KATE Middleton stepped out in a beautiful midi dress as she visited midwives this week – and royal fans are claiming it shows a secret touching symbol.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s outfit had detailing that resembled pineapples on the jacket, which some are praising as a show of support for those struggling with infertility.
Kate, 40, and Princess Anne, 71, chatted to staff at the new HQ of the Royal College for Obstetrics and Gynaecology — where the Duchess of Cambridge is patron — in Southwark, London.
According to the New York Times: “Pineapples have become a powerful symbol for women struggling with infertility.
“The fruit appears in the profile photos and Facebook feeds of women in online infertility communities, and dominates hashtags related to in vitro fertilisation on Instagram.”
Fertility specialist Dr Aimee Eyvazzadeh said “probably 75 per cent” of her patients arrive for their I.V.F. procedures wearing something with a pineapple on it.
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But what do pineapples have to do with IVF?
Although there is little scientific evidence to back it up, some patients think eating pineapple on the day of your embryo transfer can help you get pregnant, but many doctors do not recommend this.
One royal fan, who spotted the pineapple design, said: “Catherine always does her research & goes the extra mile.”
Another added: “She does her homework.”
The trip is the first joint engagement Kate and Princess Anne have been on together since Kate started as a working royal after her marriage to William eleven years ago.
Kate’s £400 dress is the Tailored Crepe Midi Dress from Self-Portrait.
The Princess Royal left midwives laughing as she recalled fearing that one of her babies had become “wedged” when she tripped over in a horse lorry while heavily pregnant.
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The women were shown a demonstration of a new Intrapartum Foetal Surveillance tool.
This monitors the safety of babies during labour in order to move to an emergency delivery if the baby’s head gets stuck in the mothers’ pelvis.
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Dr Katie Cornthwaite, an obstetrics and gynaecology registrar, said afterwards: “It was really lovely to see how engaged they both were.
“It was lovely to share something that we are passionate about and see that they care about it.”
Princess Anne completed a successful trip to Papua New Guinea and Australia earlier this month for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
