Kate Middleton has written an open letter to the midwives of Britain, as she highlights the important roles they play in hospitals across the United Kingdom. Her praises for the Midwives came on Friday after spending several days observing a hospital maternity unit, calling their work humbling and crucial.
The Duchess of Cambridge, described their work as of “fundamental importance” to the early years of development of children – an issue she has been raising awareness about for a number of years.
Alongside the message, she also revealed she took part in-home visits with midwives during two days spent shadowing staff at Kingston Hospital’s maternity unit in London in November.
Four pictures show her time with workers and in one image Kate is pictured crouching over a baby in a cot as the infant’s parents watch, while in others she is seen, meeting staff.
In the letter, published ahead of the start of 2020 designated Year of the Nurse and Midwife, Kate said: “The help and reassurance you provide for parents-to-be and parents of newborns is just as crucial. It goes a long way in building parents’ confidence from the start, with a lifelong impact on the future happiness of their children.
“The early years are more critical for future health and happiness than any other moment in our lifetime. Even before we are born, our mother’s emotional and physical health directly influences our development and by the age of five, a child’s brain has developed to 90% of its adult size.
“Your role at the very start of this period is therefore of fundamental importance.”
she added: “You are there for women at their most vulnerable; you witness strength, pain and unimaginable joy on a daily basis. Your work often goes on behind the scenes, and away from the spotlight.
“Recently, however, I was privileged enough to witness a small section of it first hand, spending several days at Kingston Hospital’s maternity unit.
“Although this was not my first encounter with the care and kindness provided by midwives across the country, it gave me a broader insight into the true impact you have on everybody you help.”
Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, England’s Chief Midwifery Officer, who helped deliver Kate’s children, said: “Around 650,000 babies were born this year with our fantastic NHS midwives on hand to provide care to women and their families.
“It is a huge honour for the Duchess to recognise the importance of our profession and, as we look ahead to 2020, her support will no doubt be a massive boost for all those working in maternity services as we celebrate the year of the nurse and the midwife.”