Topics: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Royal Family, Instagram, Celebrity, Health
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were branded ‘icons’ this week after they posted a hilarious clip of them dancing four years ago while Meghan was pregnant with their daughter, Lilibet.
In the hilarious video, which the mother-of-two shared to Instagram as part of a series of posts to wish Lilibet a happy fourth birthday, the married couple unleashed their silly sides and had a boogie in an effort to kick-start labour.
To honour their little girl’s birthday, Meghan wrote in the caption: "Four years ago today, this also happened.
"Both of our children were a week past their due dates…so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work - there was only one thing left to do!"
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However, cruel online trolls who have been targeting the Duchess took the video as an opportunity to fuel an outrageous conspiracy theory.
During both her pregnancies, the 43-year-old was accused of having a completely fake 'moon bump'.
'Moon bumps' are high quality, realistic fake pregnant bellies, often used on the sets of films and TV shows when a character is pregnant. But the bizarre conspiracy theory was fuelled again by the birth clip, as some users noticed that her bump looked 'lumpy'.
"Her bump also didn’t move up and down," another noted, as a third said: "No woman nine months pregnant moves that way."
However, it’s time to shut down this wild theory, as a doctor has explained what the so-called ‘lumps’ actually are and what they are for.
Tyla spoke to Dr Farah Ahmed, a GP who specialises in women’s health, who confirmed that the lumps are most likely CTG monitors.
She explained: “The 'lumps' visible on Meghan’s bump are most likely CTG monitors (cardiotocography), which are commonly used to check the baby’s heart rate and the frequency of contractions.
“These monitors are strapped to the belly using elastic bands, which can sometimes create a bumpy appearance under clothes.”
Dr Farah went on to reassure that ‘they’re completely normal in hospital settings’ especially when ‘someone is close to or past their due date,’ like Meghan’s case.
The GP also explained that a heavily pregnant woman actually can move that way, and lifted the lid on how dancing can help, as it seemingly did for the Duchess.
“Dancing during late pregnancy, like Meghan appears to be doing, can actually be both safe and helpful, provided there are no medical complications,” Dr Farah explained.
She advised: “Gentle movement, swaying and even dancing can encourage the baby into an optimal position for labour and help ease discomfort.
“Movement like this may also help stimulate contractions in a natural way, although it’s not guaranteed to induce labour.”
Commenting on the squatting movements Meghan did in the video, Dr Farah explained that it can, in fact, be beneficial in late pregnancy.
She clarified that it ‘opens the pelvis, which may help the baby move down into position’.
According to Meghan’s Instagram caption, the bopping around was a last resort after she already tried ‘spicy food, walking, and acupuncture’.
Giving her verdict on her attempts at inducing labour, Dr Farah said: “Walking can help, especially if the baby is already low in the pelvis. It encourages movement and can trigger contractions in some cases.”
However, she explained that tucking into spicy food is ‘more myth than proven method,’ although some people swear by it.
She said: “It’s believed to stimulate the gut, which in turn might irritate the uterus but it doesn’t work for everyone."
And finally, the doctor commented that while acupuncture has ‘some evidence to support its use in late pregnancy, particularly for relaxation and pain relief, more research is needed to confirm its role in inducing labour’.
