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| Royal baby weighs in at UK average | Royal baby weighs in at UK average |
| (2 months later) | |
| For the first and probably only time in his life, the royal baby behaved in an impeccably normal, if not to say ordinary, fashion at birth. The heir to the throne weighed an extremely healthy 8lbs 6oz, about a pound heavier than the UK average, but given that the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William are both of above average height (she is 1.78m or 5ft 8ins tall and the English average is 5ft 3ins according to the Office for National Statistics) and that she will have eaten very well and received the very best of care throughout her pregnancy, the young prince is not a heavyweight. The normal range in the UK is around 5lbs 8oz to 9lbs 14oz. | For the first and probably only time in his life, the royal baby behaved in an impeccably normal, if not to say ordinary, fashion at birth. The heir to the throne weighed an extremely healthy 8lbs 6oz, about a pound heavier than the UK average, but given that the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William are both of above average height (she is 1.78m or 5ft 8ins tall and the English average is 5ft 3ins according to the Office for National Statistics) and that she will have eaten very well and received the very best of care throughout her pregnancy, the young prince is not a heavyweight. The normal range in the UK is around 5lbs 8oz to 9lbs 14oz. |
| The duchess was in labour from the early hours until she gave birth at 4.24pm – normal progress. Average labour for a first baby is about eight hours. Subsequent children usually arrive faster. | The duchess was in labour from the early hours until she gave birth at 4.24pm – normal progress. Average labour for a first baby is about eight hours. Subsequent children usually arrive faster. |
| The palace was frugal with details of the birth, but it would be surprising if the baby had been induced, unless it was well after the due date. Most first babies are late and some are early – only about 5% arrive when the midwife predicts they will. The heat and the pressure might have persuaded some women in the Duchess' position to ask for labour to be induced, but if she did stick it out and go into labour naturally, she is less likely to have had medical intervention at the end. | The palace was frugal with details of the birth, but it would be surprising if the baby had been induced, unless it was well after the due date. Most first babies are late and some are early – only about 5% arrive when the midwife predicts they will. The heat and the pressure might have persuaded some women in the Duchess' position to ask for labour to be induced, but if she did stick it out and go into labour naturally, she is less likely to have had medical intervention at the end. |
| Studies have shown that induced labour more often leads to epidurals, forceps deliveries, caesareans and other interventions. | Studies have shown that induced labour more often leads to epidurals, forceps deliveries, caesareans and other interventions. |
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