No matter what the occasion the world always seems to be waiting for Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Seven years for an engagement, a year for a wedding and two years for Prince George, now the world is eagerly anticipating the birth of their second child, who was reportedly due last Saturday and appears to have already inherited the tardiness gene.
As #GreatKateWait and #KateIsLate gain traction on social media and royal watchers run out of things to say about the still vacant birthing suite at the Lindo Wing, the fact the Queen's fifth great-grandchild is now considered overdue is not necessarily a bad thing according to obstetric specialists. Just as long as Kate is not suffering from hypertension or there is some concern about the baby's access to nutrition.
Associate Professor Steve Robson, vice-president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said while inducing labour is an option, it's best for nature to take its course or the couple could do as Marvin Gaye suggested.
"If the pregnancy is closely monitored and the mother is doing well and there are no problems and it seems as if the baby's going well, then it's a fair and reasonable thing, with careful surveillance, to go over the due date and await events," he said.
"Nobody wants to intervene just for the sake of intervening. People don't want to bring on a labour without good reason."
Not even for monarchists and editors eager for some happy news.
However the longer it goes, the bigger the tot will be upon delivery.
"The further it goes the higher the chances the baby might be needed to be deliver by caesarean section for a combination of reasons, such as the baby could be a little bigger and can't draw on food supply in labour and become a bit more vulnerable and distressed in labour. Babies are just bigger and their heads get harder and don't fit out as well, so it's pretty clear the further you go over the due date the bigger the risks you put yourself at.
"A professional suggestion is to have intercourse. We use prostaglandin to induce labour, which comes from the prostate gland of men, so I always say it could stir things up and get you into labour and if it doesn't at least it fills in the time."
Considering the Duchess is still busy shopping at Zara and driving George to his swimming lessons, it would seem once the fourth in the line to the throne makes his or her entrance into this world, the focus will shift from that of Kate's post partum wardrobe to how the little "overcooked" one will look?
More Prince Philip than Prince William according to Dr Robson.
"Once a baby goes a significant amount over the due date often the amount of waters around the baby begin to dry up as does the greasy casing it's covered in, certainly babies that you see born well past the due date [about a week after] are, not uncommonly, wrinkly with dry skin."
The remedy, according to midwifery experts, is to maximise the amount of skin-on-skin contact between the infant and mother and refrain from bathing the baby too often.
