1 in 4 moms suffer blues, says duchess

THE pregnant duchess of Cambridge has spoken of the expectation placed on mothers to feel “super happy” after they have given birth, adding: “One in four of us isn’t.”

Kate Middleton, 36, whose third child is due in April, was visiting a unit at Bethlem Royal Hospital in London which houses mothers who have suffered mental illness in late pregnancy and early motherhood, ensuring they are kept with their babies as they receive treatment.

Research found that, in the boroughs local to the hospital, one in four perinatal women experience some form of mental health issues. Kate said: “There’s an expectation you’re going to be super happy all the time, and one in four of us isn’t.

“These statistics are there, the research is there, but actually it’s getting the aware- ness out there for mothers to take it (help).”

Women spend an average of eight to 12 weeks in the unit, before they are able to go home where they receive treatment for various kinds of mental illness including anxiety, depression and post-partum psychosis. It was not clear if Kate’s comments came from personal experience.

Kensington Palace said she had been keen to learn more about the support offered.

Her visit saw her wearing blue for the second day in a row – leaving onlookers wondering if it was a clue to the sex of her unborn child. She chose a baby blue coat over a patterned dress, both by Seraphine.

Palace sources have always maintained that William and Kate made no attempt to find out the sex of their children before they were born. – Daily Mail

PICTURE: REUTERS/AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA) Kate Middleton, the duchess of Cambridge, visited the maternity unit at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in south London, Britain, this week.