Meghan Markle's unconventional birthing plan

With the arrival of their baby looming closer and closer, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have reportedly been weighing up available birthing options.

And rather than follow in the footsteps of Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Diana and Princess Anne, who all gave birth at the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital in London, Meghan Markle is looking to shake things up once again.

The 37-year-old duchess is said to be reading up on hypnobirthing techniques as her mum Doria Ragland, is said to be “encouraging Meg to go for a natural birth,” according to Vanity Fair.

Hypnotherapy is said to make for a much more relaxed and calm birthing process as mothers are encouraged to enter a form of deep meditation to manage the pain and unpredictability of childbirth, according to Hypnobirthing Australia.

The idea is to reduce the need for anaesthesia or any other interventions that are common today by using methods like breathing techniques, self-hypnosis and positive affirmations such as, ‘I allow my body to completely relax’ and ‘My body is perfectly designed to birth my baby,’ founder Melissa Spilsted has said.

The Duchess of Sussex is also said to be drawing up plans for a nursery at their new Windsor residence, Frogmore Cottage.

As well as a nursery, Meghan is also hoping to create a special ‘mother-in-law suite’ for Doria who wants to help her daughter through the birth and once the baby arrives.

“Doria plans to be around a lot when the baby arrives, and there are plans for her to have a dedicated space at their new home,” a source told Vanity Fair.

“She wants to be on hand to help Meghan and Harry with the baby. Doria will be involved and if she’s involved she will be encouraging Meg to go for a natural birth,” the source continued.

Despite all the preparation prior to the arrival of their baby, Meghan has made sure not to neglect her royal duties.

On Wednesday the Duchess made a surprise appearance at a meeting with academics at Kings College Londo to attend a meeting of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).

At the event, the Duchess discussed how higher education can tackle issues such as modern slavery, gender equality and climate change with a number of university leaders, academics and international scholarship students.

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