!
It would kill you to just say: “Congratulations”?
Lol. She looks beautiful and just glowing with happiness in the green dress..
Congratulations. Glad things went well and she had a healthy baby.
I can’t wait for Pippa’s Tips ™ the Labour version 🙂
Both of my sons were two weeks early on the dot, so I it’s very possible she did have a couple of weeks to go and thought she was safe. In fact, two days before my oldest born, at my dr appointment, the doctor told me I’d be waiting a few more weeks. Two days later, my water broke lol. So I can believe Pippa was surprised by this. Congrats to her 🙂
Bad genes though…
Why?? Genuinely curious why you would say this. The Windsors are the ones with the ugly inbreeding genes.
The father’s extravagantly long neck and weak chin, and the mother’s HORRID skin/eye bags/thin hair…
I loved her outfit and was hoping for her to break water and go into labour at the wedding. I’m not a fan of Pippa’s crinkly, sun damaged skin, the orange glow or her random crimes of fashion. I like her from the chest down, however. She’s athletic and worked out while pregnant. Good for her and the wee bairn.
Does Pippa need to check her privilege?