MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their first daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor back in June.
And fans have been going crazy trying to get a glimpse inside how The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will raise their daughter in California.
Read our Royal Family live blog for the latest updates
La-La-Land may be Harry and Meghan’s new home – but it’s also home to many pricey, lavish and bonkers parenting trends.
Here Fabulous takes a look at how Meghan might raise Lilibet – from smart cots to placenta pills.
SELF-CARE
Nima Patel, mindfulness expert, certified conscious parenting coach and founder of Mindful Champs, commented on lavish parenting trends likely to be embraced by Meghan.
She said: “Self-care is set to be an incredibly popular trend for parents throughout the U.S.
“The pandemic has highlighted the importance of nurturing our own mental health and parents are realising that they need to prioritise their wellbeing after having children.
“Meghan is a passionate advocate for mental health, so this is a trend she’s likely to embrace.
“Meghan’s made it quite clear that she has struggled with her own mental health issues since becoming a member of the royal family; meanwhile, like all of us, she’s inevitably been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.”
Meghan recently gave birth to Lilibet – who will go by Lili for short – and expert Nima believes Meghan will practise self care as a fundamental part of her parenting style.
Nima added: “It’s physically impossible to give the very best version of yourself to your children if you are feeling depleted.
“Meghan embracing this trend would be fantastic for herself, Harry, Archie and Lilibet, supporting their ability to bond and generally the wider family dynamic.
“However, it is important for parents to check-in with themselves every day to ensure they remain grounded.
“As part of this trend, parents are likely to embrace new ideas, for example listening to their own ‘internal thermometer’; if their emotions are reaching boiling point, they’ll need to take a step back, process the situation and respond positively.
“This is something I believe Meghan will be doing and personally feel very strongly about!”
SMART CRIBS
A recent Tatler feature suggested baby Lilibet is ‘no doubt’ being cradled by a Snoo Smart cot.
It described the self-rocking crib as the ‘iPhone for California babies’ – and our experts think it’s likely Meghan will be following this lavish ‘smart crib’ parenting trend.
Suze and Kevin Patel, founders of Nini Baby, said: “Smart tech is undeniably on the rise; we’re living in an age defined by innovation, with everything becoming more automatic, complex and smarter; this includes the baby world.
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“From motorised bouncers to monitor apps and sensor mats, products that parents love now
boast an underlying theme: they’re technology-driven and with this, we believe they’ll perform better, exceeding our expectations.
“However, it’s important to remember that babies need human touch to develop and get used to their new surroundings – technology can’t replace everything.
“It’s highly likely that Meghan will embrace the wide array of lavish smart cribs currently available on today’s market.
“However, as a spokesperson for mental health and a proud, vocal mother who’s clearly committed to nurturing the bond she shares with her children, we don’t feel smart tech will be her top priority.
“Instead, she’ll favour the products that offer the best of both worlds as she tries to find a healthy balance.
“Of course, their home will be filled with pricey products – that’s almost a given. But despite this, their home will be a sanctuary, a place of comfort whilst they continue to navigate the whirlwind they’re currently experiencing.
“With this, they’ll embrace thoughtful, loving products too.”
PRICEY TREATMENTS
The Tatler piece also referred to the trend of taking placenta tablets as one likely to have been used by Meghan.
Loved by celebs like Kim K, eating the organ is thought to boost iron levels, mood and milk.
So forget celebrity diets or fitness plans – placenta pills are the latest trend to sweep the world of showbiz
Some people believe that the nutrients passed from mother to foetus during her nine months of pregnancy are still packed inside the organ – and shouldn’t be binned.
Eating the raw placenta could help the mum recover from giving birth and boost her strength while breastfeeding, according to the theory.
The process is rife with controversy, because there is currently no firm evidence that eating the pills has any benefit.
Tatler said: “As for Meghan, she’ll probably be taking capsules made from her own placenta for the first few weeks (a typical postpartum ritual in La-La Land.)
“She’ll perhaps even have stored blood and tissue from the umbilical cord (it’s rich in haematopoietic stem cells, which can help if Lili is ill) with private cord blood bank Cryo-Cell.
“At more than $3,000 this process isn’t for everyone, but it is considered the norm in well-heeled parts of California.”
GOURMET BABY FOOD
The piece said Meghan might be using Dr Scott Cohen as the paediatrician for her little ones as he is the ‘charming, child whispering hero for Beverly Hills.’
But it also looked at potential baby food options Lilibet might enjoy as she gets older.
It said: “There will no doubt be deliveries of organic, gourmet solids (kale and pear quinoa, and sweet-potato cheese-cake) by Yumi.
“Or Meghan’s daughter may prefer ‘veggie-first’ nutritions from Cerebelly.”
Yumi blends science with fresh, organic ingredients to help children reach their full potential while Cerebelly organic baby food is developed by a practicing neurosurgeon and includes nutrients that support early brain development.
WORKING MUMS
Nima Patel, mindfulness expert, believes the topic of mums in the workplace will be more openly discussed with children.
She said: “Throughout the course of the pandemic, lots of mums, including Meghan, have found themselves working from home. As a result, their children have been exposed to this.
“It’ therefore of no surprise that discussing women in the workplace will become increasingly common over coming months.
“Parents will use this as an opportunity to educate their children about equality, instilling inclusive ideologies in their little ones during critical stages of their development.
“As a mindfulness expert and certified conscious parenting coach, I support this whole-heartedly.
“It’s incredibly important that parents make their daughters feel capable of anything they set their minds to and, equally, ensure their sons are passionate about fighting for equality themselves.”
Nima said this is likely to be done through open discussions and an increasing number of parents will practise affirmations with their daughters.
For example, working mums will sit down with their daughters each morning and recite phrases like “I am strong”, “I am capable”, “I am powerful”, “I am confident”, to help empower their children.
NEUTRAL COLOURS
Suze and Kevin Patel, founders of Nini Baby, said Meghan is likely to embrace the neutral colour trend too.
They said: “Neutral colours have always been big in the baby world and it doesn’t look like they’ll be going anywhere;
“This is most parents’ go-to palette if they’re not finding out the gender of their baby.
“Meanwhile, parents favour these colours because they’re relaxing and gentle, themes we’d all like to celebrate in our babies’ nurseries.
“Meghan is incredibly stylish and so we have no doubt that she’ll embrace this trend, creating a calm, neutral haven for Lilibet.”
EASILY TRANSPORTABLE
Meanwhile Suze and Kevin Patel also believe Lilibet is likely to be a well-travelled baby.
Especially now that travel is opening back up again.
They said: “This means one thing, parents are opting for easily-transportable baby products.
“However, for many new parents this is the first time they’ve had to think about packing for a trip away with a baby and it can definitely be daunting.
“Thankfully, having baby products you can use at home that are also travel-friendly makes life so much easier.
“As jetsetters themselves Meghan and Harry will definitely be investing in luxurious, travel-friendly baby products – after all, trendy parents want all the latest gadgets!”
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