This is how many people it takes to deliver a royal baby
Sounds like royal baby births are a bit different from normal ones
Sounds like royal baby births are a bit different from normal ones
You might think that when you're giving birth, it would be nice to have as few a people involved as possible, but when you're giving birth to the future heirs to the British throne, things are handled a bit differently.
Professor Tiong Ghee Teoh, a gynaecologist and consultant obstetrician, was part of the Duchess of Cambridge's large ‘back up’ team, who were on call for three months before the birth, in case extra help was needed. The professor discussed her experience when she attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace, where medical staff who were involved in the births of the Royal babies were invited as a thank-you for their hard work.
'We had a huge team.' Professor Teoh explained, 'Anything that could possibly go wrong, we had a team of people behind each speciality.'
Dr Johanna Bray, an anaesthesiologist at St Mary's Hospital, explained what is was like being part of the Royal birth team, saying, 'You never know when you need to be called. You need to be in town and available. If you are at a party you need to have your car keys at the ready. No drinking!'
See our favourite pictures of Kate, Pippa and the rest of the Middleton family...
The extensive team, who according to Professor Tiong Ghee Teoh met once a month in the lead up to the birth to discuss the upcoming event, comprised of two obstetricians, three midwives, three anaesthetists, four theatre staff, two special care baby unit staff, four paediatricians, one lab technician and three to four hospital managers.
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Despite being on constant stand-by for three month in case anything went wrong, Professor Teoh's services weren't required. She explained the Duchess’s births in 2013 and 2015 had been very straightforward, so the back-up teams were not needed. 'She is a fit young lady and that’s the most important thing,' he said. 'They are the best patients.'
Dr Bray, who works at St Mary's, where Prince George and Princess Charlotte were born, insisted that the level of care the Duchess received was not out of the ordinary, telling People Magazine that all women who deliver at St. Mary’s Hospital are given equal care.
Dr Bray went on to say, 'It was a huge honour to be involved, very flattering, and at a time when the NHS needed a bit of a pick up, it was a real morale booster for St Mary's.'
When quizzed about when we might expect another Royal baby, Dr Bray joked, 'that's the million dollar question - need to know basis!'. Sorry, that wasn't the answer we were hoping for either.
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