The visit marked the royal's first solo engagement since being appointed the Princess of Wales.
Kate Middleton kicked off her Wednesday with a little baby fever! The Princess of Wales marked her first solo engagement since the death of Queen Elizabeth with a visit to the maternity unit at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
The princess was vibrant in a yellow dress by Karen Millen. Kate’s visit gave her a chance to speak with the staff about the work they are doing to support pregnant women and mothers. The 41-year-old royal specifically spoke with members of the Jasmine team, who work with mothers who are affected by pre and postpartum mental illness.
Members of the team also work inside of the community to provide special care to mothers. Kate also heard about the program’s partnership with midwives who work with the mothers during their pregnancies.
One of the sweetest moments came when Kate paid a visit to the Special Care Baby Unit, which provides neonatal care for premature infants. Kate met with Sylvia Novak, who spoke to the royal about her experience in the facility -- which allows her to stay close to her daughter, Bianca, as she receives care.
During their chat, Kate was all smiles as she held baby Bianca in her arms. The baby was born six weeks prematurely on Tuesday.
The Royal County Surrey Hospital delivers around 3,000 babies a year. The facility was awarded the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Award in May 2022.
Kate has been vocal about her support and work with maternal mental health. She has also been open about her pregnancy journey. Kate and her husband, Prince William, are parents to Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.
During each of her pregnancies, Kate battled hyperemesis gravidarum, which is a severe case of morning sickness. In 2020, she spoke on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast, where she revealed that she was “not the happiest of pregnant people," and would do some aspects of her pregnancy different.
"I feel a huge responsibility because what I've learned over the last few years is so fascinating and I definitely would have done things differently, even during my pregnancy, than I would have done now," she told host Giovanna Fletcher.
RELATED CONTNET:
